CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center saw a packed house Friday evening for the first night of the 37th annual Stars and Stripes Rodeo benefiting the West Point Warrior Band.
West Point Band Booster President Josh Sellers shared, “This is the band’s 37th annual band booster rodeo. All the proceeds we make from the event go toward our band program; this year the band ordered about $25,000 worth of new jackets, so pretty much that’s what we’re using the money from this year.”
Sellers said the rodeo received the 2018 and 2019 Southeastern Professional Rodeo Association (SPRA) Indoor Rodeo of the Year award.
“You’ll notice we have two plaques,” he said. “We’re two years in a row now we’ve won the Best Indoor Rodeo of the Year award for the SPRA.”
Former West Point Band Booster President Tiffany Whitesell talked a bit about the pageant side of the event.
“We’re so proud of our pageant girls, our queens, and they represented well,” she said. “We had the pageant last night (Thursday) and that went really well. We feature ages 3-26.”
Saturday night will see the crowning of the 2020 Miss West Point Rodeo Queen.
Sellers encouraged those who missed the first night to come out Saturday.
“Friday night was packed out pretty good, Saturday night is going to be even bigger!” he said. “We’re looking at tomorrow (Saturday) night at filling this arena up, so get ready, come out and support our band and support our local school system.”
Whitesell shared, “I’m super thrilled at the size of the crowd and the turnout and we’re so proud of our band. They’re doing really well; they just came from the (Alabama Bandmasters Association) Music Performance Assessment and came back with all ones. This is our big fundraiser and we have our band students and parents, it’s just a big group effort.”
Sellers said this was the first time the band had received all superior ratings since 1994.
So how much does the rodeo raise for the band each year?
“Every year it’s a little bit different,” said Sellers. “My first year being in charge, this is my fourth year, we raised about $9,000, then $13,000 and then close to $20,000 last year. It’s getting bigger every year!”
In a previous interview, Double Creek Rodeo Company’s Matt Coleman said this year’s rodeo features
- bareback riding (bucking horses)
- saddle bronc riding (also bucking horses)
- tie-down calf roping
- breakaway roping
- steer wrestling
- team roping
- Intermission with a calf scramble for the kids
- barrel racing
- bull riding
37th Annual West Point Band Stars & Stripes Rodeo
Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center, 17645 U.S. Highway 31, Cullman, Alabama 35058
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m.
Adults $12, ages 6-12 $10, 5 and younger free
Double Creek Rodeo and the Southeastern Pro Rodeo Association
Mutton busting (6:30 p.m.), kids’ gold rush, ladies’ envelope scramble
The 2020 Miss West Point Rodeo Queen will be crowned Saturday night.
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