Local Cowboy Hero, National Sensation & World Champion slated for Charity Celebrity Slide

Billy Etbauer, five-time World Champion saddle-bronc rider and Edmond resident, is slipping into a different saddle for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Etbauer will participate in the Reining Horse Sports Foundation (RHSF) 4R Performance Horses Celebrity Slide, November 29, 2008 at the State Fair Arena beginning at 7 pm!

While competing, Etbauer is sponsored by Express Ranches of Yukon, Oklahoma.

When not in the saddle, Etbauer and his wife Hollie own and operate a thriving barrel horse breeding program based in Edmond.

On November 29, Etbauer will be competing with some of the world's greatest bull riding celebrities Matt Bohon, Ross Coleman, JW Hart, Cody Lambert, Justin McBride, Cord McCoy, Rob Smets, and McKennon Wimberley.

The celebrity competitors will get a crash course in the sport from some of the best reiners in the world - NRHA Two Million Dollar Riders Tim McQuay and Shawn Flarida; Million Dollar Riders Dell Hendricks, Craig Schmersal, and Tom and Mandy McCutcheon; and NRHA Professional Casey Hinton. Assisting will be their young friends from the Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of Oklahoma, serving as honorary coaches.

Tickets for the Celebrity Slide are $8 and can be purchased in advance at www.NRHA.com. Avid rodeo fans who want a chance to meet Etbauer and their other favorite cowboys "up close and personal" can attend a VIP Reception at the conclusion of the competition. Tickets to the VIP event may be purchased from the Foundation through RHSF Coordinator Brandi Jakola for $100 each (limited tickets available).

The Reining Horse Sports Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and enhancing the sport of Reining worldwide. The RHSF accomplishes that through their five core programs: Reining Hall of Fame, Crisis Fund, Research, Development & Education, Youth Programs and International Development. For further information about the Foundation, contact rhsf@nrha.com or 405-946-7400, ext. 137, or visit the RHSF website at www.reininghorsesportsfoundation.org.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of Oklahoma serves children ages 2 1Ú2 to 18 living throughout Oklahoma and has granted more than 1,600 wishes since its inception in 1987. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Oklahoma please visit www.oklahoma.wish.org or contact Erin Byers, Director of Development at 405.286.4000 to find out how you can share the power of a wish(R).