Yutzy hopes for a smooth ride as final 2014 rodeo gets underway

After organizing and pulling off two popular rodeos in Mt. Hope, it would seem that Ryan Yutzy and 8S Rodeo Productions couldn’t have anything new up their sleeves. But his last rodeo of the year, scheduled for the weekend of Friday, Oct. 24 at Mt. Hope Sale Barn, will be a two-day event. The rodeo will be indoors and each evening the doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Dewayne Spaw will perform at 6:30 p.m. and the rodeo will begin at 7 p.m.Yutzy said because of the large attendance numbers for his past two events, buying presale tickets is encouraged. Tickets are on sale at Mt. Hope Auction on Wednesdays, Charm Harness & Boot, Maysville Harness and Saltwell Western Store. Tickets will also be available on the organization’s new website, 8srodeoproductions.com. “We wanted to do this for the fans,” Yutzy said. “It will make it easier to get tickets, and it will give them a chance to get more information.”Tickets will be $15 for adults and $12 for children 4-10. Children 3 and under are free. VIP seating will be available for the two-day rodeo and will cost $20. Mt. Hope Auction is the only place VIP seating is available for purchase, according to Yutzy. Although the structure of the rodeo has changed, Yutzy is still focused on giving bull riders, bull fighters, entertainers, announcers and fans the best experience he can. “The Bargain Hunter has teamed up with us in an attempt to help make this family friendly event even better,” he said. “They had T-shirts made for the clown to throw out to the fans.“All the bull riders like this show; we try to treat them well. We are kind of known for that now. Hopefully we get to see a lot of qualified rides, and I can help get these guys where they want to go and make sure it’s a good atmosphere in the mean time.”Many of the local bull riders are back again for 8S’s final rodeo of the year, and each is looking for their last great ride. “The year end is coming up so they are all fighting to get in to the finals,” Yutzy said. “We will have most of the top 10 guys in the nation competing and trying to get to the top. Hopefully we get to see a lot of qualified rides.”Of course, no rodeo would be complete without the bullfighters and clown. Yutzy said Adrian Mast, a Dundee native, and Nelson Miller will be back for another round of fighting at the rodeo. “Having Adrian plus Nelson Miller is the best team we could have possibly have for our bull fighters,” Yutzy said. “I’ve watched them fight over the years and there are no two fighters like them. They always try to out do the other. It makes for a fun night.”But the best part of the rodeo, at least for Yutzy, is getting to see his dream take shape and run smoothly, not to mention enjoying the rodeos. “All the help is starting to know how it runs and what their jobs are,” he said. “It makes it a lot easier on me knowing they know what to do in every situation.“I believe the best things I can say I’m looking forward to is working with the staff and just seeing everything take place after weeks of hard work. There is no greater reward than the fans going wild.”