Audio slide show: Cowboy shares rodeo experience

Between 1,000 and 1,300 spectators were treated to bucking broncos, riders on 2,000-pound bulls, barrel racing and calf roping at the Shrine rodeo at the Khedive Center in Greenbrier last Friday and Saturday.

The Professional Championship Rodeo, sanctioned by the Southern Rodeo Association, was held to raise funds for operating Shriners Temple off Woodlake Drive.

Onlookers watched a rarity at this year's rodeo. One bull rider managed to hold on for the coveted eight seconds in the main event. That hasn't happened in about three years, event organizers said.

The crowd favorite, by far, was the calf scramble in which about 150 kids from the stands entered the 100-foot wide arena to chase down a calf with a ribbon tied to its tail. The kids, lined up three or four deep, jockeyed for position and the chance to steal the calf's bow. The winner received a pair of authentic cowboy boots from Acredale Saddlery.

The funds raised have not yet been calculated. The Shriners provide free transportation to hospitals in Greenville, S.C., Boston and Montreal for 204 children in South Hampton Roads suffering from orthopedic, burn and brittle bone ailments as well as those with birth defects and spinal chord injuries. They also pick up the tab for all costs associated with the trip. There are 22 Shriners Hospitals across the country.

-By Patti Peterson