As the announcer's voice boomed through a sweet country twang, men and women from K-State and all across the greater central plains region defied time, speed and even death inside the purple barriers of Weber Arena this past weekend.

Roping calves, goats and bucking bulls, these young cowboys and cowgirls competed in the K-State Rodeo Club's 53rd annual Rodeo event. Some were met with disappointment, becoming disqualified for losing grip on a lasso or being kicked off an irritated bronco seconds before the qualifying buzzer. But others took home cash and pride from seeing all their hard work finally pay off.

Beth McQuade, senior in animal sciences and industry and K-State Rodeo Club publicity chair, said this year's rodeo had 600 individual entries and over 400 contestants from 25 schools across Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Thirty-five to 45 of those entries were from the K-State club, she said, and 21 of them actually competed in each of the rodeo's nine events.

The weekend's events included Team Roping, Tie Down, Steer Wrestling, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bareback Riding, Bull Riding, Break-Away Roping, Goat Tying and Barrel Racing. But the highlight of the weekend, most audience members agreed through cheers, was the closing competition - bull riding.

"The most exciting event would have to be the bull riding," McQuade said. "It's an adrenaline rush for everybody."

College cowboys tempted fate and narrowly cheated death as they burst out of the Weber Arena pen riding 1,500 pounds of pure bucking muscle and held on for their lives. Only two men made qualifying times in the Saturday night performance, but luckily, everyone walked out of the arena nearly unscathed.

But bull riding wasn't everyone's favorite event.

Keith Knox, 19-year-old saddle-bronc competitor from Coffeyville, Kan., said he thinks bull riding is "just plain crazy."

"I like the saddle bronc best 'cause it's more of an artwork, more of a skill," he said. "Bull riding, you're just trying to stay on, and it's messy."

Knox was the first competitor out of the pen Saturday night for his event, but was unfortunately disqualified within three seconds.

"[The horse] worked me to the back of my saddle, and I was pullin' on my reigns, goin' back and forth, and I just went off the back porch," he said.

But not all was lost for Knox that evening. He said he thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere at K-State and in all his four years of riding, Weber was the nicest arena he had ever competed in.

"Ya'll put on a heck of a show," he said.

McQuade said she thinks the "coolest" part of Weber Arena is, because it is an indoor venue, spectators and competitors alike are able to enjoy themselves no matter what the weather outside might bring.

"Everybody's been stuck at home through the winter, so this is the first time that a lot of people get to get out, enjoy themselves and get down and dirty," she said.

This year's turnout for the rodeo was the biggest and the best McQuade said she has ever seen in her five years of participating. Thousands packed the benches, and late-arriving audience members had to resort to standing, lining the perimeters of the arena.

"With this turnout, we couldn't have asked for anything better," she said.

But after a little more conversation, McQuade said there is one thing Rodeo Club members always feel is missing at their competitions and that is athletic sponsorship.

"Right now, the Rodeo Club is just a sports club just like roller-hockey or softball that reports through [Peters Recreation Complex]," she said. "We really don't have a scholarship fund here, and that's why our rodeo team is so small, comparatively. If you even look at Garden City or Fort Scott, all these are smaller schools but their rodeo club is amazing. They have every event covered. I think if we had more funding, if we had more support through K-State and through the rest of the community, then we would be, by far, the best rodeo team in the central plains region."

And the club is not the only entity with those beliefs.

Nicole Diehl-Kliemann, sophomore in apparel design and avid rodeo goer, said she thinks it is "really sad" the Rodeo Club is not a part of the K-State Athletic Department.

"I think these events are more athletic than people realize," she said. "These people have to be really physically fit and train all year 'round, just like any other competitive sport."

McQuade said the toughest part for the team members is finding fuel money to attend the total of 10 rodeos they participate in each year - seven in the fall and three in the spring.

"It's hard," she said. "It's really hard because this is our biggest money-maker right here. But the fact that we work as a club - as 30 people - and as you look around, there are thousands of people here. For 30 people to get together and put on something like this, it's absolutely amazing."

Though K-State did not come out on top in any of the final events Sunday, McQuade said Rodeo Club members should be proud of all their hard work for both their individual categories and the whole weekend's wild success.