The Cumming Fairgrounds will present the International Professional Rodeo Association, or IPRA, World Championship Rodeo this weekend. Dave Horton, fairgrounds director, said this will be the first time in several years that the rodeo will be offered three nights rather than just two. The additional night, Friday, was brought back due to the popularity of the rodeo. Show times are 8 p.m. today and Saturday and at 7 p.m. Sunday. “We went three years with just keeping it to two days, but our crowds on Saturday and Sunday are so big that we just added back Friday this year,” Horton said. The event has been held in Cumming for about 15 years and for many of those, the rodeo was offered in both the spring and fall. But the spring event was dropped a few years ago due to bad weather.“When we kept getting hammered by tornado weather in the spring, we just did away with the spring rodeo and went with just the fall rodeo,” Horton said. He said the rodeo is one of his favorite offerings at the fairgrounds each year.“It’s always an exciting show,” he said. “You got not only world-class stock, but you also have some world-class cowboys and cowgirls.” The rodeo features seven traditional events in which cowboys and cowgirls can compete for points toward an IPRA title and prize money. The competitive events include bareback, bull and saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, calf and team roping and steer wrestling. Horton added that organizers always include elaborate opening ceremonies, a specialty act and clown skits throughout the rodeo.“It’s a lot of fun to watch because it’s just non-stop action,” Horton said. “It goes from one event and they get right into the next one so there’s not a lot of down time.” Each night, the rodeo lasts about two and a half hours. Patrons can also arrive up to two hours before the opening to enjoy activities such as pony rides, a mechanical bull and several vendors with cowboy-themed items. There are also food vendors and several event sponsors with giveaways, Horton said. Tickets are available for purchase starting two hours prior to each show. Horton said that while the rodeo is a little more expensive than most fairgrounds’ events, it is well worth the price.“You look at some of the other ones around us and we’re no more than or cheaper than most of the other rodeos and I think the quality of our rodeo is better than anybody close to us,” he said.“And you can’t go to the movies for that and this show is longer than a movie, so I think it’s a good bang for their buck.”