Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Pioneer Days Rodeo week starts Monday with a “mutton bustin’” event in the indoor arena at the Curry County Fairgrounds.
While Pioneer Days had gone on for years in the Clovis area, the first rodeo in the fairgrounds’ Mounted Patrol Arena was in 1970.
The Curry County Mounted Patrol was formed in 1939.
According to the Pioneer Days Rodeo website the group “enjoyed sponsoring western entertainment such as rodeos and for several years sponsored a championship Steer Roping on Labor Day which would attract all the top steer ropers of the nation.”
The Mounted Patrol’s first rodeo was on the football field of Clovis High School when the school was at Seventh and Main downtown, where the Clovis-Carver Library is now. The football field was just north of Marshall Middle School.
The website detailed the joint history of the Mounted Patrol and the Curry County fairgrounds.
The group bought 60 acres of land and then donated it to Curry County, and that donated land became the Curry County Fairgrounds.
The Mounted Patrol built the rodeo arena on the fairgrounds.
From that point on in June of each year during the Pioneers Days Celebration the Mounted Patrol hosts the rodeo.
The rodeo has “become recognized as the best in this part of the country,” according to the website.
The website also outlines the schedule for the week.
The mutton bustin’, an event involving kids rodeoing sheep, will be at the indoor arena at 5 p.m. Registration will be taken from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday.
The Pioneer Women Brunch is Tuesday at Wheatfields Living Center, 4701 North Prince Street from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday is also the day for the team roping at 6:30 p.m. at the indoor arena, books open at 5:30 p.m.
Thursday is the first night of the rodeo and Military Appreciation Night.
The day’s schedule starts off with story hour at the Clovis-Carver Public Library with the Pioneer Days rodeo queens “Queens love to Read” program.
At 11:30 it is the Rodeo BBQ Kickoff at Bender Ram, 3400 Mabry Drive. The event is open to the public.
The rodeo gets underway Thursday at 7:30 p.m. “Military Appreciation Night” means $2 off tickets with active-duty military ID. Organizers urge eventgoers to wear red, white and blue to show support for military personnel.
Friday starts off with the 20th Annual Pioneer Days Breakfast of Champions at 7 a.m. at the Clovis Civic Center, 802 Schepps Blvd. The event is open to the public.
At 8 a.m. it is the steer roping slack at the events center.
9 a.m. “bullfighters,” rodeo queens and clowns tour area nursing homes.
7:30 p.m. Friday it’s the second night of the rodeo and it’s “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” night to show support for women’s breast cancer awareness.
Saturday is the 51st Annual Pioneer Days Parade on Main Street, Clovis. The parade theme this year is “Wild Wild West.”
Parade registration forms are available at the Clovis-Curry County Chamber of Commerce office, 105 East Grand Avenue or online at clovispioneerdaysrodeo.com.
Saturday night is also the last night of the rodeo, “First Responder’s Night.”
The rodeo begins at 7:30 p.m.
In addition to tickets being available at the door they are also available at Gebo’s and One Stop Feeds in Clovis and Bar G Western Wear in Portales.
