Cleveland Co. rodeo-goers upset after towing enforced for first time in 16 years

For the first time, an annual cowboy experience in Cleveland County implemented towing at the event, leaving some rodeo-goers dealing with the headache of getting their cars back.

The Ebony Horsemen Saddle Club hosts the rodeo with Black riders. They’ve held it in Mooresboro since 2008 but have never had towing until this year.

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The organizers said their event has grown over the years so much that some people have had to park on the side of the road. But a spokesperson for the riders said county officials expressed concerns about getting emergency vehicles to people in the area if cars parked on the side of the road and blocked access. She said the highway patrol put up digital flashing signs warning people not to park on the side of the roads.

DeAndrea Winchester told Channel 9′s Ken Lemon she didn’t see the signs Saturday night. She said a state trooper and a security officer at the event told her it was OK to park on the street.

Hours later, Winchester learned her truck was towed, along with 30 other cars, according to the highway patrol.

“I get a phone call saying, ‘Hey, our cars are gone,’” she said.

That was at about 2 a.m. and Winchester lives about an hour away.

“It sent me into a high anxiety state which made me sick. Literally made me sick,” she said.

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Winchester is a cancer survivor and keeps medicine in her truck at all times. She got the truck and the medicine the next day, but it cost.

“Now, I’m out of $300,” she said. “As long as you got the cash you can get it; it’s a money thing.”

Organizers said that’s not it at all.

“We did not call any tow truck. It does not benefit us,” said Kimberly Pryor with the Ebony Horsemen. “We had enough room for everybody to park here.”

She based that on a drone picture showing the size of the crowd that night. The Ebony Horsemen said some people didn’t want to wait in the long line of traffic, so they parked anywhere they could.

“Ebony Horsemen has no jurisdiction over a state road,” Pryor said.

“The security team, I talked to them. They told me they didn’t tell anyone to park on the side of the road,” said Todd Pryor, who’s also with the club.

Winchester said she has video of the trooper admitting he told her to park on the street. She plans to try to get her money back.

(WATCH BELOW: 2 tornadoes with 110 mph winds hit Gaston, Cleveland counties, NWS says)