TENNILLE, Ga. — If you are looking for some bronco busting fun for the entire family, you may want to check out the Washington County Rodeo this weekend.
Organizers are already getting ready to welcome people to the Agriculture Center in Tennille, including Miss Rodeo USA, who is helping restart the rodeo tradition in the county.
"I'm from southeast Iowa, from a small town called Letts," Heather Morrison said.
Morrison is exploring Central Georgia for the first time.
"It's been a blast, just seeing the countryside and just getting out here," Morrison said.
Long before Morrison left Iowa, she started her pageant journey in the rodeo.
"My sister won a horse at the county fair and she kind of got us started back into it and then we started rodeoing when I was in high school," Morrison said.
By age 20, Morrison says her passion for the rodeo grew along with her trophy room.
"I've been competing in rodeo queen pageants for quite a while now and I have been very fortunate to hold five rodeo queen titles in the state of Iowa," Morrison said.
With her new title of Miss Rodeo USA 2019 comes new responsibilities to the community.
"I'll get to do a lot of public speaking and school visits, and hit everybody up about coming to the rodeo," Morrison said.
After two decades, Eddy Turner with the Agriculture Center says the rodeo is coming back to Washington County, packing fun and hopefully tourism for this rural community.
Turner says fans can expect six professional rodeo competitions like bull riding.
"Gyro rides, we are going to have good food vendors, we are going to have Western wear souvenir suppliers, it's going to be a great day, everything for kids to grandfathers and grandmothers," Turner said.
Cowboys and cowgirls aren't coming to play games, the two-day event will decide which riders advance to the next rodeo.
"There will be prize money, but they will be getting points that will go towards their final total for the end of the year," Morrison said.
But win or lose, Morrison says the rodeo never gets old.
"You are going to be sitting on the edge of your seat the entire time, everything is action-packed, it is so much fun, and it's nothing like any other sport you have ever seen," Morrison said.
Now if you'd like to check out the rodeo, the details are below:
882 Grady Mertz Rd
Tennille, GA 31089
Gates open Friday, April 5th and April 6 at 5 p.m.
Adults $15, Kids $10, Kids 5 and under are free.
Contest Events: Bareback Riding, Calf Roping, Steer Wrestling, Saddle Bronc Riding, Barrel Racing, Team Roping, Bull Riding.
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