Finding the Western Town, Horses, and Rodeo Culture of Davie
Davie, Florida preserves a western town identity with active rodeo grounds, miles of bridle paths, and horse culture that feels worlds away from the Broward County coast.
Why Davie, a Suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Has Bridle Paths and a Rodeo
You are driving through suburban Broward County, past strip malls and chain restaurants, and suddenly you see a hitching post outside a bank. That is the moment you realise Davie is not a themed attraction. It is a working ranch town that got swallowed by sprawl and refused to surrender its horses. Davie incorporated in 1961 with a deliberate western identity based on genuine ranching heritage, not Disney branding. The town wrote its bridle path ordinance into Chapter 24 of its code, requiring new developments to include equestrian trail setbacks. Today you get roughly 165 miles of unpaved grass and shell rock bridle paths running alongside roads where sidewalks would be, a PRCA sanctioned rodeo arena that seats 5,500, and feed stores doing business next to smoothie shops. The disconnect between the western aesthetic and the surrounding South Florida sprawl is the whole point. It is Broward County's strangest, most overlooked story, and you can experience it in a single half day.
The Bergeron Rodeo Grounds: a Working Arena in the Suburbs
Getting Inside the Arena
The Bergeron Rodeo Grounds at 4271 Davie Road opened in 1990 and operates under the Town of Davie. It seats about 5,500 people in a covered arena with VIP suites, concession stands, and livestock pens. The marquee event is the Davie Pro Rodeo, a PRCA sanctioned competition held over multiple weekends. In 2024 the schedule ran from February through March and again in November. Ticket prices that year ranged from $20 to $40 depending on seat location and age category. The Town of Davie sets and publishes those figures annually on its parks and recreation page. If you show up on a non event day, the grounds are locked. Do not drive out expecting to walk the arena. Call the town parks department to confirm an event date before you go.
When the Gates Are Closed
The failure case: you arrive in late August, no rodeo scheduled, gates closed. You are standing in a parking lot in the heat with nothing to see. What you do instead is drive 1.5 miles south to the bridle path network and watch riders on the trails, or you visit Flamingo Gardens, a 10 minute drive from the rodeo grounds and open 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The Bridle Path System: 165 Miles of Trails Instead of Sidewalks
Davie's Town Code requires most new roads to include an unpaved equestrian trail between the roadway and the sidewalk. The result is a 165 mile network of grass and shell rock paths that let you ride a horse from a residential subdivision to a grocery store without touching pavement. For a visitor, the easiest way to see this system is to drive any major road in Davie west of University Drive. You will spot the trails as elevated strips of grass, sometimes with horse crossing signs at intersections. The trails are for horseback riders and pedestrians. Do not walk them at night; there is no lighting, and riders use them at all hours.
Book a Ride on the Trails
If you want to actually ride, two public stables serve the area. Bar B Ranch at 3500 SW 121st Avenue offers one hour trail rides for $65 per person in 2024, minimum age 8, weight limit 250 pounds. Happy Trails Horse Rides at 5100 SW 90th Avenue in adjacent Cooper City charges the same rate for one hour rides, minimum age 6, weight limit 240 pounds. Book at least 48 hours in advance. Same day walk ins almost never succeed, especially on weekends when cruise excursion groups fill the slots by 9 AM. The typical visitor spends one hour on a trail ride, then heads to Flamingo Gardens for two hours, which fits neatly into a half day itinerary.
Flamingo Gardens: Why it Belongs on This Day
Flamingo Gardens at 3750 S Flamingo Road sits on 60 acres and was founded in 1927 as a botanical collection. Today it holds over 3,000 species of tropical and subtropical plants and a permanent wildlife sanctuary for non releasable native Florida animals. The standout specimen is one of the largest live oak trees in the state, planted around 1927. Admission in 2024 was $24 for adults and $17 for children 3 to 11, free under 3. The gates close at 5:00 PM with last entry at 4:00 PM. It is a 10 minute drive from Bar B Ranch and a 15 minute drive from the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds. The gardens are not a zoo; they are a rescue sanctuary, so the animal encounters are limited to viewing from pathways. If you are looking for a hands on experience, skip this and book a longer trail ride instead.
| Stable | Location | Duration | 2024 Price | Age Minimum | Weight Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar B Ranch | 3500 SW 121st Ave, Davie | 1 hour | $65 | 8 | 250 lbs |
| Happy Trails Horse Rides | 5100 SW 90th Ave, Cooper City | 1 hour | $65 | 6 | 240 lbs |
The One Thing That Goes Wrong
Most visitors assume Davie's western town character is a themed shopping district with a saloon and a souvenir shop. It is not. There is no main street with hitching posts and wooden boardwalks. The western identity is functional, not decorative. You will find feed stores, tractor supply shops, and ranch supply outlets mixed into regular suburban retail plazas. The historic downtown area has a few brick front buildings and a handful of western style storefronts, but it is not a tourist district. If you arrive expecting a staged experience, you will be disappointed. The single most practical thing you should do next: call the Town of Davie Parks and Recreation Department and ask what events are scheduled at Bergeron Rodeo Grounds in the next 30 days. If there is no rodeo, book a trail ride at Bar B Ranch instead. That is where the real Davie lives.
