At Silver Spurs Rodeo, there’s a place for everyone to have a good time and support important causes. On Saturday, Oct. 3, Silver Spurs hosted their annual Boots, Bulls and Barrels event at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, and filled the night with bull riding, barrel racing, and more.
Silver Spurs is a family-owned operation with Big Boss Henry Thacker at the head of it. His mother and father were big bosses themselves, so Thacker decided to follow in their footsteps. He was elected as Silver Spurs Big Boss on July 13, 2025. A seventh-generation Osceola County native, he’s grown up around the rodeo his whole life.
“My dad was Big Boss when I was around eight years old, and the Spurs really just teaches everybody about the values and the family aspects of it,” Thacker said. “It’s something that’s really special to me, and not that I have two kids, I’m thinking I can pass those values down as well.”
The club started in March of 1944 as a family business that staged a show as a contribution to the Fourth War Loan. The price for admission was the purchase of a war bond. With about one thousand people in attendance, the rodeo grew and held another event on July 4, 1944. Ever since, Silver Spurs has grown into the community it is today.
“I wouldn’t be here without my family, so having that love and support around is really what keeps me here,” Thacker said. “So many people that will be in those stands tonight and will be new. We get to share that joy of a first time, hope you come back, and start sharing some of those beliefs and community and values with everybody.”
Each year in June, the rodeo also hosts an event entitled Miss Silver Spurs, where young women and girls can compete for multiple titles, such as the titular Miss Silver Spurs, Junior Miss Silver Spurs, and Little Miss Silver Spurs.
Though similar to most beauty pageants where contestants go through multiple rounds such as appearance, interview, and speech portions, a major difference is the addition of horse riding. Not only do contestants have to be knowledgeable about Silver Spurs Rodeo and its history, but they are also required to learn a set American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) reining pattern to show their control of the horse and perform a freestyle set to a song of their choice to showcase their personality and riding skill. This year’s crowned Miss Silver Spurs was 19-year-old Michaela Wall, who was in attendance for Boots, Bulls and Barrels.
“This rodeo is a huge representation of how rich the culture is in Osceola County,” Wall said. “So to watch all of the generations of cowboys and cowgirls grow up and become friends, it’s been an awesome thing to be a part of.”
The concept of patriotism is extremely important to those in the Silver Spurs club, with events often giving thanks to veterans and and a wave of the American flag to start. As Miss Silver Spurs, Wall has the opportunity to raise the flag for all to see as the national anthem plays.
“You just feel the love and the patriotism, especially through this sport,” Wall said. “Rodeo is very family-oriented. If you were to walk behind this stadium, you would see 300 volunteers. They sit back there before the rodeo starts, and they eat a meal together. Then they come out here, do all their work completely for free, and out of the selflessness of their own hearts.”
At each event, Silver Spurs raises $10,000 to support local causes, with the Boots, Bulls and Barrels event supporting Safety First PediAquatics in St. Cloud.
Silver Spurs Rodeo will be hosting their next event, Monster Bulls, on Saturday, Feb. 13, right before the 158th Silver Spurs Rodeo from Thursday, Feb. 18 to Sunday, Feb. 21. Tickets go on sale in November, and more of their events can be seen HERE.
