In Sayre, some traditions don’t just live in the calendar— they live in the bones. For Chamber of Commerce President Brandy Hibbler, the arena on the west side of town is one of those places. She grew up there, the kind of kid who spent Tuesday nights roping and whole weekends under arena lights. “It was constant,” she says of those years. Playdays, jackpots, rodeos—community in denim and dust.
This fall, that feeling rides again. The Sayre Championship Rodeo returns Friday– Saturday, Sept. 19–20, not just as a show, but as a small-town homecoming. The Chamber has teamed up with Rafter C Cattle Company—the hometown outfit of Clay and Chelsea Taylor—to produce two nights of straight-up good rodeo, a Saturday-night dance at the pavilion across the street, a growing vendor fair, and enough kid-friendly extras to wear out a pair of boots.
Hibbler will tell you the word “championship” isn’t a marketing flourish. For decades, that’s what Sayre called it. The arena—locals say the first version went up around 1938—was once busy nearly every week. Then life moved fast, and some of those habits slipped away. Bringing back the Championship is as much about reviving a rhythm as it is about buckles and bulls.
A COMMUNITY PROJECT—BY DESIGN If you want the secret sauce behind this comeback, look past the chutes. Hibbler has spent her first two years as Chamber president pulling the town’s many hands into one rope. The same teamwork that made Hometown Christmas sing last year—schools sending choir and band, the library baking, auxiliaries pouring hot chocolate, the city blocking streets and handling safety—now powers the rodeo.
That community-first approach shows up everywhere you look: - Rodeo Market & Food Trucks: A vendor fair rings the grounds both nights, and it’s open to everyone—you don’t need a rodeo ticket to shop or grab supper. Confirmed trucks include Night Linger’s and Carnival Eats & Treats both nights; Bee’s Merch Lemonade and Surf Bar on Friday; and O Mama Refreshments on Saturday.
- Kids’ Corral: Five large inflatables will be fenced into a safe play area. Inside the arena, look for a calf scramble (ages 12 and under) with $75 / $50 / $25 prizes each night.
- 50/50 drawings & giveaways: New drawings each night. Vendors will also contribute items for surprise giveaways during performances. The Cub Scouts will help sell programs and 50/50 tickets, with a portion of proceeds shared to support their new pack.
- Saturday Night Dance: When the dust settles, the music kicks up. The pavilion across the street turns into an old-fashioned community dance.
RODEO ROYALTY RETURNS Hibbler has also revived Rodeo Royalty, a gentle, confidence-building competition for local girls with deep Western roots and newcomers alike. This year features Princess (ages 4–8), Junior Queen (9–13)— new this year—Queen (14–20).
Judging emphasizes horsemanship (50%), with poise, knowledge, and personality (30%) and interviews rounding out the score. Winners receive crowns, sashes, buckles, banners, and the Chamber’s $500 scholarship (college, trade school, or workforce program—winner’s choice).
There’s also a People’s Choice vote—$1 per vote via QR code—on the new Sayre Championship Rodeo Facebook page (shared by the Sayre Chamber page). Every dollar goes back into scholarships and awards for the girls.
BUILT FOR TOMORROW This year is about more than two great nights—it’s a foundation. Behind the scenes, crews have already torn out the aging back pens and are bringing in temporary stock pens for 2025 while a full rebuild gets underway: new back pens, new leftand right-handed bucking chutes, a safer alleyway, and a new announcer stand. Those upgrades open the door to bigger productions in future seasons—think PBR, ABBI, and high-end junior and amateur events that fill RV spots, hotels, and local restaurants.
Contestants will notice another signal the producers are serious: 100% payback on entries, plus added money. Example: a $100 entry with 10 riders and $2,500 added means every dollar goes back to the competitors.
THE WHY OF IT ALL
Not everybody leaves Sayre because they want to. Not everybody comes back because it’s easy. Hibbler returned when family needed her. What she’s building now is a hometown her granddad would recognize—one where kids want to stay or at least can’t wait to visit. “We want Sayre to feel like home again,” she says. That’s more than a slogan; it’s a plan—one food truck, one flag lap, one dance song at a time.
On Sept. 19–20, the arena lights will flicker on, and the stands will fill. You’ll hear the thud of hooves, the snap of a gate, the cheer when a little cowboy nabs a tag in the calf scramble, and the laughter rolling toward the pavilion when the band strikes up. Call it a rodeo if you like. Around here, it’s also a reunion.
Details at a glance - When: Friday–Saturday, Sept. 19–20 (dance Saturday night at the pavilion) - Where: Sayre Arena - Tickets: $15 adults; $10 ages 7–17; 6 & under free (gate or Facebook QR) - Food/Vendors: Rodeo Market open to the public—no ticket needed to shop or eat - Follow: Sayre Championship Rodeo (Facebook) and Sayre Chamber of Commerce for updates, giveaways, and People’s Choice voting
