For the next two weeks, Andalusia will be flooded with rodeos.

This week, the Alabama Junior Rodeo Association Finals are in town and next week the Alabama High School Rodeo Association will hold theirs.

Just like any other major event that comes to town, the rodeos draw crowds of thousands and the economic impact is great here.

Local businesses told us this week that these events bring a lot of revenue to them.

This includes the usual restaurants, gas stations and hotels, but it also includes local truck dealerships.

We talk a lot about shopping local and the importance it plays in bringing in sales taxes, which in turn, better the lives of the local community.

A couple of years ago the future of the AHSRA finals being held here was uncertain, but Andalusia won out.

It’s fortunate that Andalusia won the right to host the rodeos because if you think about it, the rodeos bring in a lot of folks from across the state.

We all have been guilty of whining because there isn’t that much to do in small towns.

For the next two weekends, there is something the whole family can do.

While, we may not understand how we directly benefit from these rodeo participants being in town, it’s important that we support events like this.

Plus, rodeos offer good, clean family fun.

I’ve interviewed enough rodeo participants to know that rodeo is all about family.

That’s the No.1 comment that we get from anyone in the rodeo circuit.

They’ve also told me about the values they learn from rodeoing and they are the very same values the majority of us want to instill in our children.

The other thing is that it’s something they all really enjoy doing.

It’s good entertainment. I’ve never seen anyone bored at a rodeo.

It’s filled with non-stop, wall-to-wall action. Even during breaks, it’s fun to watch the tractor file in to level the dirt.

And most everyone loves animals.

Cowgirls and cowboys from all across the state will be riding – including some locals.

Events will include bareback riding, barrel racing, breakway roping, bull riding, calf roping and more.

It’s fun for all at any age group.

For the adrenaline junkies, there’s a lot of thrill in bull riding and other dangerous events.

When the cowboy hops on the saddle, he makes sure his riding hand it tied tight so he’ll be able to hold on for the 8 seconds that are aimed for during the round.

During the barrel-racing event, cowgirls get low on their horses to gain speed as they careen around the barrels in a figure eight, trying to best their opponents’ times.

See, doesn’t that sound like a fun time?