Clay Elmore of Opp signed to be on Troy University’s rodeo team Tuesday afternoon.

Elmore, who has been riding since the fifth grade, said Troy was the perfect fit for him.

The university isn’t too far from home and it offers a lot of good studying opportunities, he said.

“I won’t be jumping into something new there,” Elmore said about the familiarity of Troy’s rodeo program. “The rodeo coach and team are great.”

When asked what else attracted him to Troy, Elmore said he heard the university has a great reputation.

“I always heard about Troy being a good, solid college,” he said. “A bunch of people high-ranked in politics and in all kinds of rankings say it’s good.

“It seems like the place to go from around here and get a good degree and make a good living,” he said.

Elmore said he’ll be majoring in environmental science because one day he’s like to work with the state, servicing ranches and land around the country and state.

There’s nothing like the rodeo, Elmore said.

“You get to make friends the whole time, and even have competition against friends,” he said. “You get to work with animals, and make boundaries for yourself and overcome them.”

Elmore is the son of Greg and Jill Elmore of Opp.