Ruritan rodeo rounds off successful weekend in Efland

On Saturday, the sun set over a sold-out crowd for the last night of the 28th Efland Ruritan Club Rodeo.

Thousands of people came to watch the rodeo’s eight events — bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, tie-down calf roping, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing and bull riding. 

“It’s something that people look forward to every year, especially people around this area,” Anthony Cecil, the Ruritan Club’s president and the rodeo chairman, said. 

Cecil has been involved with the Ruritan Club, a civic engagement organization, and the rodeo since the 1990s. He said it is their biggest event every year, and planning for this year began last November. 

The proceeds from the event go toward the operation of the Efland Ruritan Club and their service projects. The club provides scholarships to six local high school students each year. They also support local public parks, facilities and emergency services.

“Whatever we can give to the community, that’s what we do,” Cecil said. 

Cecil said the rodeo couldn’t happen without the support of around 50 local sponsors, many of which have been involved for years.

Tyler Brown has announced the Efland Rodeo more times than he can count from the wooden stand overlooking the arena, adjacent to rodeo stalls and within sight of horse and livestock trailers.

Brown is a professional announcer for the Southern Rodeo Association. He said that the Efland event is one of hundreds of rodeos in the organization's circuit. 

Competitors travel to SRA rodeos across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia to compete. Sometimes they participate in three to five rodeos each week, Brown said. 

Throughout the year, rankings are determined by total winnings from all SRA competitions. At the end of the year, the top 12 competitors go to the Southern Finals Rodeo in February.  

Brown said that he always appreciates the sell-out crowd and the volunteers and employees who provide the livestock in Efland. 

“When you come here, you know you’re entertaining good people,” Brown said. “You’re working with good people. It’s just a good combination.”

A number of local organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America and a youth travel softball team, had booths set up selling food, merchandise and activities for kids. 

Jessica Bollinger was operating a booth of mechanical rides for kids run by Efland Trash Service, which provides trash service at the event and around the community. She said she has been coming to the rodeo since she moved to Efland 21 years ago. 

Bollinger's favorite part is seeing the faces of kids when they experience the rides in her booth or the activities in the ring, she said. During intermission, for example, the rodeo entertainer led a kids dance-off. The boy and girl who received the most applause won a bike donated by Efland Trash Service. 

“We all support local as much as we can,” Bollinger said.

The rodeo entertainer also held an air guitar competition for a pair of teachers. Both teachers received checks of a few hundred dollars to spend on their classroom.

Even though the rodeo has grown in the past two years, Cecil said that he still sees the same local community members every year.

He said that as he watches the small community of Efland grow, he hopes they can continue to make the event more attractive for more people. 

“For me, the rodeo is all about memories,” Cecil said. “That’s why I work so hard.”

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