It’s Roundup week
Some 70 entries will make up this year’s Santa Rosa Rodeo parade set to get underway at 4 p.m., Wednesday, May 15, to kick off the 74th edition of the Santa Rosa Roundup.
Leading the Santa Rosa Roundup parade will be Grand Marshal Don Goodrum along with his wife Shirley.
Born in Vernon, Goodrum’s family owned and operated a gravel trucking company. In 1950, Don’s dad, B.R. Goodrum, started Goodrum Wrecker Service, a towing company that continues today, nearly 70 years later. Don took over the business in 1962. In the early days the business did several things such as a wrecking ball and truck salvage. Today, the business is only a towing company that specializes in towing and recovery of most anything big, small or anything in between. Raised in Vernon with one younger sibling, Don graduated from Vernon High School in 1956. He has been married to his wife Shirley for 59 years. They have one son, Kevin, who lives in Midland, and one daughter, Donna who lives in Vernon and four grandchildren.
Probably one of the most exciting adventures for Don was when he joined the Santa Rosa Palomino Club in 1963. Some 56 years later, Don still appreciates such a great opportunity to join a distinguished group of horsemen who come together for various reasons; competition, parades, rodeo performance, community service, or just for fun and team camaraderie.
One of Don’s first contributions to the club in 1963 was assisting various members build the chuck wagon used by the club. They built the chuckwagon out of metal which replaced the first one that was built from wood. Throughout his membership, Don served as a director from 1965-1968. While serving as a director, in 1967, the club as well as the entire community suffered a deep loss in the death of E. Paul Waggoner, the founder of the Santa Rosa Roundup. That same year, the 22nd annual Santa Rosa Roundup was dedicated to the memory of E. Paul Waggoner. Don served as President of the Santa Rosa Palomino Club in 1975. Don remained an active member of the club and served as Drill Captain before hanging up his spurs in 1984. Don remains a dedicated member to the club, however, he no longer rides in the drills.
Don served in the Army National Guard from 1961-1967. He is a member of the Shriners, Masonic Lodge, and the First Baptist Church.
Spectators will line the streets to watch the many entries in the parade, and prizes will be awarded in the various categories for the floats, riding clubs and novelty entries. The parade will follow the traditional route through downtown Vernon with the theme “Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue.”
Following the parade, residents and visitors are invited to the Vernon Lions Club barbecue to be served from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Horse Palace on the rodeo grounds tickets are $12.
The rodeo will get underway at 7:30 p.m., nightly, Wednesday through Saturday, in the Santa Rosa arena south of Vernon with top-ranked PRCA contestants taking on the Beutler & Sons stock. Tickets are available at the rodeo Headquarters, the former Norsworthy Music Center, 1814 Main Street, for $10, box seats; $8, general admission, and $5, children. Tickets are higher at the gate.
Each night of the rodeo will feature bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, barrel racers and lots of other action in the rodeo arena.
Following the rodeo Sarah and the Dreamers will play for the rodeo dance from 9 p.m. to midnight on Friday, and the Drake Hayes Band will play on Saturday night from 10 p.m. to1 a.m. Friday night dance tickets are $10, and tickets son Saturday are $15
Making his third appearance behind the Santa Rosa microphone will be Charlie Throckmorton as rodeo announcer. Returning to the rodeo arena will be bullfighter clowns Wacey Munsell and Alex Phelps.
The always thrilling Santa Rosa Palomino Club will also be featured nightly again this year with their fast-paced precision drills and performances.
Letting the local fans get into the arena will be such events as Ride the Hide. Participating in Ride the Hide will be Farm Bureau, Hillcrest Pharmacy and United Supermarket on Wednesday; Waggoner National Bank, Herring Bank and Family Health Mart on Thursday; and Vernon Auto Group Epic Recon and Vernon Fire Department on Friday. The winning teams from each night’s performance will compete against each other on Saturday with the overall winning team earning a traveling trophy to display for a year as well as “bragging rights.”
