The Arcadia Youth Rodeo Association kicked off its 2026-27 season Saturday with 210 kids competing and 477 entries on opening day. Events include bull riding, barrel racing, mutton bustin’, and roping, and the schedule runs six rodeos through March before April finals for the top 10 in each event. For families across DeSoto County and the wider Suncoast, it’s a season-long tradition that starts early and finishes in the spring.
AYRA was founded in 2008 and calls itself the largest youth rodeo association in Florida. Participation declined at one point, but it has climbed back above 200 competitors, a mark president Levi Pearce called phenomenal for a youth rodeo. Among the riders on opening day were nine-year-old Bryar Mason and 15-year-old Carlton Pearce. Beyond the competition, AYRA alumni have gone on to the National Finals Rodeo and earned college rodeo scholarships, proof that the dirt arena can be a launching point.
If you’ve never been out to a rodeo, this is the season to change that. Arcadia is an easy drive from Sarasota, Venice, and North Port, and the stands fill up with families, grandparents, and neighbors. Riders balance school, practice, and travel, and they pick up friendships that last well beyond the final go-round. Have you ever watched a youth rodeo in person? Tell us your favorite memory in the comments.
