By: Ryan Duey

Dusty and Piper Mullin recently took a trip to Las Vegas on behalf of the Longford Rodeo committee and community to accept the 2024 Prairie Circuit WPRA Justin Boots Best Footing First Runner-up Award.

This award honors the top three, and most improved, Rodeo Venues from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska, who work to make their grounds as safe and consistent as possible for the barrel horses and all other livestock during the rodeo.

Mullin said the contestants of the WPRA, who participate in the rodeo, are the ones who vote for this award.

“It’s an important award because we want our contestants to have a good arena to compete in, but it’s also really important for their horses and livestock and everything else to know that you have good ground that’s safe for everybody. And so, we are really excited about that.”

Mullin said it takes a lot of people, not just in Longford, but around the area, to come together to make this yearly Rodeo a success. He said he believes Longford is the smallest town, with a population of only 75, to put on a PRCA Rodeo, which amazes people when they hear just how small the town is. He said this award shows just how hard people work to make this a great Rodeo each year and he wished everyone was able to make it to Vegas to receive this recognition.

“We take a lot of pride in the Longford Rodeo. When you get this kind of recognition, not that that’s why we do it, but it’s fun to have that confirmation that everybody’s working really hard and putting on an event that the contestants recognize is a good event. So, when you get that kind of recognition, it just makes you very thankful.”

Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo in Phillipsburg took the top prize, which has many more contestants than the Longford Rodeo. This award is a testament to the pride, heart, and commitment the small town of Longford puts into this annual event.