In this day and age of “extreme sports,” spectators flock to see skateboarders, cyclists and other athletes put their bodies on the line for a brief spasm of athletic and technical brilliance. Psychologists say it’s man’s modern inclination to want an explosion of action to fit in the space of his ever-shortening attention spans.

If such is the case, it can be argued that rodeo is a sport that was way before its time when it is supposed to have debuted in Deer Trail, Colorado back in 1869.

The popular Dodge Rodeo will return to the Orangeville Fairgrounds July 17-18, and the seven fast and physical events include saddle bronc riding, where the rider must master a belligerent, bucking beast and still display aesthetic technique, to impress the judges.

Orangeville’s Kai Trudeau is an up-and-comer in this event.

There’s the raw combat of bareback and there’s barrel racing, where horse and rider corner with a sharpness that would make a Ferrari engineer green with envy. In the latter event, Erin’s Stephanie Leyzac is the current Dodge points leader.

Another area competitor, Jason Thompson of Rockwood, is a past Dodge champion in the calf and team roping events.

The fastest of all the rodeo events is steer wrestling, where the competitor has just seconds to leap off a charging horse, bring a 400-600-pound steer to the ground and bind him in place with a rope. Sean Turner of Mono is one of the best on the circuit.

“Jumping off of a horse going 35 miles per hour, onto a 600-pound steer ... it’s a little bit of an adrenaline rush, that’s for sure,” says Mr. Turner stoically. The former Dodge steer wrestling champ confesses to having been “a little rusty” in his last three rodeos. “It’s nothing to worry about, though. I can still have a good run from here on.”

Saying that the Orangeville event is “definitely one of the stronger rodeos on the circuit,” he figures there will be close to 200 competitors from across Ontario, Quebec and Michigan. “It will be quite the diverse gathering of cowboys.”

There will be two performances at the Orangeville Fairgrounds. The first starts at 12 noon

Museum summer concert

Dufferin County Museum and Archives begins its popular Summer Concert Series in Historic Corbetton Church this Sunday, July 11, with Afendi Yusuf, clarinet, accompanied on piano by Dorothy Jane Needles.

The museum will be presenting renowned symphony musicians performing classical and contemporary favourites in the series of Sunday concerts.

Afendi Yusuf began his private studies in the fall of 2005. Since then, he has been involved with numerous ensembles in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. He was a concerto Saturday with the opening of the grounds, vendors and beer gardens. A 2 1/2- hour competition gets underway at 2 p.m.

There will be a barbeque dinner and live entertainment after the performance, including the now traditional rodeo dance. Tickets for the dance are $10 and are first come, first serve.

Sunday starts off with the “Fatboys Country Cowboy Breakfast” and the same noon opening with the competition getting underway at 2 p.m.

Tickets are available at the gate and are $20 for adults, $15 for children 6- 12 and $5 for children under five.

There are several locations where tickets will be $5 cheaper if bought in advance and kids get in free with an adult ticket bought in advance. They can be purchased in advance through ticketweb.

ca or by calling tollfree

1-888-222-6608.

concert series starts Sunday

competition winner of the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra in 2006, the Kitchener- Waterloo Symphony Youth Orchestra in 2007 and 2008 and most recently, won both the concerto competitions of Wilfrid Laurier University and the Guelph Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Yusuf has also received many scholarships and awards, including the Ross and Doris Dixon Music Scholarship, the Geraldine Kress Schafer Memorial Scholarship for Advanced Studies and the Garfield Bender Music Award.

He has been invited to participate in the 2010 Young Artists Program at the national Arts Centre’s summer Music Institute in Ottawa. He has just completed his second year at Wilfrid Laurier, pursuing an Honours B.A. in Orchestral Performance.

Tickets are $5 for museum members and $10 for non-members. To order or purchase tickets, contact DCMA 1-877-941-7787.