The Jefferson County Rodeo will be kicking up dirt again this year, after the event was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The two-night event will be held Friday, June 11, and Saturday, June 12, at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 10349 Business 21, in Hillsboro. On both nights, the gates open at 5 p.m., and the rodeo starts at 7 p.m.
Admission is $12 for adults and $7 for children 6-12. Children 5 and younger may attend for free.
Event Chairman Doug Goforth said the riders and rodeo organizers are eager for the event’s return.
“It’s about time,” he said. “We’re extremely hopeful that we’ll have a good crowd and everybody has fun. The cowboys and the stock contractor are ready to get rolling again.”
Goforth said the rodeo will feature classic rodeo events spectators have come to expect, like barrel racing, saddle bronc riding and bull riding.
“It’s a return to normal with the same Western-type rodeo that we’ve always put on,” he said. “We are contemplating a mechanical bull buck-off contest, but that’s in the works. That would be a bit of an added attraction for some of the non-rodeo participants.”
The Johnathan Braddy Band, which recently played at Hillsboro Days, is slated to perform at the RWZ Pavilion from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday.
Shannon Cox & Black Diamond, a returning act for the rodeo, will perform at the pavilion from 9:30 to 1 a.m. Saturday.
Both shows are free with the purchase of an admission ticket.
From 5-7 p.m. Saturday, before the rodeo starts, there will be kids’ events like roping, games and crafts, sponsored by local 4H organizations, Goforth said.
A cutest cowgirl and cowboy contest will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, and children 8 years old and younger may participate.
The Wooten Rodeo Co. from Glen Allen will stage the event, providing the stock, and the International Professional Rodeo Association will sanction the rodeo.
About 6,000 people normally attend the Jefferson County Rodeo over the two nights, and Goforth said he believes there will be more this year because people are ready to get out and have fun again.
Typically 150-200 riders participate annually in the rodeo, and there is potential for an increase in interested riders due to last year’s cancellation, Goforth added.
There will be no presale tickets this year to help limit expenses for the expected large crowd after last year’s lost revenue, so all tickets will be purchased at the gate, he said.
For more information about the rodeo, visit jeffersoncountyfair.net.