Friday and Saturday the Greensboro Arena will be the source of a lot of excitement and entertainment as the first annual Greensboro Rodeo will take center stage.

Contestants in the rodeo will have a chance to show off their skills in horsemanship, showmanship and personality. All winners will receive great prizes and first place winners will receive crowns and buckles. All contestants must provide their own horse.

The rodeo plans to host a well-rounded slate of contests. Events in the rodeo will include bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, calf roping, breakaway roping, team roping, steer wrestling barrel racing and bull riding.

Tonsina Poole, who is helping to organize the rodeo, said there wouldl also be several events for children to participate in.

“We will have a gold rush, mutton busting, little wranglers and a pig scramble,” Poole said. “It should be a lot of fun.”

Poole said on both nights they would also have a mechanical bull and pony rides the youngsters can buy tickets for. Saturday they will set up a rock climbing wall, a moonwalk, and a maze as well.

Concessions, t-shirts, hats and boots will also be on sale both nights.

Poole said the gates would open at different times Friday and Saturday.

“Friday the gates will open at 6 p.m. and the children’s events will start around 7:15 or 7:30 p.m. and the regular events will start around 8 p.m.,” Poole said. “Saturday, the gates will open around 4 p.m. The Rodeo Queens will be available for pictures starting around 6 p.m.”

The Rodeo Queens will be determined Friday during the Miss Rodeo Queen Contest. This contest will be sponsored by the Greensboro Rodeo Committee and will have four divisions.

The first division will be the Little Miss for ages 10 and under. The preteen division will feature ages 11 through 14 and the Junior Miss will feature ages 15 through 17. The final division will be the Senior Miss and will feature ages 18 through 25.

Winners will be announced during a program just before the performance on Saturday night. All contestants will be invited to ride in the opening ceremonies with the professional cowboys and cowgirls. Winners will be presented during intermission of the rodeo performance.

For more questions about the rodeo interested parties should contact Poole by e-mail at tonsina@bellsouth.net or by calling 205-315-1002. You may leave your name and number and you will be contacted.