Gonzales lands 10-year deal with Youth Rodeo

The Cowboy Spring Break Youth Challenge is coming to J.B. Wells Arena from March 12-17, 2011. Producers Mark Swearingen and J.C. Kitaif signed a ten- year contract with the city of Gonzales on Tuesday. The event will be held annually and could bring more than 500 contestants to town.

The six day event is intended for ages 19 and under. There are Junior High events for participants age 15 and under and one steer riding event for participants age 13 and under.

"This is the cream of the crop," said Swearingen. "We're not sure at this point what the width of this impact will be, but we do another event like this back east, and 19 other states represent the kids, so it's pretty phenomenal. In fact, we're anticipating kids from several other states to participate in this one."

"We found Gonzales to be a terrific location due to its ability to provide holding facilities for livestock," Swearingen continued. "We shopped around, got in touch with Billy Malaer, and mutually decided Gonzales was the place to be."

The local sponsors for the 2011 event are the Gonzales Lions Noon Club, the Gonzales Lions Breakfast Club, Hoopla, and Reese's Print Shop.

Everyone interested in participating in the Cowboy Spring Break Rodeo Challenge must visit www.cowboyspringbreakyouthchallenge.com to print entry forms, minors releases, and biographies.