Eli Young Band to headline Stampede

On Saturday, August 17, Hendrickson Park will once again host the annual Sheyenne Stampede.

Over the past four years, the Stampede has come into its own as Sheyene's main event of the summer. It begins with classic rodeo action, followed by an always exciting concert from high-profile performers who aren't often found in rural North Dakota.

This year's Stampede is no different, and headlining is the famous Eli Young Band, an award winning country music group with several chart-topping singles.

Bandmates Mike Eli, James Young, Jon Jones and Chris Thompson have been traveling the country and performing for large crowds since the early 2000s, and will now visit rural Sheyenne later this month.

Many will likely recognize their hit single "Crazy Girl," which was released in 2011 and became the band's first platinum-selling digital single and their first No. 1 single, in addition to being the No. 1 song on that year's Billboard Year-End charts.

The band has also been nominated for and won several awards at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards, including Song of the Year, Top Vocal Group of the Year and Single Record of the Year.

The Eli Young Band is sure to offer a memorable performance on August 17, and so too will Jason Cross, a popular country rock artist out of Nashville, Tennessee who'll be opening the concert.

Between Cross and the Eli Young Band, concert goers are sure to enjoy the live music at this year's event at Hendrickson Park, and that's not all the exciting action they have in store.

As per usual, the day will start with the Miss Sheyenne Stampede competition at 8 a.m., and the winner will be crowned just before the ranch rodeo later in the day.

This year's barrel racing event, sponsored by Butler Machinery, will kick off at 1 p.m., at which time barrel racers from across the state and region will compete for the fastest time around the barrels, with significant cash on the line.

And then the ranch rodeo will get underway at 5 p.m., where teams of cowboys and cowgirls will take on several events designed to mimic classic ranch activities.

This year's events will include branding, steer mugging, steer penning, wild cow milking and a goat relay race. And with $2,500 added to the purse, there will again be plenty of money up for grabs in each event.

And of course, championship belt buckles will be handed out to the winners as well, for both the ranch rodeo and barrel racing. The barrel race and ranch rodeo are also open class events, with no rodeo association connections required.

All totaled, this year's Sheyenne Stampede promises to provide another exciting day of rodeo action and great music.

General admission tickets are available online for $40 per person, while kids 12 and under get in free. Without purchasing a ticket beforehand, the cost of admission increases slightly to $50.

For a link to purchase tickets and for more information about this year's Sheyenne Stampede, visit the Sheyenne Stampede page on Facebook. Those interested in competing in the ranch rodeo should get in touch with Brent Helseth at (701) 302-8220.

Premier sponsors for this year's stampede include the New Rockford Eagles Club, Bessette Motors and CenDak Cooperative.