Sporting Events
40 Years... BEEF: New Tastes, Old Traditions
There are all types of sporting events scheduled as part of the 2008 Beef Empire Days celebration. From calf roping to cutting, and from softball to golf, there are offerings for every interest. Leading the pack in 2008 is the Beef Empire Tennis Tournament, which gets underway on Saturday morning, May 31, at 8:00 a.m. at the Grimsley-Harmon Tennis Complex. The tournament includes singles, doubles, mixed doubles, men, women and youth. The event concludes on Sunday, June 1. Also on Saturday morning, Finnup Park plays host to the Horseshoe Tournament, with qualifying beginning at 9:00 a.m. Horseshoes has long been a favorite event of the young and older crowd alike, and this tournament will prove to be fun for all involved.
Golfing action also begins on Saturday, May 31, with a four-man scramble at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course. A second four-man scrample will be held at Southwind Country Club, Sunday, June 1. Tee times will be available beginning at 9:00 a.m. and teams may begin registering and securing tee times on May 13. How about a motorcycle ride through Southwest Kansas? The Bikers for Beef - Family Crisis Services poker run will begin registration at Clark Motorsports West at 8:30 a.m. with the riders heading out around 9:45 a.m. Saturday morning for a ride that ends at Stevens Park for lunch. The ride is open to any type motorcycle and benefits the work of Family Crisis Services.The Garden City Family YMCA also will sponsor the 3-on-3 Basketball Frenzy Tournament on Saturday and Sunday, May 31-June 1, at noon. All teams are guaranteed three games with t-shirts awarded to the winners in each division. The event takes place at the Finnup Park basketball courts.
Feedlot Team Roping and Sponsors Riding will be held on Sunday, June 1, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Finney County Fairgrounds Arena. Cowboys and cowgirls will compete in Team Roping and Barrel Racing events that are open to any Beef Empire Days sponsor and / or their employees.
The annual Hoof it to Health Road Run leads the way on Saturday morning, May 31, with the Garden City Family YMCA hosting the event beginning at 7:30 a.m. There will be 5K and 10K events with registration beginning at 6:45 a.m. The High Plains Archery 3D Tournament takes place at the archery range on Sunday, June 8, at 10:00 a.m.
A post Beef Empire Days event is the Beef Empire Cutting Horse Competition slated for Friday through Sunday, June 13-15, at the Horse Palace on the Finney County Fairgrounds. Competitors from Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Oklahoma are expected for the weekend competition. Riders will compete in 13 sanctioned classes, and this event provides an excellent opportunity to see the athletes of the equine world cut and control cattle from a herd.