Bulls, broncs and a whole lot of mutton bustin' are headed back to Chipley next month as the Washington County Sheriff's Office gears up for its 8th Annual Rodeo. Set for September 18 and 19 at the Washington County Equestrian Center, the two-night event pairs professional rodeo competition with the kind of hometown family fun that has made it a fixture on the local calendar for nearly a decade.
The sheriff's office announced the sponsorship lineup in a Facebook post Thursday, thanking lead sponsor West Florida Electric for its continued backing of the fundraiser. According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the rodeo will offer two nights of family entertainment and rodeo action beginning at 7 p.m. each night, with advance ticket locations and mutton bustin' registration details to be shared soon. Advance tickets will run $10, while tickets purchased at the gate cost $12, according to Visit Washington County Florida, which also notes that children age 5 and under get in free.
The rodeo is billed as an annual fundraiser supporting community programs and events run by the sheriff's office, though the specific programs benefiting from this year's proceeds have not yet been detailed. The event carries some pedigree in regional rodeo circles: it was named the 2021 Rodeo of the Year within its competition circuit, as the sheriff's office noted in a 2022 Facebook post.
Family Activities Kick Off Before the Main Event
Past years have set the template for what families can expect this September. Washington County News reported that gates typically open at 5 p.m., with youth activities including mutton bustin', a calf scramble, stick pony races and bounce houses starting at 6 p.m., an hour ahead of the main rodeo action.
This year's competition is sanctioned by the Professional Cowboy Association, a non-profit founded in 1994 that governs professional rodeo competitions and finals across the Southeast, according to PCA Rodeo. Livestock for the Chipley event will be supplied by Bo Campbell Rodeo Productions, LLC, the same source notes.
A Cooperative With Deep Panhandle Roots
West Florida Electric, the rodeo's headline sponsor, describes itself as a Touchstone Energy cooperative, per the sheriff's office announcement. The Graceville-based utility was established in 1937 and now serves more than 25,000 member-owners across Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties, according to the cooperative's own bylaws documentation.
Sheriff Kevin Crews, who has led the department since 2017, made local history in June 2024 when he became the first Washington County sheriff to win two consecutive terms unopposed, Washington County News reported. The rodeo has become one of the department's signature public outreach efforts under his tenure, drawing sponsors and rodeo talent from across the region each fall.
Part of a Broader Panhandle Tradition
Chipley's event isn't the only law enforcement rodeo in the Florida Panhandle. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office hosts its own annual rodeo in Milton to benefit its agency's Star Foundation, a comparison that underscores how common these fundraisers have become among Panhandle sheriff's offices looking to fund youth and community initiatives.
Rodeo infrastructure elsewhere in North Florida has faced setbacks recently. An under-construction covered arena at the Florida Gateway Fairgrounds in Lake City — home to the PRCA-sanctioned Florida Gateway Pro Rodeo — collapsed into structural debris in August 2026, though no injuries were reported, as Hoodline reported. There is no indication that similar issues affect the Washington County Equestrian Center, which routinely hosts agricultural and equestrian events in the county.
Additional ticket outlets and registration details for mutton bustin' are expected to be released closer to the September event, according to the sheriff's office announcement.
