SOUTH CONGAREE, S.C. — It is officially rodeo night in one Lexington County town. Residents in South Congaree are dressing up in their cowboy and cowgirl best to watch a championship showdown.
Organizer Rance Woodley said putting on an event like this is no easy task.
"Whew, a lot of work," Woodley said.
This country showdown in South Congaree features bareback riding, saddle bronc, bull riding, tie-down roping, team roping, breakaway roping, and barrel racing.
Woodley said competitors come from Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky and Arkansas.
"What makes me happy is to look in the crowd and see all the young kids here smilin' and enjoying the show," Woodley said. "This is a good family-fun, family-friendly show and we're proud of it and we're growing."
He said that when they started this event in South Congaree eight years ago, they struggled to get 1,000 people to attend. Now, they get crowds of around 5,000 that show up.
Woodley added that they have two rodeo events yearly in South Congaree: The Bull Bash in March and the Championship Rodeo in July.
He said these all-American-style events bring a $1 million footprint to the community for the year.
Woodley said the winners get a payout of $30,000, with every dollar translating to a point in the International Finals Rodeo (IFR), which could bring them to the finals in Oklahoma in January.
"And I think one thing that's a big driving force right now is Yellowstone. Everybody loves Yellowstone," Woodley said.
Ashley Housand is competing in barrels and breakaways over the weekend. She's going into 10th grade in the fall and competes on South Carolina's high school rodeo team.
"It's fun to go out there. You have a bond with your horses. They're like your best friends. You can go out there, compete, you come back, your horses are still proud of you; you're proud of your horses," Housand said.
She said she gets an adrenaline rush when competing, as do the animals.
"I think it's really cool, though, because the calves are always excited to run," Housand said. "My rope horse always gets really excited in the box because he's ready to chase the calves. It's like a game to them."
Tickets for adults are $18; for kids five and under, it's free. Tickets can be found on the event website.