RODEO WEEK: COWBOYS AND COWGIRLS SADDLING UP FOR THE SIKESTON JAYCEE BOOTHEEL RODEO

SIKESTON -- This year's Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo is the product of several months of "hard, sweaty volunteer work" and "lots of thinking and planning."

The Sikeston Jaycees, under the direction of Rodeo Chairman Tim Gilmore, have recruited four of country music's hottest performers, enticed 350 of the top members of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association to come and compete, and made significant safety improvements to the Rodeo grounds.

The reason for the Jaycees' persistent efforts?

Simple. Gilmore and other Jaycee chairmen agree that the Sikeston rodeo is one of the top 10 rodeos in the country. Attendance over the past five years averages 38,500 per year, and the total purse has been in excess of $120,000. This places the Sikeston rodeo in the top 10 percent of PRCA rodeo purses nationally.

Concession sales for the Rodeo exceed $100,000 per year, and the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo in the past has been named the best-managed Jaycee project in the nation.

"Even though it's a lot of fun to work on, it is above all things a business," Gilmore said.

Planning for the rodeo, said Gilmore, begins as soon as the previous year's rodeo ends and sometimes sooner.

"We started making grounds improvements right after last year's rodeo, but other things, like the entertainment lineup sometimes take longer than that."

Gary Allen, entertainment chairman, said that "countless hours put in by previous Jaycees to establish a good rapport with the Nashville people" makes it easier for him to contact and recruit big stars to the rodeo.

Attracting big names like Chris LeDoux, John Anderson, Joe Diffie, and Clay Walker was not easy, Allen said, even with the rodeo's solid reputation.

After the factors of availability, price and balance are considered in recruiting entertainers, the rest is pure luck, Allen says.

"The country music business is kind of like baseball. Everybody knows everybody. Sometimes you get lucky and hit a home run and get a really big star."

Looking at this year's entertainment, Allen and co-chairman Jeff Sutton apparently were very lucky.

John Anderson, the 1994 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year nominee whose "Seminole Wind" earned a double platinum award, will perform on Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 7 p.m.

"John came here (to the Sikeston Rodeo) when his song `Swingin' was hot. Now he's on another upswing," said Allen.

Allen said the Jaycees talked to Clay Walker for about 18 months in order to entice him into coming. Walker, who was named the Best New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music, will perform at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8.

Joe Diffie, who has had nine No. 1 country hits since his debut in 1990, will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9.

"He (Diffie) is a really likable person, but the natural is Chris LeDoux," Allen said.

"Natural" refers to LeDoux's history with rodeos.

"Chris is an ex-world saddle bronc champion and he should put on a great show. I can't imagine getting a better guy in here," said Allen.

Gilmore said the Jaycees have been trying to get LeDoux, who performs at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, to the Sikeston rodeo for years.

"For a while," said Gilmore, "Chris only had a small following and a few basement recordings. Then all of a sudden, he took off."

Gilmore is right. Though he may be relatively new to mainstream country, LeDoux has recently stepped into the world of major-label country music.

The former rodeo cowboy and Wyoming rancher had built up a small fan base with his recordings until Garth Brooks, in his song called "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)," mentioned something about "listening to one of them worn out tapes (of LeDoux's)."

"Then," LeDoux has said, "things really started moving. Garth Brooks exploded all over the place."

At that point, so did LeDoux. He sold nearly $4 million worth of his home-made tape "American Cowboy Songs." After signing with Liberty Records, LeDoux made three more albums, his most recent being "Under This Old Hat".

LeDoux's music has been credited with breaking barriers between country and rock, and Allen said that nothing would be better for the Sikeston crowd.

"The style and audience has changed for country music... new country is filling the void that people used to listen to in pop music. That means that we've got a lot of cross-over country fans," he said.

Rodeo events

In addition to rodeo action Wednesday through Saturday, musical entertainment and special events are planned in Sikeston.

Friday

Miss Rodeo and Junior Miss Rodeo, Ramada Inn, Sikeston, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Little Mr. and Miss Western, Ramada Inn, Sikeston 2 p.m.

Wednesday

Rodeo Parade

John Anderson, rodeo grounds, 7 p.m.

Thursday

Clay Walker, rodeo grounds, 7 p.m.

Friday

Joe Diffie, rodeo grounds, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Chris LeDoux, rodeo grounds, 7 p.m.

2nd annual Redneck BBQ Ribs Cook-Off, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.