By: Anna Hamilton
The 43rd Annual Limestone County Sheriff’s Rodeo is scheduled for May 16-17, 2025, at the Limestone Sheriff’s Arena. The address is 18118 County Road 99 Athens, AL, and gates open at 6 PM with competition starting at 8 PM. Tickets can be purchased online at www.limestonesheriffrodeo.com or at the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. Proceeds raised during this event help secure training and equipment for the deputies of the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office.
Considered the largest outdoor rodeo east of the Mississippi, the Limestone Sheriff’s Rodeo takes place on the third weekend in May each year. As cowboys and cowgirls compete for over $50,000 in prize money, families are entertained with all the makings of an unforgettable rodeo, including professional clowns and specialty acts. There are two days of rodeo competitions each year.
There is amazing talent of all kinds on horseback as well as on the dirt, and it is a great family event. A slew of professional rodeo events such as bareback and saddle bronc riding, calf roping, cowgirls’ breakaway roping, steer wrestling, cowgirls’ barrel racing, bull riding, and chuck wagon races. Beyond the competition, you will find all kinds of activities, food, games, and special appearances. And who can forget the rodeo clowns, they have always been my favorite!
This rodeo is part of the Lone Star Rodeo Company. For over 70 years, Lone Star Rodeo has brought the authentic spirit of rodeo to communities all across America. Founded on a legacy of skill, resilience, and heart, their mission is to celebrate the cowboy way and to connect audiences to the true roots of the rodeo.
The rodeo is a full sensory experience—rowdy, rugged, and electric with energy. The sounds, sights, and smells of the rodeo will create lasting memories that your family will cherish for years to come. It can even become an annual family tradition.
You will hear the sound of thunderous hooves pounding the dirt as bulls and broncos charge into the arena. The buzz of the crowd, with cheers, gasps, and shouts rising with each daring ride. The crackling loudspeakers blaring The National Anthem and the announcer’s booming voice. The sharp snap of the ropes, clanging gates and the buzzer. The snorts and bellows from restless animals in the chutes, mixed with the creak of saddles and leather.
The sights will delight your eyes! There are cowboys and cowgirls in bright shirts, fringed chaps, and wide-brimmed hats, sitting tall on gleaming horses. The dust clouds rise under galloping hooves. The mud flies as the bulls kick up the dirt mid-buck. There is the glitz of spurs, polished belt buckles, and the flutter of flags during the opening ceremonies. The muscular bulls and broncos, wide-eyed and powerful, lunging and twisting in the cool, crisp night air. The colorful barrels, banners, and blinking arena lights under a wide sky.
The aroma will swirl into your nostrils creating a memory of smell that will bring you back to the rodeo every time you smell these smells again. A pungent mix of animals, hay, leather, and sweat. The delightful smell drifting from the concession stands — popcorn, hot dogs, peanuts, and my personal
favorite—the funnel cake. The earthy scent of dirt baked under the afternoon’s sun. The hints of horse liniment or saddle soap, lingering from the rider’s gear.
It’s gritty, thrilling, and deeply rooted in Western and American heritage. The rodeo is an American experience you’ll never forget. I grew up listening to country music in the ‘90s and Garth Brooks had a classic song about the American rodeo. The chorus beautifully describes the true magic of the rodeo.
Now that you all are singing the chorus too, I hope to see your family at the 43rd Annual Limestone County Sheriff’s Rodeo on May 16 and May 17. So, dust off those boots and shine up those buckles and come join us for an amazing good time!
By: Anna Hamilton
May 16, 2025
