EAST LANSING, Mich. - Dust off your boots, belt, chaps and Stetson, because the Michigan State University Spartan Stampede Rodeo is coming to town Feb. 15, 16 and 17 at the MSU Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education.
The three-day event will feature team roping, calf roping, steer wrestling, saddlebronc riding, bareback bronc riding, bull riding, barrel racing and the rodeo queen contest. Performance times are 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday.
"All of these events are very fast-paced, exciting and crowd-pleasing," said Jeffrey Fuehring of Hart, an accounting freshman at MSU who will compete in the bareback bronc competition on Sunday.
This year's rodeo is a landmark occasion because, for the first time, professional athletes will compete under the guidelines of the International Professional Rodeo Association.
Advanced ringside tickets cost $15 and upper seating costs $10 for adults and $7.50 for children 12 and under and for MSU students. Tickets the day of the performance cost $15 for ringside seats and $12 for upper seating. Doors will open one hour before performance times.
Proceeds from the rodeo help pay for the club's activities, including scholarships, donations, and school and youth group visits. The MSU Rodeo Club's goal is to inspire interest in the sport of rodeo in Michigan and to provide a social organization for students.
For more information on the rodeo or group discounts, call the Breslin Student Events Center ticket office at (800) 968-2737 or (517) 432-5000 or visit the MSU Rodeo Club's Web site at http://www.msu.edu/~rodeo