Annual rodeo is longtime tradition for Sikeston family

Sikeston siblings Sawyer Raye Warren, left, and Tuf Williams Warren are season ticket holders with their family for the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, which is underway through Saturday, Aug. 10.

Photo Provided/Shannon Williams Photography

SIKESTON — Tuf Williams Warren and his sister, Sawyer Raye Warren, are season ticket holders for the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, making them the fourth generation in their family to attend the annual event, which is in its 72nd year.

Kelly Williams, Tuf and Sawyer’s maternal grandmother, said she and her husband, Marty Williams, have been attending the rodeo for many years and would bring their daughter every year. 

Even when Kelly and Marty were children, their parents would take them as well.

“I’ve only ever missed one performance my entire life,” Kelly said. “Not a full four days, but just one single day I missed but other than that, I have never missed a rodeo.”

Marty talked about his family, saying he and his siblings grew up going to the rodeo every year.

Marty’s father, Mickey Williams, and mother, Jeannie Williams, purchased season tickets in 1963, beginning a family tradition of attending the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel rodeo all four nights each year.

“I don’t remember ever not going to rodeos growing up,” Marty said. “My dad had eight brothers and four sisters and almost all of them would go to the rodeo every year.”

Tate Warren, Kelly and Marty’s daughter and mother of Tuf and Sawyer, said she grew up going to rodeos every year, and it has always been a big family tradition that she values. 

Marty Williams of Sikeston, left, poses with his grandson, Tuf Cooper Warren, and retired rodeo clown, Rick Young, at the 2023 Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo. (Photo provided)

“My dad is a retired FBI agent and when I was younger, we lived in Louisiana for a few years and, still, every year we came to Sikeston for four nights of rodeo,” Warren said. 

Warren even named her son Tuf after Tuf Cooper, a famous calf roper.

“Tuf Cooper is a great Christian guy, and is kind of rodeo royalty,” Kelly said. “His dad and his uncle were world champion calf ropers. If you know anything about rodeo, you know who the Cooper men are.”

Warren agreed with her mother.

“I just thought what a great role model for our son so we named him after Tuf Cooper the roper,” Warren said. 

Warren said she has always wanted to bring her children to the rodeo, just like her parents brought her when she was growing up.

“Last year was Tuf’s first year, and it was a really cool experience because we got a picture of my dad, Tuf and Rick Young, the rodeo clown,” Warren said. “He used to perform at the Sikeston rodeo for years so it was a great memory to have Tuf meet him and get a picture with him.”

According to Warren, Sawyer enjoys rodeo as well, and she intends to enter her in the Little Mr. and Miss Western rodeo pageant next year.

Warren added she is just as committed to attending the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo as her parents are. She even gave away Taylor Swift concert tickets she had from five years ago so she could attend the Sikeston rodeo.

One of Kelly’s favorite aspects of the Sikeston rodeo is that it is a large community event. 

“It’s an event you can attend with your family,” Kelly said. “The Jaycees support Sikeston so much. The rodeo is the only sport that people really pray before it begins and everyone still stands for the flag and the national anthem. I think that’s one of the reasons why our family is still so drawn to it.”

Kelly and Marty said they have attended the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas several times, and that rodeos have the same atmosphere everywhere.

“All rodeos are like that,” Kelly said. “It feels kind of like a big family almost.”

Marty agreed.

“I just love how the town gets behind and supports it, too,” Marty said.

Marty said he and his family have had the same 10 seats for about 40 years.

Marty also mentioned he used to team rope when he was younger, and his family has always been around horses and cattle, so rodeo is something he and his family have always enjoyed together.

“One of my favorite things is to also go to slack in the morning and watch the roping,” Marty said. 

Marty and Kelly said that one of their favorite things to do is invite out-of-town friends to the rodeo to see what it’s all about.

“Also, up until my parents got older, on Saturday every year of the rodeo, my family would have a family reunion here in Sikeston and then we would all go to the rodeo afterward,” Marty said. “The reunion would be from noon to 4 p.m. and then we would head to the rodeo.”

Marty said he’s met a lot of professional cowboys over the years, and they all have positive things to say about Sikeston.

“They will say it’s extremely hot here, but that the atmosphere at Sikeston is great,” Marty said. “Cowboys want to come to the Sikeston rodeo.”

Marty and Kelly also praised the Sikeston Jaycees for doing such a great job every year with the rodeo.

“The rodeo is a great family event, and many families attend together every year,” Sikeston Jaycee Noah Curtis said. “Many people from the community have been committed to attending the rodeo all four nights every year.”