Drill team practices for rodeo
<p>Drill team members practice a routine for the rodeo Thursday afternoon. From left to right, Janet Neville, Kathie Gamble, Nicole Stroot, Kaylee Crabb and Shelia Neville.</p>
The local Superior drill team has met at the fairgrounds once a week since May to practice for the upcoming rodeo.
With blue flags in hand, the 12 members of the drill team practice formations while riding on their horses.
Much like a marching band or synchronized swimming, the drill team weaves in and out of each other with perfect timing.
Each practice, the drill team is working towards a performance set to music at the rodeo. Now, with the rodeo drawing closer, the drill team has practiced twice a week.
Sandy Stroot, a team organizer, said she is impressed with how far the team has come over the past few months.
“We are now to a point where we can be picky about spacing,” Stroot said.
Stroot along with Janet Neville, her daughter Shelia Neville and Jodie Blaylock help run the team. The drill team is made up of all local women with four of the members under the age of 18.
Three of the young members were crowned Rodeo Royalty 2011 earlier in the month. Kaylee Crabb won the highest honor as Rodeo Queen. Nicole Stroot won Rodeo Princess and Ashley Blaylock won Rodeo Junior Princess.
All three of the Rodeo Royalty will work the rodeo by wrangling up the livestock after each event.
The all-aged drill team spends their practices working on various formations.
Different formations include the Liberty Gate, Wedding Rings and the Zipper.
Stroot said the team is planning to finish their performance at the rodeo with a cancer ribbon shaped formation. Overall, the drill team has over 18 different formations from staying in straight lines to zigzagging through each other.
For the rodeo performance this year, the drill team will wear their matching western outfits and hold flags with sponsor’s logos.
After the performance, which will run about ten minutes, the drill team will hold a formation while the announcer introduces the sponsors.
After the drill team grabs the audience’s attention with their high-energy performance, various other rodeo activities will take place.
Barrel racing, pole bending and wild cow milking will happen Thursday, the first day of the rodeo.
The drill team will get their horses to a gallop and perform to honky-tonk music this weekend to kick off the rodeo.