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By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal
“Everybody was happy.”
Those were the words of Kyle Harrell as the fifth annual Lowndes County Turkey Rodeo with emcee James ”Big Daddy” Lawler drew 56 teams and 112 hunters Saturday, March 25 at Harrell Brothers Farm in Hayneville.
This year, Harrell said, 19 turkeys were weighed in.
First Place went to Thomas Gross and Stedman McMurphy with a turkey that weighed 24 pounds and 2 ounces with a 10 3-4-inch beard and 1 1-8-inch spurs for which they won a Better Built toolbox and $300. They also had the biggest double for which they won $300 and YETI cups.
Second Place went to Hoke and Holland Smith with a turkey that weighed 19 pounds .95 ounces with a 10 7-8-inch beard and 1 1-8-inch spurs. They won a Remington 870 shotgun from Casey Feed in Hope Hull and $200.
Third Place went to Mathew Pate with a turkey that weighed 21 pounds .34 ounces with a 10 1-2-inch beard and 1 -1-8-inch spurs. He won $100 and an Oazark Trail cooler.
Sponsors included The Southern Land Brokers, Daws Better Built, Bruser Farms, Proimpact Physical Therapy (Mike Ellis), First South Farm Credit, Mountainbrook Sporting Goods and River Bank and Trust.
Harrell said of the event, “We had a really good turnout.”
While he said there were not as many teams as one other year, he said, I think it was the second largest.”
Harrell said, “We had a lot of extras who wanted to come up and watch and eat.”
He also said, “We had a total of 56 teams entered. I was real pleased. Everything went real smooth and everybody was happy.”