GATES – For 18 years, Aaron Brown, his children, Austin and Alexa, and a small army of volunteers have staged Gates County’s grandest spectacle.

Year 19 is just around the corner.

The 19^th annual Gates County Championship Rodeo will take place on its traditional date – Mother’s Day weekend (Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7) at the Slo-Go Ranch located on Paige Riddick Road, just off US 13 near the state line.

The championship level event, which attracts rodeo riders from across the United States, starts each night at 7:30 p.m.

“This is a family event for any age as we host an alcohol-free event,” Gates County Rodeo founder and organizer Aaron Brown emphasized

Events include bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, team roping, cowgirls barrel racing, breakaway roping, and wild bull riding.

Brown expects at least 3,000 spectators for the event and has added extra bleachers for the event.

The rodeo also includes a wide variety of food, cowboy apparel vendors, and attractions for kids.

Tickets for the rodeo are $12 in advance or $15 at the gate for adults; and $8 in advance or $10 at the gate for children (ages 5 and up). Children four and under get in free. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the event’s corporate sponsor, Starr Motors in Suffolk, VA, as well as at McKeel’s Jewelry in Ahoskie, Brinkley’s Hardware in Gates, and Old Dominion Hay in Smithfield, VA.

For Brown, the idea of hosting a rodeo came during his childhood.

“When I was a child my dad competed in calf roping at rodeos and I have always wanted to hold one since then,” Brown said. “I really enjoy it (holding the rodeo).”

Roping events require agility, timing, speed, strength and a highly trained horse. During the calf-roping event, a calf is released and the cowboy must rope it as quickly as possible.

Team roping involves one roper known as the “header” and one roper known as the “heeler.” The header ropes the steer’s horns, wraps the rope around the saddle horn and then turns the steer so the heeler can wrap the steer’s hind legs.

The Gates Fire Department assist Brown with the rodeo and sell popcorn, peanuts and 50/50 raffle tickets to raise money during the event.

“They really enjoy it,” Brown said. “It gives them an opportunity to raise much-needed funds to maintain their operation.”

Reynoldson Baptist Church will again sell their lip-smacking funnel cakes at the rodeo.

“Watching the children have a good time is my favorite thing about the rodeo,” Brown said. “It makes me feel good when they tell me there are classmates talking about the rodeo at school.”

Brown spends months planning the event and his family from Pennsylvania comes to help put on the show. He hires clowns, an announcer, brings in sound equipment, sets up bleachers, mows the surrounding fields and organizes everyone involved.

The stock contractor provides the broncs, barebacks and bulls for the events, including 2,000 pound bucking bulls.

The riders compete for thousands of dollars in prize money and fight for points in their season long competition.

During the calf roping events, the cowboy dismounts after making the catch, sprints to the calf and tosses it on its side, which is called flanking. With a small rope known as a pigging string, any three of the calf’s legs are tied securely. Time stops when the cowboy throws up his hands.

Events like saddle bronc riding grew out of ranch cowboys breaking wild horses to use as working cow horses. Modern saddle bronc riding is similar with only a few modifications, mainly in equipment. Bareback and bull riding relies more on strength, while saddle bronc riding relies more on timing, finesse and skill.

Steer wrestling is one of the most spectacular rodeo events and demands strength, courage and determination. The cowboy must jump from the back of a running horse onto the back of a steer that weighs up to 700 pounds and wrestle the steer to the ground.

The riders compete for thousands of dollars in prize money and fight for points in their season long competition. The event is sanctioned by the Southern Rodeo Association and the American Pro Rodeo Association.

“My goal is to build the rodeo bigger every year. I really appreciate the level of local community support for the rodeo. Without them, I feel I couldn’t continue,” Brown concluded.