Monday, May 6, 2024
The Hood County Stampede — set from 7:30-9:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, at 641 Reunion Ct. — is a family-friendly rodeo that “highlights the Western way of life,” according to event founder Wes Stevenson.
Even though the Hood County Stampede is a professional event, founder Wes Stevenson said there will still be activities for children, like the mutton bustin’ event set for 6:30 on May 27.
The Hood County Stampede brings smiles to both adults and children alike, with its variety of activities and excitement.
With a passion for both rodeo and helping kids in need, Wes Stevenson has created the ultimate event to follow his heart: Hood County Stampede.
Set from 7:30-9:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, at 641 Reunion Ct., the Hood County Stampede is an annual rodeo event, with proceeds benefiting a different children’s nonprofit organization every year.
FOR THE KIDS
Stevenson was inspired to create the event back in 2017, when there was a young girl around his daughter’s age who was severely ill at the time.
“She needed help in the community and was kind of falling through the cracks,” he said. “So, we got together and tried to raise money to help their family out, and we saw the need for us to start our own 501(c)(3) to help children in Hood County.”
Since then, the Hood County Stampede has provided the community with rodeo entertainment, while also using the proceeds to benefit several nonprofits like: Rainbow Room of Hood and Somervell Counties, Hood County Children’s Charity Fund, Lake Pointe Academy, Paluxy River Children’s Advocacy Center, and Miracle League of Granbury.
"We (realized) that we don't need to wait to raise money until there's a kid in need; we need to be proactive,” Stevenson said. “There are several organizations that work hard for children here in Hood County that we're proud of, and we're here to help those groups succeed.”
For the 2023 event, one local organization stood out more to Stevenson personally.
“With going out to (Rancho Brazos) and volunteering and seeing how many children are helping out and working with them, they seemed like they needed the most help at the time,” he said.
The Rancho Brazos Community Center's mission is to be a key resource and activity center for “at-promise” families in the Rancho Brazos, Sandy Beach, and Park 377/Carter Court communities and beyond, according to the Hood County Stampede website.
RBCC was a previous beneficiary in 2020 and is now the beneficiary for the 2023 Hood County Stampede.
“I'm actually from Florida, so I was thoroughly impressed at how much (RBCC) does in that small center and how they serve the kids,” said Jill Duran, marketing and communications coordinator for the Hood County Stampede. “It's really impressive, so we're really proud to be able to help them out.”
Stevenson said he is excited to bring the Rancho Brazos children to the Reunion Grounds the day before the Hood County Stampede.
"They'll help us with the opening and hoisting up the American flag,” he said. “When the children get there early, I'll be able to take the kids and show them the horses. Even though we're considered a rural community to the point outside of the DFW area, there's a lot of these children that don’t know much about livestock and horses, so we get to talk to the kids and actually have a personal interaction with them."
THE STAMPEDE
The Hood County Stampede is a family-friendly rodeo that “highlights the Western way of life.”
"Each year we bring something new to the table for an element of surprise during our event,” Stevenson said. “Currently, we have 36 bareback riders entered including No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, and 11 other contestants who have been to the National Finals Rodeo.”
The charity rodeo is a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) sanctioned event that features top PRCA stock contractors, including Smith Pro Rodeo and Pickett Pro Rodeo.
According to the Hood County Stampede website, (Stace) Smith Pro Rodeo is an 11-time stock contractor of the year, and one of the best producers in the rodeo industry, while Pickett produces some of the top bucking horses on the PRCA circuit.
"There's a total of six contractors bringing 36 head bucking horses in, so you'll experience the free-spirited horses, along with some cowboys that are as wild as the wind,” Stevenson said, with a chuckle.
Rodeo clown Robbie Hodges will be doing Boot Barn giveaways and raffles during the rodeo.
Stevenson said there will also be a few events for kids, like the mutton bustin’ event (limited to 20 participants).
“Even though it's a professional event, we try to figure out ways to have children involved,” Stevenson said. “Being Memorial Day weekend, we’ll also have several veterans that are coming that we'd like to pay homage to."
Since starting the Hood County Stampede six years ago, Duran said she considers it a “labor of love.”
"A lot of people dedicate their time and I think it means a lot of different things to different people,” she said. “There’s all different types of personalities and talents of people that contribute different things from the physical labor side to the digital marketing side. There's a lot of people that see the value in having an event and organization like this in the community.”
Vendors for the event will include Combat Chef, Frog Juice, Chick-Fil-A, and Pinks.
Gates will open at 6 p.m. and the performances kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the Hood County Stampede are $15 for adults, $10 for children, and an additional $20 BYOB cooler fee.
“I love seeing so many people coming together, working for children, and putting on family-friendly activities in the community,” Stevenson added. “God put me in the right place; I'm just trying to follow in his footsteps.”
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit hoodcountystampede.com online.
