76th annual Rodeo Killeen highlighted by calf scramble and generational volunteers

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - This past weekend at the 76h annual Rodeo Killeen, the local celebrity calf scramble and several other new events were able to draw in a full-house crowd all weekend long. The event brought rodeo fans from all across the state of Texas and cowboys and cowgirls from all around the country.

“You know rodeo is pretty special,” said rodeo announcer Mike Mathis. “When you look around the crowd here, we got a huge crowd. You bring people from all the surrounding areas, so not only are the cowboys from all over the country, but with that the spectators as well. A big human interest kind of deal. There’s a little bit of cowboy in everybody.”

The rodeo in Killeen also included several new events this year that you would normally see at some of the largest rodeos around the country.

“We got mutton busting, you ever seen that? That’s a ton of fun for the kids to be out on the dirt,”said Steve Laukhuf. “For the cowgirls, we have female breakaway roping. It’s an NFR-type of event everybody is talking about, and the cowgirls are amazingly fast out here.”

Rodeo Killeen is put on by the help of all volunteers, yet, it continues to bring back generational cowboys and cowgirls who continue to serve the event year after year.

I was raised on a farm and ranch out in West Texas,” said rodeo volunteer John Paylor. “My grandaddy had a lot of cows and horses and he taught me how to do it and do it right, a lot of different things influence that, which is why I’m here.”

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