The Stateboro Kiwanis Club will host the 13th Annual Stateboro Kiwanis Rodeo from Thursday, April 25th through Saturday, April 27th.
The 2024 event will bring the same excitement as usual with rodeo clowns, bucking broncs and bull comedy, but for three nights instead of two.
For the fourth year in a row, the rodeo will be held at the Bullock County Agricultural Complex off Langston Chapel Road. This annual event draws a large crowd each year, and this year's rodeo president Jonathen Bunch felt it was important for the club and community to add his third night to the rodeo.
“Adding another night of rodeo not only provides an opportunity for more people to participate, but also allows the Kiwanis Club to raise more funds to give back to the community through donations,” Bunch said. said.
Gates open at 5pm each day and the rodeo begins at 7:30pm. No tickets will be sold at the gate. Tickets are on sale online at www.statesborokiwanisrodeo.com and at local stores Taylor's Tanning and McKeithen's Hardware.
Since moving the event to the agricultural complex in 2021, the club has seen a dramatic increase in funds raised and attendance. With attendance trending upward, Bunch said a third night rodeo is necessary to secure additional attendance.
The Statesboro Kiwanis Rodeo, an IPRA sanctioned rodeo, brings Hedrick Rodeo Stock Contractors to town once again. Owner Danny Hedrick is a fan of the Kiwanis Club and fundraising through rodeos.
new event
Due to changes within the IPRA organization, a new event called Breakaway Roping is mandated at each IPRA rodeo.
Hedrick describes the event as an adrenaline rush with fast-moving riders. Breakaway he roping is a women's timed event in which the calf is released from the roping he chute and the rider must ride on the back of the calf and stop with the rope around his neck. The stopper cuts the rope connecting to the saddle horn and stops the clock.
“It's one of my favorite events. You see some sub-5 second times throughout the sport. Breakaway is a really fast-paced and fun event,” Hedrick said.
The Hedrick family usually comes to town with the rodeo. His son, Justin Hedrick, works as a “transfer handler” during the event, helping riders rescue horses from bounces and reining them back after riding, and daughter Emily Hedrick (now Moss) He competes in barrel races and performs as a trick rider at events. The two have previously performed as trick riders together.
This year, Hedrick's crew will look a little different. Emily gave birth to twin girls in May, and Justin's wife Kayla is expecting a daughter in early April. Both young Hedricks will be caring for the latest generation of Hedrick rodeos at their home in Tennessee.
Danny Hedrick admitted this will be his first rodeo season in Statesboro without his children, but he says he's excited to take on his new role as a grandfather.
Winner
In February 2022, Hedrick Rodeo attended the American Roughstock Association Finals and won several awards for the 2022 rodeo season. These awards include Final Bareback Horse, Bareback Horse of the Year, Final Saddle Bronk Horse and Saddle Bronk Horse of the Year. Justin won the Pickup Man of the Year award.
What makes the Statesboro Kiwanis Rodeo a great rodeo for competitors is our award-winning brand. Some of the contestants over the past 13 years have come from Canada and Chile.
Another benefit of adding a third night of the rodeo is that contestants can compete here and then travel to other rodeos to compete, increasing their chances of winning and earning points. That's it.
Kiwanis President Matt Anderson is excited for the club to start 2024 with some exciting changes to the rodeo.
“We are excited to bring the 13th Annual Kiwanis Rodeo to Bullock County Agricultural Arena,” he said. “This year we are hosting a three-day rodeo! In addition, we are adding Breakaway Roping to the Rodeo lineup. This will be the first of two annual fundraisers this year. The best part is the fact that we get to give back to the community every year. Come out, bring your family and enjoy the rodeo all night long!”
funds raised
Funds raised at the Statesboro Kiwanis Rodeo and Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair will be distributed to communities in Bullock and surrounding counties, including Bryan, Tattnall, Jenkins, Screven, Evans and Candler counties. . Although the foundation supports a variety of causes, Kiwanis' mission centers on children.
Many well-known organizations in these counties benefit from events such as 4H, FFA, law enforcement, and even Ogeechee Area Hospice, which covers much of the same county. Bulloch Parks & Rec, Georgia Southern University, Ogeechee Technical College, and East Georgia State University all benefit from the fundraiser in various ways.
This year, the Kiwanis Rodeo Committee will raise money for local organizations in a different way.
The Bulloch County Jockey Association will be the beneficiary of the campaign by locally owned Helpful Tees, a division of Catalyst Promotions. T-shirt designs are sold on his website at Helpful Tees, and all orders go directly to his BCHA. The funds raised will be donated to the association through the rodeo committee.
The association's mission is to “increase interest in, encourage participation in, and educate the Brock and surrounding counties in a variety of equine activities.”
“We wanted to support the Horseman’s Association because they offer scholarship opportunities for various age groups,” Bunch said. “Kiwanis is dedicated to improving one child and one community at a time. If we can do that by helping BCHA award scholarships to four different children, I would like to We will have had an impact on their lives.”
BCHA Executive Director Rachel Self thanked the Kiwanis Club for its generosity in choosing to benefit from the Helpful Tees campaign.
“A few years ago, we started by offering scholarships to youth members in high school, but we quickly exceeded our own expectations and now offer scholarships to youth members in elementary, middle school, and high school. We offer scholarships. We award scholarships to two high schools, one middle school, and one elementary school. Prizes for high school students are $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place, and $1,000 for middle school students. and $150 for elementary school students,” Self said.
All youth members are eligible to apply, and applications are based on age, volunteer project, and BCHA volunteer activity.
“These kids are rock stars. All of them are not only very successful academically, but in addition to equestrian activities, they also participate in church groups, 4-H, FFA, Boy Scouts, shooting sports, and school sports. ” Self boasted. “As I said, they are truly amazing and we believe their dedication should be rewarded. They are learning to become well-rounded leaders of the future. Masu.
The organization hosts four to six horse shows each year, and members have the opportunity to showcase at the Georgia Federation of Saddle Clubs Annual State Championship Show, held each Labor Day . We also host member meetings, fundraisers such as the Broken Clay Youth Scholarship Shoot held at BayGall, and other events and activities for our members and friends.
miss rodeo
As is tradition, current Miss Rodeo USA Caelanne Quinones will be in Statesboro during rodeo week, making various appearances with local businesses that support the rodeo through sponsorship.
“This rodeo would not be possible without the support we receive each year from both our sponsors and the community. The community supports us by purchasing a ticket and raises funds for the Jockey Association by purchasing a T-shirt. We hope you will help us with this by April 15th,'' Bunch added.
Sponsors include platinum sponsor Virginia Luxe Boutique; Returning Gold Level sponsors include JC Lewis Ford and Aspen Airgels, and new Gold Level additions are Ginny & Georgia Boutique.
For ticket details and updates, follow the Statesboro Kiwanis Club on Facebook and Instagram and visit www.statesborokiwanisrodeo.com.