The Pete Clemons Labor Day Rodeo is set for Sept. 5 and 6 at the Historic Okeechobee Cattlemen's Arena, 1885 U.S. Highway 441 N. Gates open at 5 p.m. Mutton Bustin' starts at 6:30 p.m. Rodeo events start at 7 p.m.

The Labor Day rodeo is sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). It will draw top contestants from all over the United States, competing not just for cash prizes, but also for points toward the chance at national championships.

The rodeo honors the late Pete Clemons, a famed former rodeo star, a successful rancher, and the owner/operator of Florida's premier cattle market, the Okeechobee Livestock Market. Highly regarded for his friendliness, honesty and genuine desire to help people, Clemons was considered by many to be the best-known and best-loved cattleman in the state.

In 2008 he was inducted into the Florida Agriculture Hall of Fame. He had also traveled twice to South America to serve as an ambassador of U.S. rodeo.

The high regard for Clemons by his peers was reflected in his selection as "Big Boss" of the National Day of the American Cowboy celebration in Okeechobee in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, Clemons was the recipient of the Florida Folk Heritage Award.

In 2013, he was named to the Florida Sports Hall of Fame. In 2011, the National Day of the Cowboy honored Clemons with the Cowboy Keeper Award.

Clemons' professional rodeo career began when he was in high school and continued until he was well into his 40s. Clemons rodeoed on weekends while attending the University of Florida. He won a record nine All Around titles at the annual Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee. This required excelling in five events: saddle bronc, bareback bronc, calf roping, steer wrestling and bull riding.

According to his grandson, Matt Clemons, Pete once even entered the barrel racing, an event usually reserved for women.  Pete and a friend traveled to a rodeo together. Pete was unloading the horses while the friend went to sign them in. Pete told his friend to sign him up for "everything." Taking him at his word, the cowboy signed Pete up for every event, including the barrel racing.  When he could not get his entry fee back, Pete competed in the barrel racing, earning a second place finish.

In 1949, Mr. Clemons was the Kissimmee Jaycees' representative at the National Jaycees Rodeo in Colorado Springs, and he stunned the western competition by entering all six events and coming away once again with the All Around title. A cartoon drawn for the National Jaycees Rodeo used Pete as the model for the "Kowboy Jake character. Kowboy Jake was later adopted as the mascot for Osceola High School.