Woodbine Saddle Club to Celebrate 65th Annual Rodeo, July 10, 11
Submitted by Woodbine Saddle Club
The Woodbine Saddle Club will be hosting their 65th annual rodeo, July 10-11, at the rodeo grounds on the west edge of Woodbine.
Rodeo weekend gets started on Thursday, July 9th with Kids Night at 6 pm. The highlight of Kid's Night is the Mutton Busting preliminaries where kids under 60 pounds have the opportunity to ride a sheep. The top 30 riders will ride again at either Friday or Saturday night's rodeo. Other activities will include horseback rides and games. Admission and games are free, but there is a small charge for the Mutton Busting.
Rodeo will start Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:15 pm with Queen's Entry where all past Woodbine Rodeo Queens in attendance will be recognized along with visiting royalty.
Reigning over rodeo this year will be Hadley Thomas, 2026 Woodbine Rodeo Queen, from Woodbine.
“We had two candidates for our queen contest last fall, but unfortunately, both had to
withdraw at the last minute. Hadly did such a wonderful job promoting our rodeo in 2025
that we decided to extend her reign another year,” shared Melissa Pauley, Royalty
Coordinator.
Thomas is the 17-year old daughter of Josh and Sonya Thomas. This fall she will be a
senior at Woodbine High School. Her future plans include studying at ISU to pursue a
career in animal science. In her spare time she can be found singing at local venues or
spending time with family and friends.
Grand Entry will be at 7:30 pm each evening. "Not all rodeos do as elaborate a Grand
Entry as Woodbine does," stated Irene Blazek, secretary of the Woodbine Saddle Club.
"It's an opportunity for the spectators to see the cowboys and cowgirls that will compete each night up close." Riders will set the pivots for the parade of cowboys and cowgirls, which will be led by Melissa Pauley. Rodeo action begins afterwards, which will include all of the traditional rodeo events.
Area equestrian drill team Loess Hill Heatwave will each night of rodeo and set the pivots for the grand entry. "We are excited to have this local drill team perform at our rodeo this year," stated Jerry Schafer, President.
The Rodeo Parade will be Saturday July 11th beginning at 11 am. The parade theme is “The Real America." Line-up directors will be located at 3rd and Lincolnway. Grand Marshal will be the American flag as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our independence.
After the conclusion of the rodeo on Saturday night, father-daughter duo Steve and
Hannah Thomas, from Mondamin, will provide live music outside the building.
“We invite everyone to hang around and extend the festivities,” stated board member Danny Baxter.
The Woodbine Saddle Club was formally organized in 1961 as a group of families that
enjoyed getting together with their horses. Over the years, improvements have been made
to the grounds including updating the calf pens, a permanent building with a complete
modern kitchen and handicapped seating.
"Rodeo takes a lot of volunteers and teamwork. We are always looking for more people to help for a couple hours one evening, especially in the food stand, which is the only air
conditioned spot on the grounds," stated Blazek. Anyone interested in volunteering can
contact Blazek at 712-592-1032.
WSC also hosts monthly Fun Days throughout the summer months. Dates for this year are July 26, August 30 and September 20. Games will include poles, barrels, flag race, keyhole and other fun games to do with your horse. Spectators are always welcome.
The club also rides in local parades to promote the club and annual rodeo. "The horses are always a hit in parades," said Blazek.
The Woodbine Rodeo Parade will be July 11, beginning at 11 a.m. in Woodbine.
For more information about the club and activities or to join the club, check out their
Facebook page, website www.woodbinesaddleclub.com, or email Blazek at woodbinesaddleclub@gmail.com.
