The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-07-08
Record Crowd At
Fourth Celebration
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best ever staged here" by most of
those who lined Mein street from
jefferson street to College avenue
to view the two and one-half block
long procession.
Replete with horsemen, floats, in
teresting business entries and led by
the brightly uniformed Bluffton High
school band, the parade set the stage
for the elaborateness of the Inde-
pendence Day celebration.
First prize for the most interest
ing parade entry went to float en-
tered by the Herr Bicycle Shop; sec
ond prize was taken by a decorated
surrey driven by Elmer Fett, and
third prize to cowboy-garbed Jackie
Rogers mounted on d miniature
pony.
Indicative of the large crowd in
town for the parade were north
and south streets lined with auto
mobiles from jefferson street to
Grove street, and with intehsecting
streets equally crowded.
RoDEo CLOSES CELEBRATION
Closing event in the weekend cele-
bration came with a gala rodeo,
Monday night. Seating space was
crowded, and hundreds lined the
fence around Harmon field for the
nighttime spectacle that proved it
still holds plenty of appeal for COM
munity residents.
In the 12-event rodeo, $3.50 in cash
prizes were awarded to competing
horsement from Northwestern Ohio,
and the show was critically adjudged
one of the best ever staged here.
There was a total of 130 horses
and riders in the grand entry parade
which opened the evening show, 90
of which participated in competition
for prizes.
In the stand with Clyde Warren,
official announcer was Ray Patterson
of Findlay, who organized the Sad
die Horse club when he lived here
SIX years ago and was one of the
prime movers in putting on Bluff
toms first rodeo.
Tony, winner of the western stock
horse class owned by Donald Herr,
originally belonged to Patterson and
was the first horse ever to appear
in Harmon field in connection with
a rodeo.
The balloon race, always feature
of Bluffton's rodeo, was first seen in
this area at local rodeos and since
had been widely adopted.
In connection with the celebration,
the Bluffton High school band had a
busy weekend. The school musicians
played a concert on the Presbyterian
church lawn Saturday night; led the
parade; marched and played at the
air show, and played again for the
rodeo on Monday night.
RODEO PRIZES
Rodeo prizes are announced as
follows:
Grand entry-1st, Guy Foltz, Ft.
Wayne; End, Eugene Harman, Ft.
Wayne; 3rd, VIM. Alstaetter, Cairo;
4th, Ralph Vandervlack, Jr., Moline.
Bronc riding-1st, Clarence De-
Tray, Defiance; End, Tony Gunder-
man, Cecil; 3rd, Bill Tooley, Raw
son; 4th, Donald Niedermier, Buoy
rus.
Pony class-1st, Beverly Graves,
Ft. Wayne; End, Guy Foltz, Jr., Ft.
Wayne; 3rd, Jackie Rogers, Bluff
ton; 4th, Beverly Sperbeck, Lima.
Musical .keg, boys and girls under
16-1st, Pee Wee Ketner, Bowling
Green; End, 10 10 Harrison, Toledo;
3rd, Tom Nichols, Ft. Wayne; 4th,
Merwin Rush, Ada.
Steer riding-1st, Bill Springer,
Lima; End, Paul Troyer, Miami,
Texas; 3rd, Jack Powell, Ada; 4th,
Jim Ralney, Rawson.
Balloon race-1st, Howard Rutter,
Bowling Green; End, Ralph Wander
vlack, Jr., Moline; 3rd, Donald Herr,
Bluffton; 4th, Norman Foltz, Cairo,
Obstacle race-1st, Merlin Steed,
Lima; End. Ray Grouse, Bluffton
3rd, Tom Nichols, Ft. Wayne; 4th,
VIM. Alstaetter, Carlo.
Mems Musical Keg-1st, Harry