For the youngsters, Mutton Bustin’, Little Clowns and the Calf Scramble will give young rodeo goers a chance to find out what it’s like to be in the big arena. Names will be picked prior to the rodeo, and parents will be notified if their child is chosen for these events. Winners will participate each night of the rodeo.
All youngsters ages 12 and under will be invited to come into the arena for the Calf Scramble where four calves will be turned loose. Each calf will have a colored ribbon tied to its tail. The first four youngsters to secure a ribbon will be the winners. Each winner will receive a prize.
Also a part of the Santa Rosa Roundup week will be the traditional Rodeo Association Cowboy Golf Tournament at 8 a.m., Friday, at Hillcrest Country Club.
Lineup for the Santa Rosa parade was as follows as of press time. Vernon Police Department with Vernon Police Academy, Wilbarger County Sheriff Department, Texas Highway Patrol, Vernon/Wilbarger County Crime Stoppers vehicle, United States Flag carried by Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas State Flag carried by Sheppard Air Force Base, Santa Rosa Banner carried by Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Month, Parade Theme Banner “Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue” carried by the Boys & Girls Club, grand Marshal Banner carried by the Boys & Girls Club, Grand Marshal Don Goodrum three Vernon Fire Dept. trucks carrying the VHS Class of 2019, Doan’s King and Queen Eli Wilson and Caylee Streit drive by the Queen’s grandfather Freddie Streit, Doan’s Man and Woman of the Year Dr. J.C. Parmer and Elise Ashby, Mayor of Vernon Doug Jeffrey, Vernon Citizens of the Year Charles and Mamie McArthur, Texas Tech Masked rider Emily Brodbeck, Dews Custom Handmade Boots novelty wagon with mules, Herring Bank competitive float “United We Stand,” Cipriano Lugan 1066 Mustang, Guarantee Title Ford F150 pickup truck.
Also, Vernon College competitive float, Vernon Auto Group, Davis-Vernon Agency Kawaski Mule, Camp Fire competitive float, Vernon College Police Car, Herman Maddox 1940 International KB-5 Truck, “Uncle Sam: Make America Great Again,” Vernon Auto Group, Chelea Farm Competitive Float, Vernon College Gators, Red River Riding Association of Burkburnett, Texan Credit Competitive float “Boot Scoot & Boogy Texan Credit Gals,” Waggoner Office Gals ATV Rangers “Riding Rangers for the Red, White & Blue,” Waggoner Ranch Cowboys Riding Club, Lawton Rangers Riding Club of Lawton, Okla., Pam Gosline County Commissioner
Also, Chad King 1997 Honda Ace 1100 Motorcycle, Vernon Select Baseball competitive float “Three Cheers for America’s Greatest Past time – Vernon Select Baseball, Jim Bradford 1911 Ford Blue Touring, Vernon Auto Group, Vernon Twister Baseball competitive float “America’s Past Time,” Northside JH Cheer competitive float “Three Cheers for the Northside Indians,” Vernon Auto Group, Robotics Team, Gerald Thiele 1931 Model A Ford, Vernon Auto Group, Wilbarger General Hospital competitive float “Out of This World Service Since 1969,” Leaps & Bounds Cheer competitive float “Three Cheers to the Great City of Vernon and the Awesome Santa Rosa Rodeo,” Vernon Auto Group, Holy Family Nazareth Catholic Church competitive float “Old Glory,” Boys & Girls Club robotics competitive float “The Future Is US,” Vernon Dental Group non-competitive float, Lockett Hwy. Church of Christ bus, Roarin’ Lion Band, Vernon Auto Group, Cub Scout Pack 87 bicycles “We Ride for Freedom,” TIE Club, Wilbarger County 4-H Riding Club, Foard County 4-H Riding Club, Vernon Auto Group, Top of Texas Little League Vernon Lions & Cheerleading, Relay for Life competitive float “Salute to the Red, White and Blue,” Vernon High School Varsity Cheer, Brazon Eakin “Little Buckaroo” and his horse Champ, Vernon Middle School cheerleaders competitive float “All American VMS Cheerleaders, Vernon Auto Group.