Guts and Glory: Angola Prison Rodeo (3 of 3) – Angola, Louisiana …

Injuries, sometimes very serious, are a regular part of Angola’s Rodeo. Credit: 2001 Angola Rodeo Souvenir Program. The Angolite.

No matter what acts these men have committed, few people in the state will call Angola a “country club” prison. Merely a visit to the place is enough to make any man think hard about ever finding himself in a situation that could get him sent there. The Farm’s reputation for brutality and violence has only invited more criticism of the event. They compare it to a barbaric modern-day equivalent to a gladiator event, where hopeless, enslaved men risk their lives for others’ entertainment. Its a statement that is hard to deny – how many people would actually show up to watch a convict basketball game, talent show, or drama production?

But for all its danger and apparent exploitation, the rodeo is an annual event where these men can once again feel like humans. Even those caged like animals behind fences at the craft fair can be among children, families, and smiling faces. For 361 days out of the year, the men of Angola are forgotten, cast away, and sent to die. Yet for these four days in October, these men risk their lives and limbs not just for entertainment, but for a chance at something. It’s a chance to be victorious. A chance to be a hero for a day.

They are looked upon with awe as they ride bucking broncos, get beaten down by horned bulls, and are carried away in stretchers. Their bravery is unparalleled; whereas most contestants in rodeos are trained professionals, these men haven’t the slightest clue what they are doing.

First up was “Bust-Out”, one of Angola’s famed events where 8 men on bulls are released from the chutes at the same time. As the gates opened, a frenzy of violence erupted in the ring with thrashing beasts and men being thrown in every direction. The rodeo clowns taunted and antagonized the bulls as the fallen riders scurried for safety. Eight lucky men, each on a wild bull, and all escaped uninjured.

“Convict Poker.” Last man sitting at the table wins. Credit: 2001 Angola Rodeo Souvenir Program. The Angolite.

Other events included the “Bareback Riding,” “Wild Horse Race,” and “Bull-Dogging,” where teams of two try to take an angry 500-pound calf to the ground as quickly as possible. Everyone in the stadium stood at the start of “Convict Poker.” Four men were seated at a table in the middle of the ring as an angry bull was released – the last man sitting at the table wins. The bull emerged from its pen, eyed the men and charged the entire table, smashing it all to pieces and sending bodies in every direction. No one had remained sitting, and it wasn’t clear just who won.

During the “Wild-Cow Milking” event one inmate was crushed by a jumping cow that came down on his head and upper body. Others ran to his aid as the clowns lured the cows away. The medics swarmed in, carefully placed the man on a stretcher and threw him into the waiting ambulance which carried him away. “Let’s give a round of applause for those medics,” the announcer said before continuing to the bull riding event. The man could have very well been paralyzed and appeared to be seriously injured, but there was little concern – he’s just a convict.

Everything went quiet as the ring cleared in preparation for the last event, which even promoters describe as “pure insanity”. “Guts and Glory,” as it is called, is simple: one man must grab a poker chip from the horns of a raging, 2,000-pound bull. This year’s contestant was an older black man who appeared to be in his late 40s. Running out into the pen in his stripes, he waved his red hat at the crowd and inmates who were cheering him on. Another dozen men followed him into the ring to “help” with whatever it was that they could do. Looking at one of the middle chutes, I could see an enormous bull banging against the gates. Its horns had been sprayed with a florescent orange paint, along with the poker chip that was tied between them.

The Guts and Glory Event, where inmates try to grab a poker chip from between the bull’s horns. Credit: 2001 Angola Rodeo Souvenir Program. The Angolite.

There wasn’t much of a countdown or warning before the gate was released and the bull came storming out. The man jumped around, waving his arms and hat, intentionally getting the bull to charm him – its the only way to get the chip. Lowering his head and running at him, the man moved just in the nick of time, missing the horns that were trying to impale him. The bull pounded him with his front hooves and the side of his head, as a group of men gathered around to distract the beast before being chased up onto the fences.

But time was running short – the contestant had only three minutes to get the chip. Enticing the bull to charge him once more, he waved the hat again. Lowering his head, the bull began kicking up dirt with his rear legs as the crowd stood in the seats and gasped. Still waving the hat off to his side, the man began inching his way closer and closer to the angry bull that was preparing to launch at any minute. The suspense rose as the hairs on the back of my neck stood up in the realization that I was perhaps about to watch a man be killed.

He was only a couple of feet from the bull’s lowered head as he carefully reached down for the poker chip. Just as he moved, the bull rammed its head out into the man and threw him high into the air. Hanging onto one of the horns, he was spun around and around like a rag doll. Some people in the crowd began to scream, as it appeared that the horn had gone through the man’s midsection. He was finally thrown back down to the ground and kicked around, before the others come in for the rescue.

Rising from the dirt with red hat still in hand and a look of confusion on his face, I was shocked to learn that with the exception of a few nasty bruises and maybe a broken bone, the man was all right. The crowd continued to applaud his bravery and courage. It didn’t matter what he did to get himself there; no one cared at that moment. One could almost see tears in his eyes as he stood in awe and glanced at the thousands of people who had driven hundreds of miles to cheer him on.

He was neither a killer nor a convict that day. He was a hero.

The Angola Prison Rodeo is held every Sunday in October, and there is also the possibility that future years will have a second spring rodeo season. Tickets are available to the general public but are on a first-come, first-serve basis and often sell out. No cameras, recording devices, or cell phones are allowed. For more information, check out www.angolarodeo.com.

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