Sikeston Jaycee rodeo flag girl tryouts slated

SIKESTON, Mo. — The Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo will hold regular tryouts for those wanting to be a flag girl this summer as well as an informational meeting later this month.

Katie Apple, coordinator of the Sikeston Rodeo Flag Girls, said the informational meeting will be at 2 p.m. April 28 at the rodeo grounds, and tryouts will take place at 3 p.m. June 8-9 at the rodeo grounds.

“The girls aren’t required to come to both tryouts in June; it’s just one or the other,” Apple said. 

According to Apple, the informational meeting is optional but highly recommended.

“It is highly recommended because we are making some changes this year, and I just want the girls to know what they are getting into before they bother trying out,” Apple said.

She continued: “There’s nothing at the meeting that we won’t discuss at tryouts, but I just wanted the girls to have a heads up in case they decided it was too much and they didn’t want to try out.”

According to Apple, this year’s changes include requiring the girls to enter the arena twice. Apple said the flag girls will enter the arena at both the beginning and the end of the rodeo, rather than just at the beginning, as they have in the past. 

“It will be more than just a grand entry,” Apple said. 

Apple said there is not a current estimate for how many girls she will require because it is entirely dependent on how many flags she will need, which she will not know until July 1.

According to Apple, there is no age limit, and the more experience the girls have, the better. 

“As long as the girls have the horsemanship ability to do the job and do it well,” Apple said. “Also, a requirement is that the girls do have to attend the rodeo parade and all practices.”

Apple said typically they will have a maximum of two to three practices.

“And one of the practices will be immediately following the rodeo parade,” Apple said. 

Apple said girls do not have to be local to be a flag girl, and girls from all over have participated.

“You don’t have to be a local girl,” Apple said. “You can live anywhere. I have had girls from Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee.”

Apple said being a flag girl is a lot of fun and an excellent opportunity.

“It’s fun to just be able to be a part of the Sikeston rodeo and to be able to be a part of a tradition that’s been around for so long,” Apple said “Especially for these local girls, a lot of them have grown up watching the rodeo, so just getting to be a part of this event is a pretty cool thing.”

For more information, contact Apple at (573) 380-3012.