Annual Rascal Rodeo
"Yeehaw!"
7 year old Jacob Sarver is a cowboy for a day as he takes the saddle during the Rascal Rodeo.
-but today he's hoping to take home more than a blue ribbon prize.
"I was thinking- I can have a horse," says Jacob.
This is the second time Jacob's mom Laurie has taken him to the special needs event, and is seeing a big change in her son, who is normally very reserved due to Autism.
"There's a little bit more confidence especially around animals-he's always been kinda nervous around bigger animals and so this has just been nice," says Laurie.
Each participant is paired with a volunteer- as they rope cattle milk cows and take pony rides.
Volunteers say they only put in a few hours- but get so much more out of it.
"You get to see the kids out here smiling and they get the opportunity to do something not a lot of kids get to do- its a lot of fun," says Drew Bevan-Church.
Rodeo Rascals started back in 2001 as a school project and 11 years later its still going strong.
Ann Erica-Whitemarsh has been running the event since day one.
" I could see that there was something special about them and I figured out that they didn't have a place to go do rodeo stuff and do the different events and what kid doesn't wanna be a cowboy or cowgirl!" says Erica-Whitemarsh.
Laurie Sarver sees a sense of accomplishment on her son's face- and says its takes much more than autism to stand in her son's way.
"It's just the look of joy on his face and hes having such a good time hes so comfortable in his own skin and its nice to see that."