RISON - The new rodeo arena at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds in Rison is beginning to take shape as volunteer crews scramble to have it ready for a three-day rodeo that will coincide with this year’s fair, Sept. 25-27.
  George Fox, a member of the Cleveland County Fair Board spearheading the financing of the project, and David Dedman, who is serving in an advisory capacity on the arena construction, both said Tuesday they feel the arena can be completed on time and within budget.
  A work crew from the Arkansas Department of Correction last week helped local volunteers set the steel poles around three sides of the arena, as well as for the steer/calf pens, chutes and rider boxes at the south end of the arena.
  The arena itself will measure 140 feet wide by 250 feet long. Dedman said it is the same dimension as Hestand Stadium, and it will be big enough to host everything from rodeos to barrel races to horse shows.
  Despite the work that has already been accomplished on the arena fence, Dedman said they still have to set another 150 steel poles that will be used to build the main chute and stock pens at the back of the arena.
  Dedman said they are already lining up welders to begin putting the cross members along the fence and railings, and any volunteer assistance they can get would be appreciated.
  “We just need some volunteers who don’t mind manual labor,” said Fox.
  Fox said that once the lights are up at the arena, volunteers will be able to work at night when the temperatures are cooler.
  Dedman said he has been in contact with a company in Little Rock that specializes in stadium/arena lighting that will install the lights.
  Meanwhile, Fox said his wife Karen is working with State Sen. Jerry Taylor, State Rep. Toni Bradford and former Cleveland County School Superintendent Scotty Holderfield on locating some bleachers for the arena.
  Fox said they are focusing their efforts on finding bleachers at one of the schools that has been consolidated and no longer need their bleachers. He said he hopes they will be able to look at some within the next week or so.
  While the arena construction is going on, the fair board is also in the middle of building the new meeting hall at the fairgrounds as well.
  Fox said the plumbing has been set in the ground and the concrete foundation should be poured within the next week or so. He said he expects the new building to be completed by the time the fair opens in late September.
  Fox said they welcome the help on any volunteers who would like to work on the projects. In particular, he said they need for welders as well as people who can do plumbing and electrical work.
  Anyone who would like to volunteer can call George or Karen Fox at 325-7238, or David Dedman at (870) 510-6699.
  Dedman said the fair board has already signed a contract with Bradford Rodeo Company to put on the three-day rodeo.
  The Cleveland County Rodeo, according to Dedman, will be a dual-sanctioned event with riders earning points for both the Arkansas Rodeo Association and the Cowboys Regional Rodeo Association.
  Dedman said he expects a good turnout of contestants considering it will be the final event before the Arkansas Rodeo Association Finals that will be held the following week at Hestand Stadium in Pine Bluff as part of the Southeast Arkansas Fair.
  The rodeo itself will offer a full card of events, Dedman said. On tap will be saddle broncs, bareback broncs, bull riding, tie-down calf roping, team roping, break-away roping, steer wrestling, cowgirls’ barrel racing, and junior barrel riding.
  In addition, Dedman said they have a couple of special rodeo events planned for the kids on Thursday and Saturday nights: “mutton busting” and a calf scramble.
  In mutton busting, kids take a ride on a sheep with no ropes or saddle. Dedman said the person that stays on the longest is declared the winner. The top “mutton buster” will receive a belt buckle.
  The calf scramble pits the kids against the calves with the person wrangling in the calf winning a cash prize.
  Dedman said both of those events are very popular with young people, and he said they may have to move up the 8 p.m. starting time to get those events in.