5 Star Featured Partner Southern Junior Rodeo Association

This was the biggest year we’ve had,” said Sam Dixon, past president of the SJRA, Southern Junior Rodeo Association. “It’s given the girls a great start on life in general, and not just rodeo. They learn responsibility by taking care of animals and the life lessons are the best in rodeo.” Hadlie Dixon and Reiny were two and three when they started.
Sam and Heath and two of the other board members, were contestants in the first SJRA finals in 2001. Miss Robin Blankenship had the idea and put a notice in the local paper and a few people showed up and it started. It got big enough to make it a nonprofit. “This year we gave a little over $225,000 worth of prizes – it’s growing,” said Sam.
One thing that sets the association apart from others is all the rodeos are held in the same place – Saline County Fairgrounds in Benton, Arkansas. “We gave them their first buckle this year and it said, ‘home of the SJRA’. We run 7,924 entries in ten weekends,” said Sam. The partnership with 5 Star has lasted for since the beginning. “He was open minded with it and believed in what we were doing. We try to do as much local as we can.” The 5 Star shop is located about an hour from the arena.
Heath Harrison, past board member, serves as the AM arena director. “I work with the 10 and under kids, keeping the arena going.” Heath has two boys, Hudson (11), and Han (9), that are current members, as well as a newborn coming up that will be in the association. “Four-month-old, Hattie, is going to be the next All Around. She was 10 days old when she went to her first SJRA. We wrapped her up and took her with us.” Heath’s oldest boy, Hudson, won the reserve all around. “We all use 5 Star products, from the pads to the boots to the breast collar. We won the All Around because of 5 Star.” Heath was a bull rider and didn’t do a lot of roping, but he knew with all the aches and pains of riding bulls he didn’t want his boys doing that. “When we joined, my oldest boy was five, and had never been on a horse. In this association, they see other kids their age doing things on horses – it gives them the courage to try. It taught them how to ride and rope, and the friends they made helped them chase their goals. It gives them a broader base of friends than our little town.” Both his wife (Summer) and Sam’s wife (Allison) work in the office. “We volunteer and give everything we can to the association to give those kids the same opportunity our kids had.”