LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The annual University of West Alabama Rodeo Showdown begins Thursday and runs through Saturday at the Don C. Hines Rodeo Complex on the UWA campus with over 300 wranglers, riders and ropers from 11 Ozark Region men's and women's teams participating.
 
Performances each night begin at 7:30 p.m. General admission is $10, with kids 12 and under getting in for $5. UWA students will be admitted free with a valid student ID. UWA All-Sports Passes will also be honored for admission. Parking is included in the cost of admission.
 
Scheduled competition events include bareback and saddle bronc riding, bull riding, calf roping, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, goat tying, team roping and barrel racing.
 
"We are really looking forward to the weekend and our hometown rodeo," UWA head coach Alex Caudle said. "We are looking forward to everybody coming out to support the Tiger Wranglers. I expect a really good show."
 
Paced by tie-down roper Zac Wilson and bareback rider Blade Elliott, the UWA men's team is currently third in the Ozark Region standings with 985 points. Tennessee-Martin leads the region (1,310) and Missouri Valley is second (1,140).
 
The reigning World Champion calf roper, Wilson is currently atop the Ozark Region Standing, while teammate Scooter Scarbrough is tied for third in the region. Elliott and Chris Smith are currently first and second, respectively, in the region in bareback riding. Both are ranked among the top 25 bareback riders nationally.
 
Breakaway roper and goat tying participant Cheree Cooper leads a resurgent UWA women's team. Troy University is the regional leader for women with 853 points, followed by Southern Arkansas (350) and Murray State (310).
 
The Dixie Thunder Drill Team will open the performance every night in addition to performing another routine midway through the show. There will also be a Calf Scramble at every performance, hosted by the UWA Sororities on Thursday and by the UWA Wranglers on Friday and Saturday.