PrairieGrove2022

Lincoln Riding Club & Rodeo Community Happenings

And perhaps the best part of these events is you don’t always have to own a horse to participate! Most everybody in the riding club is really good about letting people ride their horses,” Sherry said. “There was an older gentleman in the club when my kids were growing up who knew a lot of the kids in the community, wanted to ride, but didn’t have their own horse. So, he would bring his horses to the arena and let those kids ride in the events. He would even run alongside the horse if a child didn’t know how to guide the horse through the event.” Besides being a wonderful resource for the community, the main event that the Lincoln Riding Club hosts is the Annual Lincoln Rodeo. This year the rodeo is celebrating its 68th year. The much-anticipated riding competition spans four nights and three days in August. It kicks off with a street dance on the Wednesday night before the three-day rodeo event. The rodeo parade is also a favorite of Lincoln residents that the whole town comes out for. “Everyone in Lincoln can participate by riding their horses or antique cars,” Sherry said. “It is truly a com- munity celebration.” As for the rodeo itself, it is a professional event that draws riding fans from all over Northwest Arkansas and Northeast Oklahoma. “We get sponsors to help pay the cowboys and cowgirls who partic- ipate,” Sherry explained. “We have six or seven different events for professionals to compete in. We have lots of vendors set up outside, selling mostly homemade goods along with the concession stand.” Along with the Lincoln Riding Club, the event is co-sanctioned by the Arkansas Cowboy Rodeo Association (ACRA) and the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA). “The cowboys and cowgirls come from all over the county to participate,” Sherry said. “They gather points throughout the year to add to their year-end tally at events like

The Lincoln Riding Club brings horses and people together. It’s made up of volunteers who love riding and providing opportuni- ties for the people of Lincoln and Northwest Arkansas to ride, play and connect with animals. “I was originally involved as a parent,” said Sherry Barnard Smith, Secretary of the Lincoln Riding Club. “For over ten years, when our kids were growing up, we were very active in the club. Then we took a break, and now, ten years later, I am active again as a grandparent.” The club offers a facility for members to ride in a professional arena and work with their horses. They also hold events that they call Play Days. These will start up in May and take place about twice a month going forward. “Children and adults alike can come

out and participate in our Play Day events,” Sherry said. “It’s all for fun, and at the end of the year we hold an awards ceremony where we give out ribbons and present a saddle to the

ours that allow them to participate in the finals with our two sanctioning organizations.” Sherry believes that the riding club provides a real service to the communi- ty. “I think it’s important that children and adults alike have a connection to animals,” she said. “I think they can gain a lot of wisdom and charac- ter building by being with animals. You can see the connection between the horses and the kids.”

high point winner of the year. It gives an opportunity for the amateurs to participate in events.”

These Play Day events held through- out the year include barrel racing and pole racing, where the riders have to weave in and out of a pat- tern laid out by the poles. “It shows the skills of the riders as they get the horses to turn really quickly,” Sherry said. “They are all designed to show the connection between the horse and the rider. They also have an event where they ride down to the other end of the arena, grab a flag and ride back. The partic- ipants range from two or three years old, up to seventy! Everyone is welcome to participate.

Article courtesy of NWADG

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