Bull Riding Champ Joins Yalo-Ribbon Festival Line-up
Ross Burney
OAKLAND – When Ross Burney announced his retirement from 20 years as a professional bull rider, he pledged to help others who wanted to learn to ride. Burney retired two years ago as a top 15 bull-rider in the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA) and will make good on his pledge by participating at Oakland’s Yalo-Ribbon Festival on Saturday, May 4.
Burney, who farms locally with his family on the land his great-granddaddy farmed outside of Coffeeville, will give tips to bull-riders, both kids and adults, from noon to 1 p.m. The mechanical bull ride is for all ages and will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at no charge to festival goers.
The Festival, at the intersections of Oak, Hickory, and Holly Streets, begins at 10 a.m. and includes vendors, food trucks, the traditional cake walk and live music. A community-wide yard-sale and Friends of the Oakland Library Book Sale are also on the agenda. Cake walk tickets and information on where yard sales are set up are available at the Chamber booth on Oak Street.
Ross Burney rode bulls for two decades.
Festival chairs for 2024 include Linda Ross Aldy, Luanne Taylor Brooks, Stephanie Patterson, Margaret Ross and Sue Donohue Smith.
Major sponsors of the 2024 festival include the Ed & Becky Meek Foundation, Ajinomoto, Grays Power Supply, Bank First, and Luanne Taylor Brooks.
Returning sponsors include Cadence Bank, Daryl Burney, Aldy & Co., Cypress Creek Farming Co., and Janet Ross Caulder. New sponsors are Sue Can Do~ Baking & Catering, Oakland Yalobusha Natural Gas, Sayle Propane and Farmacy Marketplace.
Well-known local area DJ Bob Murphree will keep the crowd entertained all morning as well as during set changes. Chairs may be set up for listening to the bands following the Cake Walk at 11:30 a.m.
