The seventh annual Covington Cowgirls Drill Team of Alabama’s Junior and High School Rodeo will take place this weekend at the Covington Center Arena.

The cowgirls drill team is sponsoring the rodeo and all proceeds will go for a county scholarship for a high school student.

“A lot of the money raised will go to the community,” Director of the Covington Cowgirls Tricia Courson said. “It’s been a huge success and the year before we gave three county scholarships away. We hope to do that again this year.”

Courson said the drill team holds many fund-raisers throughout the year, but this one is specific.

“This one is specifically for the rodeo,” she said. “In the spring, we do another fund-raiser for St. Jude. We like the girls to be involved in one of the saddle clubs and involved in horses in some way.”

Participants in the rodeo will be performing bullriding, barrel racing, calf roping, goat tying, steer wrestling and saddle bronc riding, to name a few events.

Rodeo contestant and Opp Middle School eighth grader Clay Elmore said he has been in the rodeo due to watching his parents being involved.

“My granddad and my dad used to rodeo and I saw them so I started to rodeo,” Elmore said. “I’ve always liked it. It’s about messing with the horses and being active in it. I started four years ago when I started in middle school.”

Elmore will be participating in the calf, team, ribbon roping and shoot dogging events.

“I’m hoping to go into the rodeo in the future and will pursue it in college,” he said.

The proud parents are Greg and Jill Elmore of Opp and grandparents Tony and Anette Buckelew, Alice Elmore and Yvonne Butler, all of Opp.

High school rodeo participant Kyle Wyatt said he also got into the rodeo due to his parents’ influence.

“My daddy was in it and just throughout the years I’ve been in it,” Wyatt said. “This is my fourth year to be in the rodeo. But, I’ve been roping since I’ve been big enough to get on a horse.”

Wyatt said he hopes to go to Troy University in the fall and will be participating in the calf and team roping events this weekend.

The proud parents are Kevin Wyatt and Sherry Wyatt of Opp and Wendy and Brett Ballard of Opp.

The show starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday with the junior rodeo. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the high school will start their rodeo shows.

Admission for the rodeo is $8 for adults, $5 for students and free for anyone under 5 years old. There are weekend passes for purchase and concessions will be available.

Sunday at 9 a.m., there will be a high school slack followed by cowboy church at 11 a.m. and then at 1 p.m., the second high school rodeo will take place.

For more information, contact Tricia Courson at 222-8079.