Ritters named 2020 Great Salt Plains Stampede Rodeo Marshall
The Cherokee RoundUp Club named their 2020 Rodeo Marshall.
This year will offer co-marshalls with Richard (Dick) and Faye Ritter being honored.
Richard was born in Wichita, Kan. and attended school in Cherokee.
He then served in the United States Air Force and was a member of the National Guard.
In downtown Cherokee he opened Ritters’ Body Shop and worked there until his recent retirement.
He also spent time serving on the Cherokee Fire Department.
Faye was born in Hardtner, Kan. and attended school in Capron and Burlington.
She attended Enid Beauty School and upon graduation, opened her own business in Capron, then Alva, before moving to Cherokee.
In Cherokee she worked for John and Larry, then at Eldora’s Beauty Shop for 30 years. After she retired from there, she went to work for VAP in Alva for nine years.
Richard and Faye were married in September 1971. The couple started a family with two children, Jeanette and Brian.
The couple loves being grandparents to their four grandchildren, great-grand parents to five and great-great grandparents to one.
The Great Salt Plains Stampede Open Rodeo is scheduled for Aug. 21 and Aug. 22 at the Alfalfa County Fairgrounds.
This rodeo has a reputation for being one of the top rodeos in the tri-state area for professional and amateur events.
The rodeo performances start at 8 p.m. nightly. Admission is $10 at the gate; advance tickets can be purchased through royalty contestants for $8. For those five and under, admission is free.
The Cherokee Round Up Club will be holding a drawing for $100 to be given away each night.
Events include: ranch bronc, bareback riding, saddle bronc, girls’ breakaway, calf roping, girls’ barrel racing, jr. barrel racing, bull dogging, team roping, 40/40 team roping and bull riding.
The stock contractor will be the Sumner Rodeo Company, Goltry.
Ground rules include not being able to enter in both junior and senior barrels and the dress code will be strictly enforced.
Buckles will be awarded to open event winners. Slack will be held Friday night.
Occurring nightly will be the Landon Newlin Memorial cash and prize scramble for kids 10 and under. This event is sponsored by Judge Loren Angle, Gateway First Bank and United Supermarket.
The concession stand will be open, featuring a taco platter, hamburgers, bratwurst and more. Concessions are sponsored by Cherokee Roundup Club.
Friday night is “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” night. This year’s rodeo T-shirts will be available at the rodeo.
Saturday night will be the four-wheeler barrel races. To enter call 580-884-0551.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, there will be a rodeo parade. To enter the parade contact Schaun Aker at 580-596-6111.
The Queen, Princess and Jr. Princess contests will be held nightly at 7:30 p.m. with Jr. Princess and Princess being crowned on Friday and Queen on Saturday. The horsemanship portion will be judged at 6:30 p.m., Aug. 19
.