The Young and the Rodeo ─ A Tale of How Young People Keep Alive the Sport of Rodeo in the Region Called the Arklamiss

Introduction: "The Young and The Rodeo" is the tale of a journey that took me into the world of rodeo through the eyes and experience of the next generation of rodeo superstars, cowboys and cowgirls. It contains personal highlights and individual stories that help explain why rodeo continues to thrive in a modern, high-tech world of video games and smart phones. It is not a detailed examination of results, instead this is a view of the sport from the eyes of those that compete in it. It is also not a hard-news analysis, rather it is a look at what makes rodeo so special and why regional and community rodeo competitions designed for young people is a flourishing segment of the sporting world in the tri-state region of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. I will also introduce the reader to several amazing young people who love the sport and want to share that love so that others can understand why they feel the way they feel. Hopefully, you as a reader will discover what I discovered and understand why I have fallen in love with the sport - and those young people that keep it alive.