By Jeanni Ritchie
I always knew I’d end up at Angola one day — fortunately, I didn’t catch a charge; I just developed a love of all things rodeo when I fell in love with a cowboy at 17. A man in a cowboy hat has been my kryptonite ever since.
For over 60 years, the Angola Prison Rodeo has been drawing crowds from across Louisiana and beyond, earning its nickname as “The Wildest Show in the South.” Every weekend in October and one weekend in April, the gates open at 8 a.m. for a 10,000-seat sell-out crowd eager to shop, eat, and watch the action unfold.
I joined my sister Sherri, her husband Scott, my niece Emma, and her boyfriend Hunter. The excitement was palpable long before the first gate swung open.
Quite like the recent cruise I joined my sister on, it was my first time while she was a seasoned pro. Also quite like the cruise, I knew my first time would not be my last!
Banners in red, white, and blue rippled above the packed arena as we took our seats behind the Angola Guts & Glory Rodeo Band. Vendors and inmates manned rows of booths selling everything from leatherwork and woodcrafts to homemade macramé. I bought a bracelet from one of the inmates — a small but meaningful souvenir of my day that embodied my basic belief: there’s something beautiful inside each of us.
The Rodeo Begins: The Grand Entry
The show opened with a patriotic tribute to our nation, our freedom, and those who lost their lives to protect us.
Event One: Bust Out
Eight chutes opened simultaneously, releasing bulls and riders all at once. The goal? Stay on longer than anyone else. Within milliseconds, half were airborne — a chaotic blur of dirt, horns, and courage.
Event Two: Bareback Riding
This was my favorite — wild stallions versus sheer determination. I cheered the riders (only two managed to hold on til the horn blared) while connecting on an even deeper level with the horses unwilling to be tamed.
Event Three: Bull Soccer
A crowd favorite, bull soccer featured contestants inside inflatable bubbles — yes, really — while dodging a raging bull. It was equal parts comedy and chaos. Sherri and Hunter counted this as their favorite pick.
Event Four: Pinball
Eight contestants stood frozen inside hula hoops laid flat on the ground while a bull charged through them. The last one to step out of their circle won. Within the first second, all but two dove for safety. The remaining two stood firm and as the bull turned and charged them both, they both took off running. I couldn’t help but hear the oft-repeated 80’s quip in my head: “If you’re scared, say you’re scared!”
Event Five: Wild Horse Race
Teams of three tried to wrangle and mount wild mustangs, dragging ropes and chasing their horses around the arena. The team with the most ride time won. It was equal parts rodeo and slapstick — fast, funny, and fearless.
Event Six: Barrel Racing
The only event featuring non-inmate participants, barrel racing brought in all-female riders from across the South. They thundered around three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern, cutting tight corners and kicking up dust as the crowd cheered. Three barrels, two hearts, one dream…
Event Seven: Convict Poker
Four men sat at a card table in the middle of the arena, playing poker as a bull charged. The last one seated won — a near impossibility as the bull flipped the entire table and all four chairs, with riders attached, in one pass. The crowd went wild. This one was Emma’s favorite. I was disappointed there were only two rounds!
Event Eight: Bull Dogging
Inmates faced off with 500-pound calves, trying to flip them head-over-hooves in under two seconds. The teamwork, timing, and raw nerve were jaw-dropping — occasionally the calves were sent flying… other times it was the inmates.
Event Nine: Chariot Racing
Part comedy, sheer fun, this event featured men being dragged on sleds behind galloping horses while holding buckets of colored water. The goal was simple: spill the least water and stay upright. This is the event I most wanted to try!
Event Ten: Wild Cow Milking
Teams of three attempted to milk wild cows, racing to squeeze a few drops into a cup from an uncooperative bovine. Easier said than done. I remembered freaking out while milking a docile farm cow as a child — I would never be down for attempting to milk a wild one.
Event Eleven: Guts & Glory
The cornerstone event — and the one that truly earns Angola its “wildest show” title. Dozens of inmates sprinted after a red-horned bull, each trying to snatch the $1,000 poker chip tied between its horns. It was heart-pounding, reckless, and unforgettable. My brother-in-law Scott called it his favorite, and I could see why. Anyone who left before this event to “beat the crowd” missed out on the wildest event of all.
Comic relief throughout the entire show came from rodeo clowns Rudy Burns and Dusty Myers, whose mix of banter, stunts, and pure good-natured fun kept the crowd laughing between near misses.
By the time the last bull left the arena, I understood why this show has endured six decades. It’s not the danger or the thrill alone — it’s what happens out there in the Louisiana dirt.
They call it the Wildest Show in the South, but watching from those stands, it felt more like a lesson in grace. Sometimes redemption doesn’t show up in a chapel or a courtroom — in the last remaining U.S. prison rodeo, it’s found on the back of a bull, in a few seconds of borrowed freedom.
Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana who loves all things country. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
