The rodeo clown Colt Hartt, Jacee Beth Thomas’ brother, looks on Saturday night at Bob Holmes Arena as announcements are made during the benefit rodeo for Thomas.

LIVE OAK — Before Jacee Beth Thomas was hit by a train in May 2016, she spent most of the year traveling the rodeo circuit as a top breakaway roper and barrel racer.

Now, the 17-year-old cowgirl is at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, fighting to recover from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) she sustained from the accident.

While Thomas struggles to walk again, her friends in the rodeo circuit held a benefit rodeo at the Bob Holmes Arena fairgounds in Live Oak, Saturday, with all the proceeds going to help Thomas recover.

Justin Thigpen has competed in rodeos his entire life and grew up with Thomas. He was the event coordinator and along with many other cowboys and cowgirls put the benefit rodeo together.

Thigpen said the rodeo raised more than $10,000 toward helping Thomas recover from her accident.

Thigpen is an 11-time world champion with six awards in calf roping, four in steer wrestling and one award in all-around. His father rode bulls, his mother was a barrel racer, and he travels all around the country and Canada participating in rodeos.

“Our families were friends and everything and, shoot, I watched her grow up,” Thigpen said. “She would come to my house and we would practice ropin’ a couple times a week. We were close.”

After the accident, Thigpen said a group of rodeo guys got together and decided to host a benefit to raise money to pay for her needs.

Thomas is working hard with several devoted therapists, doctors, nurses and technicians to get her back on her feet. The support for Thomas at the event was worn proudly by everyone with bracelets, shirts, hats and jackets that read “Jacee’s Village.”

“We’re just having us a fun New Year’s and celebration for Jacee Beth,” Thigpen said. “We thank the community for their great support and pray for a speedy recovery for Jacee.”

The rodeo featured people from all over the United States, Canada and Australia. There was bull riding, bucking horse riding, calf roping, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing and team roping.

The gates opened at 6 p.m. and tickets were $10 per person.