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Tag: rodeo

  • Angola Prison Rodeo Marks 50th Anniversary

    This weekend marked the 50th anniversary of Louisiana’s Angola Prison Rodeo, drawing thousands of spectators into the detention center complex. The rodeo, called “the wildest show in the South,” draws in funds for religious and educational programs for prisoners, with each springtime event raising roughly $450,000.

    The Angola Prison Rodeo commenced in 1964 as a recreational activity for the inmates and prison guards, and was originally closed to the public. Over time, more and more spectators began to arrive for the events, watching from the hoods of cars and apple crates outside of the fence. Seeing an opportunity to generate profit, prison officials eventually began selling tickets and setting up seating for fans.

    Angola, a maximum security facility, holds some of Louisiana’s most violent offenders, and according prison athletics director Gary Frank, only the most well-behaved inmates get to participate in the games. Prisoners spend their time during the year preparing arts and crafts which are sold at the rodeo event, which can hold 10,000 spectators. “It keeps them occupied, keeps their minds occupied,” Frank said. “It also gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment.”

    Here is a piece on the prison entitled Lockup: Inside Angola:

    Here is a clip from the Academy Award-nominated documentary The Wildest Show in the South: The Angola Prison Rodeo:

    The Wildest Show in the South: The Angola Prison Rodeo from Ramzy Telley on Vimeo.

    The Angola Rodeo event schedule includes the Grand Entry, the Bust Out, Bareback Riding, the Wild Horse Race and Barrel Racing, which is the sole event in which inmates do not participate. The barrel racing event is a tour stop for The Girl’s Rodeo Association. The prison rodeo concludes with an event called Convict Poker, in which four inmate cowboys sit at a table in the middle of the arena playing a game of poker, while being attacked by a bull. The last man sitting wins.

    Frank commented, “Everybody has an inner kid in them, and they (the inmates) just want to play. If they get into a fight, they don’t get to play. It helps take out the nonsense.” Rodeo spectator Monique Wagner added, “they’re still human beings.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Steven Peebles Wins at National Finals Rodeo

    Bareback rodeo rider Steven Peebles scored 85.5 in the second round at the National Rodeo Finals on Saturday night, putting him in fourth in the season standings, with $119,060 in winnings. Peebles, of Redmond, Oregon, rode a horse named Cool Water, while winning his second straight round.

    “Last night did help my confidence,” Peebles said. “I hadn’t been on in two weeks, so I felt like I came in a little rusty. I just want them to keep bucking for me.”

    Peebles added, “My new strategy this year is to not get too wound up. I try to stay calm, treat every ride the same, just like I do all year long. It (the NFR) was always too much on my mind in years past and I’d over-think it.”

    Here’s a clip of Peebles’ interview after the third round:

    Defending season champion Kaycee Feild, of Spanish Fork, Utah, took first place Friday night, though didn’t make the top six on Saturday. He still maintained the lead regardless, scoring 78.5 while riding Special Delivery, adding to a total of $140,307 in winnings. Bobby Mote of Culver, Oregon, remained in second place, with $137,305, after by placing third on Saturday with an 81.5 on Make Up Face.

    Check out a clip of Peebles racking up another 85.5 while riding at AB CPRA 2012:

    Regarding steer wrestling, defending season champion Luke Branquinho of Los Alamos, California, won with a 3.6-second run. This put him at fourth place in the standings, up from 13th, with total winnings of $90,654. “I knew it was a mid- three-second run,” Branquinho said. “It’s just one of those things. There’s so much adrenaline going. You just look up at the scoreboard and see how fast you are. I knew with the start I got and the run I made that I was going to have a chance to win the go-round.”

    Casey Martin of Sulphur, Louisiana, who was involved in a four-way tie for second place at 3.8 seconds, took the standings lead with $126,365. Trevor Knowles, of Mount Vernon, Oregon, who sits at second at $120,158, failed to finish in the top six at the rodeo, for the second round in a row.

    Image via YouTube.