Down and Dirty at Du Quoin State Fair

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Small contestants in the "Little Miss Du Quoin State Fair" pageant will no doubt be dressed in their finest, but participants in five nights of free entertainment at the half-mile track will place far more emphasis on durability.

They're competitors in the five nights of bull riding and ranch rodeo action scheduled for both weekends of this year's Fair scheduled to open Aug 26 and run through Labor Day, Sept. 5.

Actually equipment for the Saturday-Sunday (Aug. 27-28) "D Bar D Bull Riding" sessions has already been put in place and is the first physical signs of this year's 89th annual Fair.

"There are some wild events included in these five nights of action," said Norm Hill, assistant fair manager. "The two bull riding sessions are just that, bull riding, which will feature some of the finest cowboys competing on the midwestern circuit and on some of toughest bulls in the area."

The "Ranch Rodeo" scheduled for Friday, Sept. 2, will mark the first time it has appeared at Du Quoin and features unusual competitive events such as a wild cow milking contest. It's just one of several events contestants, four cowboys on eight teams, will participate in.

The "C Bar C Rodeo" is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 4, and at 4 p.m. the following evening, Monday, Sept. 5.

All events are free to fair-goers.