Brawley — Imperial County elementary schools,

 Brawley — Imperial County elementary schools, families, and community supporters showed up to enjoy this year’s 35th Annual Mini Rodeo at Brawley’s Cattle Call Arena, Nov. 8. The Mini Rodeo was founded in 1988 by Joni Moore to create a secure space for special needs children and their families to participate in Cattle Call Week festivities. This special occasion in a frenzied weeklong of Cattle Call activities has become a tradition for many families and children. Julie Reeves, chairman of the mini rodeo since 2008, wrangled up a generous posse of partners and helpers to put together this year’s mini Rodeo Cattle Call event to include talented local horsemen to entertain an arena full of expectant children and adults. “It means a lot to do something for them so they can have this chance to be part of a rodeo in their area of comfort,” said Reeves. “We try our best to make this a really fun event for these kids,” Reeves said. “To bring something different each time for them. We have generous people bringing them hats, bandanas, and little flags. We also have somebody from Tony Ojeda’s Little League group for special needs kids. He’s here distributing items on his program. We can’t do it without all the generous people and all the help. All the kids and parents who bring their kids here. We appreciate it very much.” The rodeo began at 10 a.m. with a tribute to commemorate Jeff Moore, husband of Mini Rodeo’s founder, Joni. The hour-long event included barrel racing, ribbon racing, pole bending, sack racing, and mini dance breaks from the rodeo clowns to excite the crowd. This was the first year the mini rodeo included a bull riding event featuring bull riders of 5 to 14 years of age. The rodeo clowns consisted of local children and teens dressed in colorful attire with painted faces who entertained the crowd with antics. Children wore gifted glasses, bandanas, and cowboy hats to look and keep cool under the sun. Throughout the rodeo, crowds actively cheered for their favorite riders. Many jumped, danced, or smiled with the Rodeo clowns’ interpretations of ‘YMCA’, ‘Macarena’, and ‘Chicken-Dance’. After the event, families and schools had lunch under the shaded trees around the arena.