Rodeo dodges the rain

A sold-out crowd for the Kick the Dust Up Rodeo at Buechler Farms on Saturday was treated to an answer to prayer from farm co-owner Irene Buechler. On Friday night, after a successful concert by Live Courage that kicked off the festivities, there was a 100% prediction of rain for Saturday. “I went to bed that night saying a little prayer. It can rain before and after but please no rain during the bull riding and barrel racing,” Buechler said. “Someone from above was looking over us.” It ended up raining Saturday morning and after the rodeo. “Thank goodness because the stands were packed and most of them prepared for whatever Mother Nature was going to give us,” Buechler said. Many people stayed to listen to the band Tangle Foot and the night performance by Rebel Grace was a big hit again, Buechler said. “I overheard a lot of fans say that this was the best year of the four years we have been putting this on,” she said. Clockwise from above left, Mac Burke competed in barrel racing. A bull chased a participant. Skylar Noll and her horse made their way around a barrel and Erin Andrews and her daughter James posed for a photo. Photos by Sam Arendt