'Biggest Little Fair & Rodeo' held in Hume

HUME -- Dubbed "The Biggest Little Fair" and living up to the appellation, the 69th Annual Hume Fair & Rodeo wraps up with Saturday events from 8:30 a.m. to late at night.

Unswayed by temperatures popping 100 degrees, a goodly assemblage of celebrants gathered at mid-afternoon Friday in the well-shaded City Park to see a colorful array of pets and children in the 4 p.m. pet show.

A talent show ran from 6 p.m. until near the first rodeo performance at 8.

Fair Board members Brad Steuck and Jeff Davidson said the Hume Fair Rodeo, 30 miles north-northwest of Nevada in southwest Bates County, has an important role in the Missouri Rodeo Cowboys Association because it is the MRCA's first competition of the 2011-12 rodeo season.

As a result, 150 cowboys and cowgirls converged on the town of 350 for the traditonal spate of ranch-related events, a horse show and wild horse race.

Steuck said team roping is particularly popular because numerous men in this area take part in the complex sport, many with their own arenas to practice in, as the "headers," "heelers" and their beautiful, well-trained horses practice the art of bringing surly steers to bay in the briefest possible time.

Asked why they find team roping so engaging, Steuck, a roper himself, chuckled and said, "Being the best!"

Estimating 700-800 people would convene here Saturday, Davidson said the event draws people from throughout Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas and from as far away as Kansas City and Monmouth, Ill.

The fair continues today, Aug. 6, with an 8:30 a.m. baby contest and swimsuit contest for children 2 to 4 years old and horseshoe pitching at 9.

With Hume eighth graders taught by Pam Yarick having contributed the winning drawing for the fair directory's front page, the parade starts at 11 a.m., a car show at 12:30 p.m., and a washer-tossing tournament at 1.

Entertainers from the El Dorado Springs Opry House Theater will perform on the park stage from 12:30 to 4 p.m.

Just for fun, there will be a garden tractor pull at 1 p.m. west of the rodeo arena before the prince and princess are crowned at 2 and prizes drawn for at 3. The rodeo queen will be crowned after the grand entry.

Queen contestants are Brooke Heckadon and Teisha Taylor and princess and prince candidates Olivia Fillpot and Bryson Morrison.

The eighth graders whose drawing was adjudged most representive of this year's theme are Justin Best, Allison Nelson, Julie Pattison, Ethan Stewart, Grant Swickhammer, Nathaniel Timmons, Kelsie Wikoff and Hope Yarick.

In red, white, blue, brown, green and black Crayolas, their art depicts the town under a magnifying glass with its water tower, main street and park on Missouri's distinctive outline superimposed on the American flag. It has "The Biggest Little Fair" across the bottom of the flag by boots and a cowboy hat.

Consisting of musicians from Hume, Pleasanton and Drexel, the Muddy Creek Band will play for the Saturday night street dance outside the rodeo arena just north of downtown. They are drummer Sean Allen, guitarist Tyler Brown, bassist Jeff Goddard and keyboardist Ray Streeter.

Other participants are parade marshal Ronnie Pruitt, a former Hume fire chief and mayor, and C.R. McKellips Rodeo Co. of Drexel.

The fair board also includes President Dean Cannon, Vice President Troop Whitten, Secretary Karen Irwin, Treasurer Heather Rogers, Josh Rogers, Michael Harris, Bryice Cannon and Denise Steuck.