Serena Johnson | Submitted PhotoLacey Leggett carries the flag during a rodeo event at the J2 Arena in Brooks County. The Georgia-Florida Youth Rodeo season begins Aug. 13.

QUITMAN, Ga. — Brooks County is gearing up for a brand-new rodeo season.

The Georgia-Florida Youth Rodeo enters its second official season with a two-day event, Aug. 13-14, at the J2 Arena at 125 Roberts Road, south of Quitman, said organizer Serena Johnson. 

The Johnsons have already been hosting rodeo events for several years.

The season runs through finals in May, with rodeos held every second weekend of the month, she said.

The youth rodeo series is aimed at participants ages 2-19, Johnson said, and is meant to be a “friendly meet” giving potential riders an opportunity to get into the rodeo scene economically.

“It started small and kept growing, so (last year) we got organized,” Johnson said.

While there is a membership fee for participants, the rodeos are free for the general public to watch, she said.

For the Aug. 13-14 rodeo, Johnson said she is expecting “at least 50 families” to participate, the same number that took part in last year’s events.

“We offer all the traditional rodeo events — roping, barrel, mutton busting, calf and bull riding and goat tying,” she said.

Each event will also have a local rodeo queen and princess, Johnson said. Cowboy church services will be held at the J2 Arena at 9 a.m. Sundays during rodeo weekends, she said.

For more information, call Johnson, (229) 740-1420.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.