The 14th Annual Kiwanis Rodeo hit the arena with sold-out crowds and jaw-dropping performances April 24-26, 2025 at the Bulloch County Agricultural Complex in Statesboro.
The gates opened at 5:30pm each night followed by guests rolling in sporting their finest western attire—hats, boots and plenty of bell-bottom jeans to go around.
Miss Rodeo USA, Megan Kelly, also made a special appearance at the rodeo, adding even more excitement for guests as she greeted the standing room only crowds, signed autographs, and took photos with fans at the end of the night.
Food trucks lined the side of the complex, including funnel cakes, shaved ice, catfish, hushpuppies, Mexican dishes and ice cream. Retail vendors lined up on the opposite side of the food trucks, including an array of western-themed products such as belts, boots and Longhorn antlers.
The Statesboro Kiwanis Rodeo didn’t forget the kids either—they provided bouncy houses, face painting and even some events for the children to participate in throughout the rodeo.
Two of the events for the children included finding a prize in a haystack and chasing a young calf around the arena in an attempt to get the ribbon off its tail; both activities rewarded the winners with a prize!
Other events in the rodeo included bareback riding, calf tie down, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, breakaway roping, team roping and the two crowd favorites: barrel racing and bull riding.
The rodeo officially started at about 7:30pm each night. As the air buzzed with excitement, guests lined the bleachers, singing along to the songs echoing throughout the complex and cheering when a rider hit the eight-second mark during bull riding.
"Every dollar raised stays right here in our community, supporting local programs through the Kiwanis Club of Statesboro," shared event organizers. Hosting events like the rodeo and the fair help Kiwanis Club fulfill its mission to "improve the world, one child and one community at a time."
“Months of planning and preparation paid off with an incredible week of rodeo,” Jenni Kight, rodeo co-chair, said. “I’m so proud to be a part of the Kiwanis Club of Statesboro and the amazing Statesboro Kiwanis Rodeo! Thank you to the committee for putting in the work, to our sponsors for making this whole thing possible, to Hedrick Rodeo for the phenomenal show, to Miss Rodeo USA Megan Kelly for the amazing presentations and promotion, and the community for showing up to support a great event for such a great cause!”
Mark your calendars now! Visit Kiwanis Club of Statesboro on Facebook to stay tuned for next year's spring rodeo announcement.