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Giddy up! The Cowboys are coming to town, and you don't want to miss the action. So saddle your horse and head over to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The Professional Cowboy Association will be presenting their PCA Finals Rodeo from January 6th through the 9th, 2022.
The Professional Cowboy Association (PCA) is the premier producer of rodeos in the southeastern United States. Each major event they hold draws 5,000 or more spectators. The organization grows each year, and they have more than 100 rodeos over their ten-month season. Over 1,000 cowboys and cowgirls are members of the PCA.
The PCA's pinnacle show is their Finals Rodeo (PCFR), held every January in Biloxi. The Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum provides the perfect place to have such an event, whether you're active in the cow folk world or just a curious visitor.
Rodeos usually conjure images of the Old West--cowboys and gunslingers at the OK Corral. But if you look beyond John Wayne and the others for a moment, the history of rodeos in the South is quite interesting! Texas might take the cake, but Mississippi is right there with it.
Cattle ranching and cowboys began in the United States with the vaqueros of Texas and New Mexico. This way of herding cows was a tradition from Northern Mexico that could trace its roots to Spain. In the South, cowboys were commonly known as "crackers" because of the noise their whips made.
Modern cowboys still hone their skills and practice their craft. Working cowboys and cowgirls are responsible for feeding livestock, branding, earmarking, tending to injured animals, and maintaining rangelands. And of course, they move herds to different pasture areas and round 'em up!
Rodeo comes from the Spanish word rodear and means "roundup." Rodeo cowboys are the athletes--the stars of the show. They earn their living by performing their skills before an audience in a competitive environment. Rodeos travel the country, playing before different crowds and sharing the show with everyone.
The rodeo will be in town from Thursday, January 6th, until Sunday, January 9th, 2022.
Thursday will be the kick-off and sign-up day, with all the big shows starting on Friday.
Friday begins at 10:00 am with the First Performance for School Kids Learning Rodeo. That evening, a second performance for all will start at 7:30 pm.
On Saturday, the third performance begins at 7:30 pm. In addition, there is an after-performance contestant party at the Margaritaville Resort beginning at 10:00 pm.
The fourth and final performance will begin at 1:30 pm on Sunday, following a special 10:00 am Cowboy Church conducted by Waylon Stuckey.
The rodeo is just another example of one of the fun things to do in Gulfport, Mississippi. Special events come to the area all the time, so check your calendar and start planning your trip today!
