The Great Southland Stampede Rodeo held its 51st annual rodeo from March 19 to March 21 this year, featuring events such as calf roping and bull riding, and also a strong sense of camaraderie among the hosting student group, the UGA Block and Bridle club.
Thousands were in attendance to watch one of the oldest student-run rodeos in the country.
Sara Thomas, Block and Bridle club president, said she expects that people will be eager to see some of the more high-octane events.
“I think most people are excited to see the bucking horses and the bulls,” Thomas said.
Thomas was right about her prediction. The night started with several brave bronco riders who braced as their horses bucked and jumped through the air in front of full crowds, who cheered on the riders as they attempted to stay on horseback for as long as possible.
Later, 9-year-old girl came out performing high-speed acrobatic pony tricks, sometimes standing up on her pony or hanging by one foot from the side of the saddle.
One of the most anticipated events of the rodeo, the bull riding, happened at the end of the night.
The crowd was captivated by these performances, but for members of the Block and Bridle Club like Lauren Cluff, the closeness that the rodeo creates between the students is the true highlight of the experience.
“It just feels like such a family. Everyone loves each other so much, you walk into a meeting, and everyone’s saying ‘hi,’” Cuff said. “We eat dinner together, we pray together; it’s just a great time of fellowship.”
Eli Henderson in a journalism major in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
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