Rodeo to be held to honor memory of fallen bull rider
Hunter Rahm, a 10-year-old student at Ben Franklin School and a competitor in rodeos, is helping to organize the Allen Pretzel Memorial Rodeo that will take place Saturday at Pretzel Arena. Rahm hopes to raise money for his friend’s memorial scholarship fund.
Allen Pretzel, an avid bull rider, was killed in a car accident in September 2010. A rodeo will be held in his memory Saturday at Pretzel Arena in Bruceton Mills, W.Va.
When Hunter Rahm of Uniontown was nearly 8 years old, he lost one of his friends and heroes in a tragic accident. Three years later, Rahm and his family are organizing the Allen Pretzel Memorial Rodeo on Saturday to pay tribute and honor a fallen bull-rider, Allen Pretzel.
Rahm meet Pretzel during a rodeo at the Fayette County Fair when the two competed in a rodeo together. Later, the Rahm family would travel to Pretzel Arena in Bruceton Mills, W.Va., to compete in their rodeo circuit.
Rahm, who participated in mutton busting, which is similar to bull riding, but the competitor rides a sheep instead of a bull, began a fast friendship with Pretzel.
“Allen and Hunter always clicked. Allen would always try and get Hunter on a steer. He would say, ‘Come on, I will super glue you’ or ‘I will duct tape you.’ He (Allen) tried for a few years,” explained Judy Rahm, Hunter’s mom.
In September of 2010, after he finished competing in a rodeo, Pretzel, who was riding his dirt bike on the way to help vaccinate cows when he was killed in a car accident.
Because of Pretzel’s persistence, Rahm decided to ride his first bull last August in memory of his friend. But, this bull was not just any bull; it is the son of Pretzel’s last bull, Spook.
Rahm used his first bull riding experience as an opportunity to raise $1,000 to donate to the Allen Pretzel scholarship that is run through the Pennsylvania High School Rodeo Association.
But, this year, Rahm wanted to up the stakes and raise even more money for the scholarship fund.
“This past January, Hunter said, ‘I want to have a rodeo for Allen,'” said Judy Rahm. “Allen lived for bull riding and Hunter does too. He said, ‘I want to bring Pretzel Arena back to life.'”
This will mark the first bull riding event at Pretzel Arena since Pretzel’s passing.
This year’s rodeo will feature a wide variety of rodeo activities including team penning at 3 p.m., The Steve Smith Band will perform at 5 p.m. and Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association (SEBRA) bull riding and barrel racing will be held at 7 p.m.
In addition to the scheduled events, a tribute to Pretzel and his love of bull riding will take place.
“There are 24 bull riders registered, and we are going to let Allen’s dad pull a name out of a hat and they will ride Spoke,” explained Rahm. “If that particular rider can stay on for more than eight seconds, they will win a (monetary) prize.”
While there will be a public tribute for everyone gathered, Hunter Rahm will have his own personal and private tribute to his friend.
“He (Hunter) wears Allen’s spurs. He (Allen) gave him a pair of his spurs,” said Judy Rahm. “He said, ‘I am going to give you these spurs because you will ride them (bulls) someday.”
Just like Pretzel predicted, 10-year-old Rahm has grown into a bull rider, just like his friend.
For more information about the rodeo, go online to the organization’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AllenPretzelMemorialRodeo.