The weather was just right on Saturday, Sept. 20 for listening to the sounds of roaring engines at the Batt Lands in Camp Creek.
Attendants of the 2014 Battenfelder ATV Quad Rodeo could be seen smiling from ear to ear as they watched ATV’s tear through mud, and kick up dust.
One of the afternoon events was the chuck wagon event, where teams of four worked together in order to bring in the winning title.
The team would start by the stands, running towards their ATV’s, jumping on then taking off after the one member, who starts in a stall on a quad with a buggie trailing behind.
The teams were required to collect mail, which they would then take back to their starting point and return. Once all of the mail was returned and the buggie was backed into the stall, the four teammates would run back to the railing by the stands.
Mike Battenfelder, organizer of the event, said it all began because some members of the family decided that this was a way to bring people together.
“It was actually my dad, and my cousin and my brother, we are all ATV activists and decided we wanted to do something and got together, and because we are competitive, here we are,” Battenfelder said.
“It’s an ATV rodeo, started about 15 years ago, and held twice a year,” Battenfelder said.
In total there are three events, the drag race, the chariot, and cross-country, which was the final event for the day.
As the teams competed in each event they collected points. These points were then totaled, and the team with the most points wins the rodeo.
Dust could be seen blowing across the fields as the teams ripped through the cross-country track. It started wet, with the ATV’s tearing through a pit of water and mud, once on land they headed uphill, where the race would disappear into the trees. Shortly, the racers would return, looping around the back of the field and ending their race in another mud pit.
Battenfelder was not only the organizer, but also a contender in the event and could be seen covered in mud after the cross-country race.
According to Battenfelder, several of the teams are ones that they have seen previously for the past several years.
“The people who come out are just amazing, it’s like family. We get the same nine, ten, 15 teams, this year we have 12 teams, nine men and three women, and it’s like family because everyone knows everyone and there’s grudge matches within,” Battenfelder said. “It’s just a whole bunch of fun.”
For Battenfelder it is about bringing people together, and his hopes for the events were that everyone just has fun.
It was difficult to find one frowning face in a crowd full of excited people, with an event that not only serves up a good time, but also good food, it is no wonder it’s difficult for teams to stay away.
