Peggy, Just in case your messaging is still not working...
 
I was thinking of the rodeo and perhaps passing on the oval races next Saturday and doing it instead, but my partner that I shoot at the racetracks with is going to be out of town Saturday so I have to cover the races myself.  
 
If you go, the best spot to shoot from, aside from being in the arena with the cowboys(which you might like, lol) and the kickin, snortin, bucking bulls and broncs(the reason you stay out of the arena), is down at the east end of the grandstands at the bottom of the steps.  There is a bit of a cutout there where the arena takes a bit of a turn before the next group of stands and you can shoot through the rails.  I've had press passes and shot from the roof of the booth and alongside the chutes, but aside from getting close shots of the people and animals behind the scenes, for regular rodeo action there's no better spot if you have a long lens.  You'll need at least a 200mm and preferably a zoom lens.  I like my 70-300mm but 55-250 or whatever you have will work.  The ground level shots are best in my opinion and you can use the anouncment booth along with the chutes and the sea of onlooking cowboys as the background.
 
Here's a card made from a shot at the Bulls Only Rodeo a couple of years back and shot from that spot I mentioned.
 
  http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/-Rodeo+cowboy,+Retirement-greeting+card-6274 53?pid=627453&aid=140313&ref=cb_card_title
 
You'll have a blast!  Don't forget the vendor areas and food court too, lot's of color, leatherwork and other interesting photgraphic opportunities.
 
Have fun and best always, Randy