The Rawhide Rodeo kicked off last night at the Huntingdon Fairgrounds and the competition continues tonight at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 2 p.m. Gates open three hours prior to showtime.
Local residents Dennis and Toni Boscaino will be two of the many talented individuals who will participate in this weekend’s events. The father-daughter team will compete in the team roping event this evening.
According to Dennis, the pair usually competes two times a month. They begin competing in April and continue through December. The pair travels to events all over, including competitions in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland, among other places.
Dennis has been competing in rodeos for about 30 years and in team roping for 20 years. Toni has been participating in team roping for the past three years.
While he loves competing, Dennis said he is just happy to be able to help Saint Matthew’s School.
“We’re trying to help the school out,” he said.
Dennis also spent a lot of time helping to get everything set up for the rodeo.
His motivation for all the hard work he put into the rodeo, “I want to help the school because that’s where I went to school. My daughter went there and my son went there.”
Aside from the competition and helping the school, Dennis said he was happy to be able to share in this experience with his daughter.
The hope of St. Matthew’s is that the rodeo will prove to be a successful fundraiser, helping to aid in the upcoming building renovations.
Plans for the building project include tearing down the house that sits between the school and the church and then connecting the school, the church and Harkins Hall. The school council made the decision to invest $50,000 in the New York-based rodeo.
The Rawhide Rodeo company is based in Leichester, NY and performs throughout the USA and Canada bringing high quality, high intensity performances to regional audiences. The Rawhide Rodeo Company now produces over 100 rodeo performances in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Ontario and Quebec.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Children under three are admitted for free.
Individuals are invited to come out and support Saint Matthew’s School while they enjoy an evening of ropin’ and ridin’ at the Huntingdon Fairgrounds.
