What's happening at the Redding Rodeo on Wednesday

Rodeo week celebrations continue Wednesday with the first day of competitions and shows in the four-day 76th annual Redding Rodeo. Opening night is Native American Appreciation Night, sponsored by the Redding Rancheria. Program highlights include Native American cultural demonstrations, according to the Redding Rodeo Association.

All four nights include bull riding competitions and barrel racing, a sport in which riders and their horses navigate a cloverleaf route around barrels, competing for the fastest time.

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What's new this year at the rodeo

New acts grace the rodeo grounds this year, said Cindy Shonholtz, the rodeo association's general manager.

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• Three-time Canadian trick riding champion Shelby Pierson of Alberta will perform acrobatics on horseback.
• Also from Alberta, Canada, 14-year-old Roman rider Piper Yule performs her trick riding routine for Redding crowds.

And keep an eye out for the Quanta Stagecoach, arriving nightly carrying rodeo dignitaries, Shonholtz said.

Gates open at 5 p.m. The show starts at 7 p.m. at the rodeo grounds, 715 Auditorium Drive, next to the Redding Civic Auditorium.

General admission is $20. Ticket prices start at $15 for children and military members. Go to reddingrodeo.com/events to buy tickets.

Also on Wednesday, the Asphalt Cowboys continue to host their city-wide contest to identify the Lone Stranger and Sidekick.

Two community celebrities masked up and joined the Asphalt Cowboys in their annual staged mock bank robbery on Tuesday.

See today's clue at Redding.com and solve the puzzle to win a cash prize.

Check the Record Searchlight's daily coverage of rodeo week events at redding.com.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter@RS_JSkropanic and onFacebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work,please subscribe today. Thank you.