Submitted Photo Four-time World Champion trick roper Rider Kiesner will be performing at the 74th annual Gerry Rodeo, August 1-4.

GERRY — One of rodeo’s most versatile performers, four-time World Champion trick roper and two-time World Champion gun twirler Rider Kiesner is headed for the 74th annual Gerry Rodeo, August 1-4, to display those skills, along with his feats as a whip trick artist.

In addition, he will perform as the rodeo clown to help keep the action moving in the arena and serve as the “barrel man” during the bull riding event to help protect the cowboys.

Kiesner got his start in roping at age nine when he got a Will Rogers roping kit for Christmas and, by age eleven, he was performing in professional rodeos. Since then he has performed in 49 states and 15 foreign countries including Canada, Mexico, Japan, France, South Korea, and China.

The 26-year-old Kiesner has been selected for appearances five times at the nationally televised National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, six times at the Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days, called the “Daddy of All Rodeos”, and at the Dodge Ram Circuit Finals.

Kiesner’s family has long been associated with rodeo as his grandfather was a bronc rider, his dad was a rodeo performer and horse trainer, and his mother was a barrel racer. To the parents it seemed only natural to name their two sons Rider and Roper. Ironically, Rider turned out to be the roper while Roper is a bronc rider. Rider competed in Little Britches Rodeos at a very early age, winning his first buckle at age five. From there his love for performing has turned into a career that has spanned the globe.

This summer the Gerry Volunteer Fire Department will celebrate its 74th consecutive rodeo, Wednesday through Saturday nights, August 1-4, with more than 200 professional cowboys and cowgirls competing for $45,000 in prize money in the seven traditional rodeo events. This is now the longest consecutively running rodeo east of the Mississippi. In addition, the event features barbeque beef dinners cooked outdoors over wood fires as well as a midway with more than 20 vendors offering everything from Western wear to cotton candy.

Additional information is available at the rodeo website www.gerryrodeo.org or by phone at (716) 985-4847 or 1-888-4847.