The Hondo Rodeo Fest is expanding its impact beyond the arena.
Organizers recently joined Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to announce that the historic Angola Prison Rodeo will be featured as a social impact initiative during the festival’s upcoming event April 10–12 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The exhibition will take place ahead of Hondo’s invite-only, exclusive, million-dollar competition.
The Angola Prison Rodeo, hosted by the Louisiana State Penitentiary since 1965, is part of a prison reform effort designed to provide inmates with structure, skills and incentive-based opportunities. Under the leadership of Landry and Louisiana State Penitentiary Warden Darrel Vannoy, the partnership brings the long-running program to one of the largest rodeo stages in state history.
“Since 1965, Angola has put on an unbelievable rodeo, which really helps our prison system and those who are incarcerated there,” Landry said in a release. “It’s something that gives prisoners something to look forward to, with part of the prize money going to victims as well. Everyone should come and check out all of the great cowboys and cowgirls at the upcoming Hondo Rodeo Fest.”
To qualify for the Angola Rodeo exhibition, incarcerated contestants must earn eligibility through good behavior and performance in professionally guided training sessions with Hondo’s experts. Prize money will be divided evenly, with half directed to Louisiana’s Victims Impact Fund and the remainder supporting inmates’ families.
Organizers say the initiative adds a new dimension to the three-day event, which combines professional rodeo, a country music concert series and a Western culture fan festival.
“Gov. Jeff Landry’s leadership to bring the Angola Prison Rodeo and The Hondo Rodeo Fest together is just another example of how major sporting events can have a positive impact on Louisiana,” said Jay Cicero, president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation. “Through the partnership with Louisiana Economic Development, The Hondo Rodeo Fest will be leveraged to maximize the financial impact on the entire state.”
Now in its third year, The Hondo Rodeo Fest continues to expand its footprint, with its inaugural secondary event taking place in Louisiana.