ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The Ancient City Pro Rodeo made its debut in St. Augustine this past weekend, drawing large crowds and selling out both days of the event.
The rodeo offered a variety of traditional rodeo events and plenty of family-friendly activities.
Jade Kitaif, second-generation general manager of J.C. Kitaif Pro Rodeos, said the event featured all the classic rodeo competitions such as bareback riding, steer wrestling, and team roping.
“We really pride ourselves, we’ve been in the rodeo business for 27 years, putting on rodeos all across the southeast,” Kitaif said. She added that many of the bull riders competing have been to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, highlighting the high level of talent present.
Dan Laubacker, president of Ancient City Land Management, expressed amazement at the turnout.
“With what we saw with this first response last night, it was just — it blew our minds. Like I said, last night was a dream. It was something we never expected,” he said.
Laubacker also shared the vision behind the property hosting the rodeo, which they purchased in 2020. “We want to take this agricultural property and really kind of transform it into a kind of an epicenter of agricultural and event-type communities. Our big thing is we’re really family-oriented.”
The Ancient City Pro Rodeo weekend offered a unique blend of traditional rodeo excitement and community fun, making it a memorable experience for attendees of all ages.