Ride 'Em, Cowboy!

Rodeo of the Ozarks spurs on competition

File Photo Rodeo clown Troy Lerwill visits with cowboy Jessy Davis at a previous Rodeo of the Ozarks. Lerwill will bring his comedy and his motorcycle skills to town for the 74th edition of the event.
File Photo Rodeo clown Troy Lerwill visits with cowboy Jessy Davis at a previous Rodeo of the Ozarks. Lerwill will bring his comedy and his motorcycle skills to town for the 74th edition of the event.

"It's a motorcycle comedy act, but I don't want to give it away," says Troy Lerwill, doing exactly that for readers planning to attend the 74th annual Rodeo of the Ozarks.

Lerwill, who lives in Paceton, Utah, will keep rodeo fans entertained as the clown and specialty act. He has been named the PRCA specialty act of the year four times. But "no, he won't be herding livestock with his motorcycle," says Jeff Lee of Siloam Springs, the rodeo's announcer.

FAQ

Rodeo of the Ozarks

WHEN — 7:30 p.m. June 27-30

WHERE — Parsons Stadiums in Springdale

COST — $7-$38

INFO — 756-0464

BONUS — Rodeo parades will take place down Emma Avenue at 3 p.m. June 27 & June 30. There will be fireworks after the rodeo on June 30.

FYI

Rodeo of the Ozarks

History

• The rodeo was started in 1944 by a group of Springdale men and women led by founder, Shorty Parsons.

• It was named the Rodeo of the Ozarks in 1946 and recognized as a professional rodeo by the Rodeo Cowboys Association.

• The Springdale Benevolent Amusement Association organized in February 1947 to operate the rodeo.

• Shorty Parsons was president of the SBAA from 1950 until his death in 1988.

• In 2016, the rodeo moved its dates up one week from July 1-4 to the end of June.

"I started out in a family that was really into rodeo," Lerwill says. "But at age 11, I got my first motorcycle -- and I really liked it. It was a big part of my life."

Lerwill would ride motocross in the desert surrounding his home. "My dad wasn't really pleased when I crashed and required surgery, but [my parents] were supportive and helped out."

He went back to his roots and back to rodeo in his 30s and started fighting bulls. "But I wanted to do something different, to evolve," he says. The motorcycle became part of his comedy.

As a rodeo clown, Lerwill is just one of several different "hands" to help the rodeo run more smoothly, he says. During down time between rides, as the cowboys their hands wrapped in the riggings of their livestock, a clown can take up the slack in the performance. Or he might help the transition between one rider and the next.

Lerwill spoke of many things going on both inside and outside of that gate where the cowboy and animal come together -- somebody has to "pull" open the gate, somebody has to cinch the cowboy's rigging tight around the animal, the announcer has to keep the crowd involved. "It's a whole team effort," Lerwill says.

"The funnest part is I get to act goofy," he continues. "And I hope that people in the audience can forget the trials and tribulations of life and enjoy it while they're there."

Fighting bulls and riding motorcycles, Lerwill admits he might be an adrenaline junkie-- and maybe that's how he got the name of his act: "The Wild Thing."

"I just like experiencing life," he says. "It used to be an adrenaline thing for me, but now it's about challenging myself and enjoying the experience."

He recalls his first time parasailing. "Running down the side of the hill, taking off over the cliff. Southern California was beautiful. Then I was flying over the ocean."

"I'm pretty comfortable with everything," Lerwill says. "Everything turns out exactly the way it's supposed to."

"Troy is very much an outdoorsman," Lee says. The men were talking in December during the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Lee told Lerwill that his home was just about a mile from the Siloam Springs kayak park. "His eyes lit up, and he said, 'I bring my kayak with me everywhere,'" Lee recalls. "He likes being outdoors in the western states, taking advantage of all they have to offer. Utah is so beautiful."

"But wherever I'm at, there I am," Lerwill concludes. "With my trailer, I'm always home."

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File Photo/ANDY SHUPE Hazel Vonspreecken watches last year's rodeo parade as she rides on a horse with her mother, Gayla Vonspreecken of Rogers. Parades this year are set for 3 p.m. June 27 and June 30.

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File Photo/BEN GOFF Tilden Hooper of Carthage, Texas, competes in bareback riding at last year's Rodeo of the Ozarks. This year's edition of the competition is June 27-30.

NAN What's Up on 06/24/2018

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