Grab a seat for a wild ride at area rodeos. Some are presented year-round, and others are one-time events. The rodeos all showcase cowboy and cowgirl culture, fast horses and a little bit of clowning around.

It opens this weekend and continues each Friday and Saturday through Sept. 27.

There'll be competitions in barrel racing, bronc riding and team roping all season. Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, which sanctions the sports mentioned above, also will sanction steer wrestling, tie-down roping and bull riding contests this weekend through June 7. The Professional Bull Riders company, which sanctions bull riding as a stand-alone sport, will present its stable of bulls and riders June 13 through Sept. 27 as part of the PBR Discovery Tour.

For more thrills with a dash of humor on the side, chuck wagon races, cowboy poker and kids' mutton bustin' will return this year. Cowboy poker is a dangerous card game, played by four contestants in the middle of the arena on a flimsy table with plastic chairs while an angry bull does his

best to disrupt the game. As an opening-night bonus tonight, NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer will sign autographs from

7 to 8.

Nancy Moore

Mesquite Championship Rodeo opens tonight at 8 (gates open at 6:30) and continues each Friday and Saturday through Sept. 27. Resistol Arena, Interstate 635 at Military Parkway, Mesquite. 972-285-8777. www.mesquiterodeo.com.

{TriRight} Box seats $14 to $30; reserved grandstand seats $12, $7 for ages 59 and over and for ages 3-12. $5 for parking.

OTHER AREA RODEOS

STOCKYARDS CHAMPIONSHIP RODEO Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. year-round (unless a special event is scheduled; call ahead). Cowtown Coliseum, 121 E. Exchange Ave.,

Fort Worth. $15 to $20, $12.50 to $20 ages

60 and over, $10 to $20 ages 3-12. 1-888-269-8696. www.cowtowncoliseum.com.

SULPHUR SPRINGS RANCH RODEO Competition in five events that mimic the necessary skills used in everyday ranch work, such as bronc riding, branding, mugging,

sorting and wild cow milking. Rodeo April 12 at 7:30 p.m. Free vendor show and other activities start at 10 a.m. Hopkins County Civic Center, 1200 Houston St., Sulphur Springs (30 miles east of Greenville). Rodeo tickets $8; free for ages 6 and under. 903-885-8071. www.theranchrodeo.com.