Those who say there aren’t any cowboys around these parts haven’t met Ryan Logue.

For two years, Logue has been competing in rodeo competitions throughout Southwest Georgia, and has even traveled as far as Troy, Alabama, to show off his chops.

Just last weekend he was in Quitman County for a Georgia Florida Youth Rodeo event. He dresses the part, too, wearing a cowboy hat, button down shirt and boots with spurs.

When asked about his favorite part of rodeo, Logue thought for a moment, and then smiled.

“Winning,” he said.

Before October, Logue was involved with the Cowkids 4 Christ association, where competitors get to experience rodeo events all while learning about Jesus Christ. It was great for Logue to get his start in, but he wasn’t able to ride his horse, Shotgun.

The Georgia Florida Youth Rodeo allows events with horses, and though he is only able to compete in a couple horse-centric events, he is training hard on his steed.

“We started out riding a pony, and we have moved up to a full-size horse now,” Logue’s dad, Randy, said. “We are learning to ride and rope off of big horse. That’s one reason we changed rodeo associations—this one allows him to ride his horse whereas the other one was all on foot.”

Over two years, Logue has won a dozen medals, three belt buckles and two clothing bags. The belt buckles come from points Logue accumulated over a season.

Events at a rodeo competition range from ribbon pulling, where a competitor rides on their horse down the length of the arena, gets off and tries to pull a ribbon off a goat’s tail, to steer riding.

Logue’s favorite event is dummy roping, where a calf dummy stuck in a hay bail is lassoed with a rope. As for steer riding, he’s currently on a break. In August, he was bucked off a steer and landed on his right hand, breaking it. Maybe one day he’ll be ready to get back on, but until then the other events are keeping him more than busy.

Logue’s grandfather, Bubba “Pop Pop” Jones, and his mom, Haley Logue, were both rodeo competitors themselves. Logue found that he liked it enough to dedicate one weekend a month to competitions and one day a week to practicing. He practices in a pasture by Pop Pop’s house. The week leading up to a competition, he practices every day.

So does he have fun?

“I guess,” Logue said with a shrug and a grin.

“That always means yes,” Randy said.