Historic Boley Rodeo Set For Needed Upgrades

The town of Boley in Okfuskee County is home to the oldest Black Rodeo in the country. Now its arena is about to get some upgrades.

The Boley Rodeo is a huge tourist attraction that many people look forward to every Memorial Day weekend. The city said next year things are going to look different.

The Spencer Country Boyz have been competing in the Boley Rodeo for years.

“We're good. We're going to be on top again,” Orange said.

Twaun Orange said he's been attending since he was a kid. “It's Memorial Day weekend, it's a big rodeo, it's a black rodeo in a Black historic so just a lot of people come out for it,” Orange said.

There are around a thousand people in the town, but when the Rodeo comes around you can expect to see tens of thousands. “Well at one time we had as many as 50,000 people,” Henrietta Hicks said.

Hicks said it attracts people from all over the world. “When you come to Boley you have a taste of freedom you have a taste of this is my hometown,” Hicks said.

She said the Rodeo has always been good to Boley and now it's time the town gave it a facelift. “This is kind of rough art here now, but hopefully things will get improved,” Hicks said.

The arena sits on about 40 acres. And with the help of donations, they're hoping this will all be replaced. “Now they're getting bids on redoing the buildings and redoing the seating and then they go into doing the grounds on the inside,” Hicks said.

It's been decades since the arena has had major updates. Orange believes that will make the experience even better. “It will be especially perfect for us who run Pony Express because it's like a small arena. So, it needs upgrades, that would be perfect for the town,” Orange said.

If you want to donate to help with renovations- click here