To demonstrate, Grandfield climbed into an inflatable clear rubber ball with an inner chamber and then walked it around the ring.

It’s basically a scaled up hamster ball for people.

Of course, one thing was missing during his demonstration that will be present during the shows at the rodeo – a bull in the ring to knock the ball around, with the hapless human hamster inside.

Grandfield was a little disappointed.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Shelby Eppelson, of Willard, Missouri, shows off a hand stand on her horse Cookie during the annual Kids Day at the Dayton Championship Rodeo. Eppelson is the founder of the Trixie Chicks, which will be showing off their trick riding skills at the rodeo.

“Originally I thought there would be a bull,” he said.

It’s common practice for a rodeo to feature events that are held just for fun and bragging rights.

Last year, they held a teeter-totter contest where the winner was the brave soul that stayed on it while a bull ran around the ring. That brave soul did earn themselves a crisp $100 bill.

Rodeo Committee Treasurer Jesse Green is excited to have the Knockerball event.

“We’ll be one of the first rodeos to try it,” he said.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Rodeo clown Lecile Harris shows the crowd the "chicken" he magically "created" from a balloon Friday morning during the annual Kids Day at the Dayton Championship Rodeo.

He’s also proud of the work the committee, including President Matt Johnson, have put into making improvements to the rodeo grounds.

“We have a new retaining wall, 18 feet of new bleachers, rebuilt all the calf roping area, added another VIP deck and did a lot of painting and sprucing up,” Johnson said.

The students also got to watch two members of the Trixie Chicks, owner Kelsey Temmen, of Westphalia, Missouri, and founder Shelby Epperson, of Willard, Missouri, demonstrate their stunt riding skills.

The team will be part of each rodeo performance.

While the pair demonstrated their stunts with their horses standing still, during a performance, they perform those same stunts with the horse racing around the arena.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Cade Smith, 11, of Sidney, tries to rope is horse Lady and his friend Trell Amoss, 11, of Harviell, as they wait their turn to speak to students about their rodeo jobs during the annual Kids Day at the Dayton Championship Rodeo. The pair help the rodeo queens in arena.

The two make it look easy. But they stressed for the students that it’s not.

“It’s not a matter of if you’re going to get hurt, it’s a matter of when,” Eppeson said. “Don’t go home and try it yourself.”

They both not only enjoy performing, but also getting to meet their audience afterwards.

“We’re in the arena four minutes,” she said. “Meeting people afterwards, that’s what really makes it worth it.”

For Cookie, one of their horses, it’s just another day.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Jaylie Slinker, 5, a kindergarten student at Southeast Valley Elementary School in Dayton, enjoys the annual Kids Day at the Dayton Championship Rodeo from under the brim of her slightly oversized hat Friday morning.

“He works for food,” she said. “That’s all he cares about.”

While some may get them confused, the role played in the arena by bull fighters and rodeo clowns are different.

The bull fighters’ job is to get the animal away from the tossed rider safely. The rodeo clown, he’s there to entertain the audience.

Lecile Harris, this year’s featured performer, has been doing that for a long time.

He’s 80 and still making them laugh.

“I’m going to turn this into a chicken,” he said as he began inflating a yellow balloon for the students.

“Then I’ll put it in this magic bag right here,” he continued, putting the balloon into a large black garbage bag.

He did indeed then pull a chicken out from the bag.

“That’s a rubber chicken,” one student shouted to which Harris had a ready punchline.

“Well,” he said. “That was a rubber balloon.”

No rodeo is complete without rodeo queens.

Logan Kinyon, of Creston, is the reigning Miss Rodeo Iowa.

He job during the rodeo includes carrying flags and helping out in the arena with getting the calves back into the chute.

She also has another important job.

“I’m your ambassador for our great state of Iowa,” she said. “I travel all over the country. I’ve put on over 20,000 miles this year.”

While speaking to the students from atop her horse, Chicken Nugget, she told them about how important the bond is with her steed.

“They’re our partners here,” she said.

Cade Smith, 11, of Sidney, and his friend Trell Amoss, 11, of Harviell, got to talk about what they get to do at the rodeo besides trying to rope each other while waiting for their turn to speak.

“I help the rodeo queens and the pickup men,” Smith said proudly.

How will they do that?

“We’re going to help the rodeo queens chase out the calves,” Amoss said.

There are a number of events during the weekend long rodeo that are open to junior participants.

Amoss is already involved in several of them including goat tying and ribbon rope.

Smith has to wait just a little bit longer.

“You have to be in sixth grade,” he said. “I start next year.”

When he does begin his rodeo career, he’s already got his heart set on at least two events.

“I’ll probably do a little bull riding,” he said. “I’ll probably do a little saddle bronc.”

Grandfield survived and even thrived during his time in the giant Knockerball.

“It’s warm in there,” he said, “It was harder than I thought.”

He was still a little disappointed in the absence of the bull.

“It would have been fun for the kids to have had the bull,” he said. “Maybe next year.”

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