Calf-roping, horse-riding youths ages 5 to 18 will take center stage Saturday and Sunday for the Mid South Little Britches Rodeo Association’s rodeo at the Lauderdale County Agri-Center.

    The rodeo starts at 9 a.m. each day and will run until contestants complete their events, probably between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., MSLBRA Secretary Gina Smith said. The entry fee is $5. Children 5 and younger get in free.    

    “We have a big group of kids,” Smith said. “There are 97 contestants and 37 in the Little Wrangler group (ages 5-8), so we have a lot of little kids.”

    The event is sanctioned by the National Little Britches Rodeo Association, one of the oldest, continuing rodeo associations in the world for youths, with membership in 26 states across the U.S.

    Each year some 2,000 kids from 21 states compete in more than 275 Little Britches rodeos in 16 states across the country. MSLBRA represents children from across the state of Mississippi.

    Boys and girls  compete separately in age divisions that include Little Wrangler, ages 5-8; Junior, ages 9-13; and Senior, ages 14-18.

    Events this weekend include breakaway roping, flag racing, goat tying, team roping, and pole bending, to name a few. Some events, such as bull riding and saddle bronc riding, are reserved for junior and senior boys.

    This is the first rodeo of the 2014-15 season for MSLBRA.

    Daniel Newell, co-owner of Till-Newell Animal Hospital in Meridian, is a board member for the MSLBRA. He has two daughters who compete in MSLBRA rodeos.

     Newell said the sport promotes family.

    “It keeps everybody doing the same thing,” Newell said. “It takes a lot of practice on the kids part, so they are staying at home out of trouble.”

    Smith agreed. Her 11-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son both compete in the association’s rodeos.

    “It is something we can do as a family,” Smith said. “The kids have a ball. I have a 15 year old and I know where he is. He’s with me and his friends.”

    Sunday’s activities kick off with Cowboy Church at 8:30 a.m., prior to the rodeo. A minister typically performs the service on horseback. There will be a concession stand with food and drinks available on both days.

    MSLBRA returns to Meridian Nov. 22-23. Finals wrap up in June of next year, with awards to follow.

    There is a lot of talented children who compete in the events.

    “We had about 35 of our kids went to the national finals in Colorado last year,” Smith said. “We have everybody from beginners just starting to ride and some who just came back from Colorado who competed there. You see the little cute ones that come in and are just getting started and you see some blowing the gates off.”

    Many collegiate rodeo athletes and a healthy number of professionals competed in Little Britches events in their younger days. Before Ty Murray became a legend by winning seven world all-around championships in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, he honed his skills in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association, according to the organization’s website. Other Rodeo legends that began in the NLBRA are: Butch and Rope Myers, Kristie Peterson, Cody DeMoss, Tim Segelke, Royce Ford, Marlene McRae, Cimmaron Gerke, Randy Suhn and K.C. Jones, the website states.

    For more information, visit www.mslbra.org.