Jamie Tarango has seen people of all ages and walks of life step foot into his roping corral.
About five years ago, Tarango started Lelan Tarango Goat Roping Productions to honor of his son who died when he was a month and a half old.
Jamie Tarango, 47, of Odessa said the money he generates from every roping event will help kids with cancer.
“I don’t do this to keep the money,” Jamie Tarango said. “I do it to help people whether it’s with expenses or medical bills. Anybody that needs with medication we can help as long as they have the paperwork.”
Lelan Tarango Goat Roping Productions will have a total of three shows during the Fiesta West Texas at the Ector County Coliseum. There will be shows at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 6 p.m. Sunday. Entries for the event will start an hour before the show.
Jamie Tarango said he will get anywhere from 165 to 260 entries that will allow a person to attempt to rope one of his 40 goats. Entry fee is $10 per attempt. Entrants are vying to win belt buckles, cash and other prizes.
“There’s no age limit,” Jamie Tarango said. “It can be a 20-year-old or an 80-year-old man.”
Lelan Tarango Goat Roping Productions will also accept donations throughout the weekend.
Jamie Tarango said this is the second time he has had goat roping at Fiesta West Texas.
“It means a lot to me, because I know that I’m doing it for a good cause,” Jamie Tarango said.
Other events scatter throughout the Ector County Coliseum parking lot is a live shark encounter, tiger show and madness on wheels which includes BMX stunt riders, the globe of death and acrobatic juggling.
There are also two stages, including the main stage for live music, concession stands, food trucks and carnival rides.
Inside the Ector County Coliseum, there will be a car show featuring vehicles from Odessa and the surrounding area.
Joel Alvarez, the owner of Exotic Suspensions Inc. in Odessa, expects about 100 vehicles to enter the coliseum grounds. There were cars, trucks and motorcycles inside the coliseum early Friday morning.
“It’s a new thing still, so people are coming out for the prizes,” Alvarez said. “We get people from Big Spring and a lot of people from Lubbock.”
Exotic Suspensions Inc. finished a 2012 Dodge Challenger RT for TJ Zarate which will be the company’s featured car this weekend. The Challenger has a custom paint job with Venom detailed on the hood.
Zarate said it took about 11 months for his Challenger to be completed and he is honored that his car will be the featured car for Exotic Suspensions Inc.
“When I grew up, I always looked at featured cars and trucks and I always hoped one day that everyone would be looking at my car,” Zarate said. “To be featured, words can’t describe how I feel. It’s a dream come true.”
Alvarez said this is the ninth year that Fiesta West Texas will have a car show.
In 2009, Alvarez opened Exotic Suspensions Inc. He appreciates the opportunity to showcase his work for potential clientele.
“It has been a blessing. It really has,” Alvarez said. “One of my friends, Richard Esparza, which is one of the guys that puts the event together. We’ve built a couple cars for him and we are currently building a couple more cars for him. We do a lot of shows around Texas and we thought it might be something that we could add to Fiesta West Texas and it has brought a lot of people in.”
