Patriot Night at Ogden rodeo

  • Published
  • By Mary Lou Gorny
  • Hilltop Times Editor
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  "I think everybody enjoys a rodeo," said Lori Murdock, 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs assistant and volunteer for the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo."There's more than just the livestock," she said. "After the livestock, they have motorcycle riders who do tricks, and they have fireworks."

Murdock grew up around horses and livestock and attended a lot of rodeos with a brother who competed as a bull rider. "I know what goes into it," she said.

She volunteered last year, giving out water to all the other volunteers, and is helping out again.

Murdock knows how to ride a horse quite well, enjoyed watching rodeo events and remembers the belt buckles her older brother took home. Due to injuries, he stopped participating in the sport, but made his family permanent fans of the sport.

Pioneer Days events continue through July 25, with full rodeo nights July 20-25.

A special invitation is extended to military members and their family members for tonight's Patriot Night with pre-rodeo events at 6:30 and the rodeo at 7:30. Tickets for military members will be $5 instead of regular price and can be purchased online for Patriot Night for $5 by visiting Americanmonument.com/Heros, and entering the code Heros.

Events on Monday, July 25, a state holiday, will include fireworks.

Military heroes will be honored from Hill Air Force Base, each night of the rodeo.

Murdock said every year the rodeo is a little different. Her favorite memory was when a friend of her brother's won a contest involving riding a horse and a game of musical chairs. "They had to ride from one end of the arena to the other and sit down in one of the chairs, holding on to their horse," she said. "Then (an assistant) would pull a chair (out of the arena) and they would ride to the other end of the arena. He ended up being the last one."

"We had a really good time," she said.

Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to contact Valerie Burke, Installation community liaison, at Valerie.burke@hill.af.mil.