Dopps Rodeo begins Friday

A cowboy tries to hang on during the bareback riding competition in this scene from last year's Daniel Dopps Memorial Rodeo.

Mountain Home Auto Ranch and Ram Rodeo will sponsor the 8th Annual Daniel Dopps Memorial Rodeo this Friday and Saturday, June 28-29, at Optimist Park Arena in Mountain Home.

Gates open at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Pre-rodeo events will kick off at 7 p.m. with the rodeo starting at 7:30 p.m.

The Daniel Dopps Memorial Rodeo attracts professional and amateur rodeo cowboys and cowgirls from across the Pacific Northwest who will vie for more than $14,000 in prize money this year. The well-known contractor Slash T will provide stock for the rodeo.

Contestants will compete in saddle bronc riding, bull riding, bareback riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, calf roping and team roping. In addition, there will be an open barrel racing event, available for young women who are not professional cowgirls. That event is sponsored by Bidaganeta Construction.

The rodeo was created in memory of Daniel Dopps, a local high school rodeo star who died while riding bulls shortly after he turned pro in 2005. With the sponsorship of a number of local businesses, the added-money event has grown to become a key stop on the PRCA rodeo circuit.

In addition to the rodeo competition, there will be a Rodeo Kick-Off sponsored by Kurly's Sports Bar & Grill on Thursday, June 27, on Jackson Street in Mountain Home. The kick-off party festivities will start at 6 p.m. There will be cowboys, rodeo animals, roping lessons and other free activities for kids and their families. Rodeo tickets and DDD hats, T-shirts and buckles will be on sale during that event as well.

The rodeo also is bringing back the family favorite event of the calf scramble, where all kids under the age of 12 are invited to join in for an opportunity to win some money. The scramble will begin at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. Sign-ups for the event are at 6:45 p.m. both days.

For the smaller buckaroos the rodeo will feature goat tail untying during the pre-rodeo activities. This year that event is sponsored by C-2 Construction.

The main rodeo begins at 7:30 p.m.

The Jeff Palmer Band will provide dance music in the arena and surrounding grounds each night after the rodeo.

Friday is Pink Shirt Night. Along with the performers, those attending are asked to wear pink to signify their support for cancer research.

Saturday is Military Appreciation Night. "Please wear your Red, White & Blue to show your support for our men and women who serve our country," a rodeo spokesperson said.

Tickets are available at the Sinclair Sunset C or D&B Supply in Mountain Home. They also can be obtained online (www.3dmemorialrodeo.org) or at the gate.

The cost is $10 for adults or $5 for children ages 6-12. Those age 5 and under are admitted free.

A special Family Pack for Friday's rodeo allows two adults and two children in at a cost of only $25.

All tickets are general admission. Rain or shine, there are no refunds.

Free parking is available at the rodeo grounds. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.

This year the rodeo committee will raffle a Ruger Hawkeye .270 with scope. The rifle is on display at Mountain Sports. There will be only 250 tickets sold for the raffle at $10 each. To purchase raffle tickets contact Tina Ruffing 599-0967 or Mike Pope 590-0531 or purchase them at the Kick-Off event on Thursday.

The event is presented by the Daniel Dopps Memorial Rodeo Association with the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association. Mountain Home Auto Ranch and Ram Rodeo are lead sponsors of the rodeo for the seventh consecutive year.

"The Daniel Dopps Memorial Rodeo is great entertainment for the entire family and also a significant fundraiser that annually donates on average about $12,000 to various nonprofit organizations in Elmore County," said Todd McCurry, president of Mountain Home Auto Ranch.

A portion of the proceeds from the rodeo will benefit several Elmore County nonprofit organizations and also provide educational scholarships to Idaho high school and college students.

The Dopps Memorial is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that donates its proceeds to charitable organizations such as The Ronald McDonald House, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Scooters for Hooters, a new organization that raises funds to provide free mammograms for Elmore County residents. Concession stands at the rodeo run by local youth groups and Mountain Home Air Force Base personnel will also raise funds for various worthy causes.