Fort Myers Pro Rodeo returns to Posse Arena
In just two years, the Fort Myers Pro Rodeo has become the biggest rodeo event the Lee County Sheriff’s Posse Arena holds every year, with packed houses and lots of fun.
This weekend, the event returns with two big performances on Friday and Saturday, featuring fun, excitement and some of the best cowboys and cowgirls who will compete for more than $20,000 in prize money.
Casey and Margo Crowther, the rodeo promoters, looked into moving the event to Germain Arena this year, but decided the event hadn’t grown the wings to make such a move.
“We wanted to see one more year of consistency before we took that route. We had a great year last year and another one would convince us to make the move next year,” Casey Crowther said.
Last year’s Saturday evening performance sold out. But the Sunday afternoon show didn’t quite do as well because of the weather. Thus the reason they will return to a Friday and Saturday evening schedule.
“The arena doesn’t have cover for those out in the sun and people on Sunday afternoon got too hot,” Margo said. “Moving it to Saturday will make it cooler.”
What will remain the same will be the top people in their professions turning out. Rodeo clown Robbie Hodges and announcer Roger Mooney, who have both performed at the National Finals Rodeo, return, as will the Klein Bothers from Louisiana, who will provide the rodeo stock.
The rodeo will feature some of the very best in events such as bull riding, calf roping, bronc riding and barrel racing. It will also feature fun for the kids such as mutton busting and the calf scramble, where they try to get the ribbon off the calf to win a prize.
There will also be more vendors, a mechanical bull and raffles, as well as a new title sponsor in Coors, which takes over for Hooters, which sponsored the first two years.
Casey said he expects this rodeo to be the biggest yet as advance tickets have sold well and the website has been active.
“Business is better because of the amount of sponsorship. People want to see rodeo and we’ve raised additional money this year,” Casey said. “The response online has been great. We’re getting up to 400 visits to the website every day.”
Friday’s performance starts at 7:30 p.m., with Saturday’s beginning at 6. Slack, where the competitors run if they aren’t among the 10 to get into each performance, will be Saturday at 9 a.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children, with those 4 and under free. New this year will be special VIP tickets for $75, which includes parking, seating, food and drinks.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Posse Arena is at 17401 Palm Creek Dr, North Fort Myers.
For more information or to buy tickets online, go to www.fortmyersprorodeo.com .