story by Lindsay Whelchel
Owasso, Oklahoma is located just outside of the bustling city of Tulsa. On one hand, it means that the yearly rodeo has to compete with a lot of other events being held nearby, but it also means that the town has become a robustly settled and family-oriented suburb. And what better way to entertain a family than with a rodeo?
That’s the mission of the Owasso Roundup Club IPRA Championship Rodeo Committee.
“It all comes together. We put on a good rodeo, good family entertainment,” explains Chairman, Tom Schick. “People can really come out and enjoy themselves, and if they get hungry they can send their kids to the snack bar and let them wander around without having to worry about them. It’s just a good family-safe atmosphere,” he adds.
The rodeo became sanctioned with the IPRA over 30 years ago when Tom came on board the roundup club board of directors, which works hard all year to put the rodeo on.
“It’s changed a lot in the last 30 or so years, being so close to Tulsa, we’re so urbanized we have to compete against soccer and baseball and all those kind of things, so the face of rodeo has changed for us like it has everybody else,” Tom admits. But the Committee has met those challenges of the changing rodeo landscape head on, Tom explains, citing incorporating social media and other means of advertising and entertainment.
“We’ve had to take a second look at our production of the rodeo at what we can do to make them come back again the next time, so that’s been a continuing process for us.” Those production highlights include an appearance by Pawnee Bill, a kids’ calf scramble, other special features and added this year, ranch bronc riding.
To attempt to avoid complications with Mother Nature, the rodeo will now be held the second week of June instead of in May as it had previously been done alongside the town’s Trail Days festivities.
The extra weekend of fun brings added reward for the community.
“It’s the entertainment you have to provide for the people, the good family entertainment.”
The 32nd Annual Owasso Roundup Club Championship Rodeo will be held June 10-11 in Owasso, Oklahoma.
