Giddy-up, cowboys.

About 400 contestants from around the Midwest will descend on Ames this weekend to compete in Iowa State’s 10th annual Cyclone Stampede Rodeo.

The event will be held at the ISU Rodeo Arena, two miles south of Ames on State Avenue.

“The Cyclone Stampede Rodeo is an intercollegiate rodeo with competing college athletes from around the Midwest,” said Ryan Zicco, Cyclone Stampede co-chairman. “It’s student-run, GSB-funded and put on by the ISU Rodeo Club and the ISU Stampede.”

The rodeo will begin Friday at 7 p.m. and wrap up Saturday at 7 p.m.

A number of ISU Rodeo Club members will be participating along with hundreds of other young, talented rodeo cowfolk from around the Midwest competing in one or more event.

“We’ll have barrel racing, goat tiers, team ropers, breakaway ropers, steer wrestling, bare-back riding, saddle-bronco riding and bull riding,” said Zicco, senior in animal science.

The ISU Stampede has been busy making preparations for the festivities to ensure a successful show.

“Our biggest goal for this year’s rodeo was to improve the physical appearance of the rodeo grounds,” Zicco said. “We’ve been working hard on the arena little-by-little since last year, but really buckled down at the beginning of the summer. We’ve definitely achieved our goal by adding new lighting, bringing in new sand and repainting.”

The fact that the competitors will be in Cyclone Country won’t escape them, Zicco said.

“We’ve added a lot of red and gold paint to the arena so that people definitely won’t forget where they’re at,” he said.

In the past, bad weather has dampened the spirit of the festivities, said Kurt Anderson, previous member of the ISU Rodeo Club and current volunteer for the Cyclone Stampede Rodeo.

“In the past couple of years, weather has been poor,” he said, “but we’re hoping for better and dry weather conditions this year.” Anderson noted that regardless of the weather, the show will go on.

Cost to attend the rodeo is $4 for students and $5 for adults.