(Times-Signal Editor Craig Franklin shares about his history with the Angola Prison Rodeo, dating back over 40 years.)
It was in the late 1970s when I first experienced The Wildest Show in the South – The Angola Prison Rodeo.
Growing up, our family had always been involved in rodeos. We raised and rode horses on our old homeplace on Carpenter Street and in the mid-1970s, my older brother Glen took an interest in calf roping and eventually bull riding. During those years, nearly every Saturday night we were at some rodeo arena in the area, from Dave Yule’s place in Nebo, to Georgetown to Holloway Prairie and beyond, watching Glen do what he loved.
At some point around 1977, my dad took all three of his boys at the time and one of Glen’s friends, to the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, LA. I couldn’t have been more than 8 years old at the time, but the memories of that first Angola Rodeo have stayed with me all these years.
If you’ve ever been to a rodeo, then you know the traditional events that are held. But at Angola, they decided to put a different twist on the traditional and came up with an exciting rodeo that is unmatched anywhere in the world.
Starting with the opening event, the Bust Out, where all six chutes are opened simultaneously, releasing six angry bulls with temporarily attached inmate cowboys, the rodeo is non-stop action.
Next comes Bareback Riding, when riders are expected to keep one hand in the air and must stay on the bucking horse for eight seconds to qualify. Then there is the Wild Horse Race, when six wild horses are simultaneously released into the arena with short ropes attached. Three-man teams attempt to hold the horse long enough for a team member to mount.
In a counterpart to Steer Wrestling in regular rodeos, Angola features Bull-Dogging, where a steer is placed in a chute with two inmates positioned just outside the chute. Their job is to wrestle the animal to the ground as quickly as possible.
There is also the Chariot Race, when inmates ride a sled pulled behind a horse holding a pitcher of water. They must keep the water in the pitcher as they circle the arena, allowing the principle of centrifugal force to challenge the contestant’s sense of balance.
Angola also features Wild Cow Milking, which is just as its sounds and of course Bull Riding in the traditional way, where inmates take turns trying to ride 2,000-pound bulls.
Perhaps the four favorite events of the rodeo are Convict Poker, Convict Pinball, Convict Soccer and of course, Guts & Glory.
In Convict Poker, four inmates sit in seats around a makeshift poker table and a wild bull is released, urged by the rodeo clowns to take aim at the players. The last one remaining in his seat is the winner.
In Convict Pinball, hula-hoops are placed on the ground in front of a bucking chute with inmates standing inside the rings. Another bull is released and the last man standing inside their ring is the winner.
In Convict Soccer, inmates are inside large, inflatable bumper balls when yet another bull with large horns is released. The last inmate to not have his bumper ball deflated by the horns wins.
Finally, the breadand- butter event of the Angola Rodeo, is the world-renowned Guts & Glory event. In this event, all participating inmates are inside the arena when a poker chip is tied between the horns of the meanest, toughest bull available. The object of the event is to get close enough to the bull to snatch the chip.
Each event allows the inmates to win money – real money – they can use to make life a little better inside their confinement. For instance, at the October 19 rodeo, the grand prize in the Guts & Glory event was $1,000.
Yes, it’s a rodeo, but unlike any rodeo anyone has ever witnessed. It’s no wonder people travel from all over the world to see this exciting and oneof- a-kind rodeo. The Angola Prison Rodeo is the longest- running and currently the only prison rodeo in the United States. It was started in 1965 as a joint endeavor between offenders, prison employees and civilians who live in Angola’s residential area. The first two rodeos, in 1965 and 1966, were not open to the public.
Beginning in 1967, a limited number of tickets were offered to the general public and proceeds from the ticket sales, like to today, benefited the Inmate Welfare Fund. This fund pays for recreational and religious educational programs for prisoners. Today, it is projected each rodeo that is held brings in around $450,000.
During the 1967 rodeo, attendees sat in the back of pickup trucks to watch the rodeo, but within a few years, as the popularity of the prison rodeo grew, bleachers were added to the sides of the arena with a capacity of 4,500 in 1969.
By the time we arrived at Angola in 1977, the bleachers surrounded the arena with the gates and bucking chutes located on one end. The arena set in its current location, but it looked much different. There were no coverings they moved the bucking chutes to the center of one side of the arena to allow better viewing for all attendees.
Another change is with the prisoners’ hobbycraft selling area, which are nearly all under roofs now, along with a large eating area with every type of food imaginable sold. The rodeo itself serves as a behavioral incentive to reward offenders with good behavior the chance to compete in various rodeo events and earn money in the competitions, along with the selling of their hobbycrafts, which include inmate-made furniture, art, jewelry and more. All of the inmates’ participation is voluntary and many offenders see the ro- deo as a rare opportunity to feel a part of society outside of the gates and take pride in showcasing their talents.
With 98% of all inmates at Angola serving life sentences, it’s no wonder so many take advantage of participating in the rodeo in some capacity. Despite the dangers associated with many of the rodeo events, they willingly participate to experience the once known feeling of “freedom,” even if it’s just for a few hours. According to many experts, this rodeo is one of the main contributors to lowering the violence at the maximum-security facility.
There was also a difference in the safety afforded to the inmates participating in events. Back in 1977, the inmates basically wore their prison attire, with some having boots but most in their prison issued shoes. The rodeo was stopped several times as medical crews came out to attend to the injured.
Today, the inmates are equipped with protective helmets, protective vests and mouthguards, the same gear that is used by professional rodeo cowboys. As a result, in the last three Angola Rodeos I have attended in the last five years, I have never witnessed the medical staff have to come out and assist and injured inmate. That’s not to say injuries do not occur, but they are not life-threatening as they once were that left unconscious inmates laying on the arena floor as it was 40 years ago.
The Wildest Show in the South is certainly something everyone should see at least once in their lives. It’s an all-day affair, taking time to drive to the facility to get there early enough to shop, eat and listen to the inmate bands. There are also pony and carnival type rides for the kids and if you have someone in your life that is hard to buy for, then shopping the handmade hobbycraft area is a must.
It takes even longer to exit the facility, as 10,000 people attempt to leave the complex by a single road, so bring your patience and just be thankful you are able to leave the prison freely while some 6,300 others will never see the outside of the prison walls.
The Angola Prison Rodeo is held each Sunday in October and one weekend in April – with next year’s dates set for April 18 and 19, 2026.
Tickets are only $20 per person and you can actually obtain hobbycraft tickets for only $10, if you want to shop but not attend the rodeo.
For more information, visit angolarodeo.com.
