It's time to put on those cowboy boots and hats.
Bull riding, barrel racing and other events will be featured at 6 p.m. today in the Southwest Arkansas high school rodeo finals at Four States Fairgrounds, with competitors from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Competition continues at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Hannah Griffis and Maggie Watlington of Pleasant Grove High School are among the barrel racing competitors.
Griffis earned first place at the Chickasha, Okla., barrel race in the senior age group (12-16) and qualified for the semifinals in the junior National Finals Rodeo barrel race in Las Vegas in December.
Her teammate is Tag, a female quarter horse. Tag's registered name is Breezin Sugar Flit.
"The Chickasha race was fun, and I was very excited to win," Griffis said. "I heard my time, and I couldn't believe that I ran it. I knew my horse had good speed throughout the run."
Griffis is a 16-year-old sophomore, and wants to continue barrel racing in college. She has been riding horses since age 3 and earned her first trophy at 5. Tag has been her partner for 10 months.
"I like to work as a team with Tag, and I enjoy the rush of the competition," Griffis said.
Other rodeo events include chute dogging, goat tying, steer riding, breakaway, tie down, ribbon roping, pole bending and team roping.
Admission is $5, and children 5 and younger get in for free.