Grab your cowboy boots and hats and round up the family for the Ninth Annual Lone Star Rodeo Feb. 28 and March 1 at Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro.

The annual rodeo will feature bull riding, roping, steer wrestling, bucking broncs and barrel racing with chuck wagon racing between events, said Sgt. Bill West of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s School Resource Officers.

“It’s your typical rodeo,” said Sgt. West. “This is a family-friendly event that is something different that most people don’t get a chance to experience anymore.” 

Advance tickets for the rodeo are $10 for adults and $8 for children. Tickets may be purchased from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Sheriff’s Office Info Center at 940 New Salem Highway in Murfreesboro or from any school resource officer.

Tickets may be purchased at the coliseum on Thompson Lane for $15 for adults and $10 for children. Seating capacity is 4,500.

The gates open both nights at 6 p.m. with the rodeo starting at 7:30 p.m. Vendors will be available.

Proceeds of the rodeo are used by the Rutherford County SROs to fund programs in the schools and to allow special needs students to enjoy the rodeo during a Friday morning performance.

“We expect about 1,000 special needs students Friday morning,” Sgt. West said. “We give them all straw cowboy hats. Just watching their faces, they are so excited.”

Students will be from Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City Schools.

Special needs students will watch a rodeo performance and ride ponies and horses supplied by Bill Rice Ranch and other stables. Lunch will be supplied by MT Catering at a discount price.

Sheriff Robert Arnold said the special needs students really enjoy the rodeo performance.

“The special needs kids will tug on your heart,” Sheriff Arnold said. “The cowboys who are as rough as a corncob do the rodeo and hang out with the kids. It just makes your heart melt to see these guys. This is just a part of why we do the special needs rodeo for these kids.”

The Rutherford County Schools’ social workers volunteer their time to attend the special needs students’ rodeo along with students from Siegel and Smyrna High Schools and Central Magnet School.

Rodeo sponsors include Triple AAA Lock N Safe, CADCOR, Middle Tennessee Electric, Affordable Bonding and Law Enforcement Publications. Best Buy employees will volunteer both nights of the rodeo.

Rutherford County Sheriff’s Explorers will park the cars at the coliseum.

For more information, call Sgt. West at 904-3070 or check out the Rutherford County SRO Rodeo Facebook page.