Vernon College rodeo opens today; Saturday finals set for 4 p.m.

Vernon College’s 43rd annual rodeo opens Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Wilbarger County Event Center, bringing collegiate competitors to Vernon for the final fall stop in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s Lone Star Region.

The three-day competition continues through Saturday, Nov. 7, at 301 Wilbarger St.

Evening performances begin at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Additional preliminary competition, known as slack, starts at 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

The short round, featuring qualifying competitors, begins at 4 p.m. Saturday, according to the event’s published ground rules and order of events.

Competition includes bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, team roping, breakaway roping, barrel racing and goat tying. Single-steer roping also appears on Saturday’s short-round program.

The regional entry sheets list competitors from Vernon College, Tarleton State University, Weatherford College, Cisco College, Ranger College, Sul Ross State University and Angelo State University.

Vernon College enters its home rodeo sixth in the seven-school men’s team standings with 380 points and seventh in the women’s standings with 55 points, according to regional standings released by NIRA as of Oct. 26.

Tarleton State leads both divisions with 2,395 men’s points and 1,685 women’s points. Weatherford College holds second place in both divisions.

The Vernon competition follows earlier fall rodeos in Abilene, Alpine, Weatherford and San Angelo. The regional schedule includes additional competitions during the spring semester.

The rodeo is expected to attract hundreds of contestants competing in the nine traditional collegiate events.

General admission is $10. Vernon College students are admitted free with a student ID.

The event’s schedule, ground rules and competitor draw are available through the Lone Star Region’s website.