It's Cowboy Party Time in Houston
Tom Adkinson
March 14, 2009
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo may be the biggest party you´ve never heard of.
The uninitiated--usually defined as those who never wear jeans, cowboy boots and Stetson hats--have a difficult time grasping the scope of this three-week blowout, but just look at some of the stats:
"Houston becomes the cowboy capital of the world when the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo rolls around," said one organizer of the multi-venue party that enlivens late winter every year.
As the saying goes, "If it´s true, it ain´t bragging."
Things did start small, however, back in 1931 when a group organized to improve and develop the Texas Gulf Coast cattle industry. That group´s efforts grew into a massive array of activities that make the nation´s fourth largest city buzz for almost a full month.
Rodeo, of course, sets the tone, and the Houston folks make sure that theirs is the richest regular-season event of the year. They dangle $1.3 million in front of the world´s top 50 rodeo athletes, and those rodeo stars put on a show with the best in bareback riding, barrel racing bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down roping.
Nightly concert entertainment gets the next level of attention. There´s a lot of country—George Strait, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Brooks and Dunn, for instance—but you´ll find acts such as Gladys Knight, the Jonas Brothers, Darius Rucker and ZZ Top, too. Elvis set records when he was shaking his hips.
The whole package is almost more than you can take in. There´s the world´s largest Western shopping mall (go ahead, you really need those ostrich cowboy boots, and that white Stetson looks great on you), a major-league carnival, 4-H and FFA competitions, petting zoos, agricultural displays and more.
Several hundred people get in the spirit early each year by mounting up for trail rides that draw attention to Western tradition as they mosey toward Houston. There are 13 in all, and they´re not little-bitty rides. One starts in Hidalgo—386 miles away.
There´s even a wine component. Before you get all snooty about it, Texas wineries make some might fine product, and the competition brings in wines from around the world.
Rodeo Uncorked! is the name of the wine event, and that´s a big shindig in November. During the rodeo time itself, you´ll find the Champion Wine Garden for daily sampling of the winners.
This year´s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo cranked up on March 3 and doesn´t utter its last hurrah until March 22, so there´s still time to dash to Houston for some cowboy fun. Otherwise, start making plans for 2010.
Rodeo details are at www.rodeohouston.com, and citywide information is at www.VisitHoustonTexas.com.
The uninitiated--usually defined as those who never wear jeans, cowboy boots and Stetson hats--have a difficult time grasping the scope of this three-week blowout, but just look at some of the stats:
- A three-day barbeque feed for 217,640 people
- Paid rodeo attendance of 1.2 million
- General grounds attendance of 1.8 million
- C oncerts that draw 70,000 (a Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus show claims the record with 73,459)
- A $345 million economic kick in the pants for Houston
- Scholarships that have propelled more than 20,000 Texans through college
"Houston becomes the cowboy capital of the world when the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo rolls around," said one organizer of the multi-venue party that enlivens late winter every year.
As the saying goes, "If it´s true, it ain´t bragging."
Things did start small, however, back in 1931 when a group organized to improve and develop the Texas Gulf Coast cattle industry. That group´s efforts grew into a massive array of activities that make the nation´s fourth largest city buzz for almost a full month.
Rodeo, of course, sets the tone, and the Houston folks make sure that theirs is the richest regular-season event of the year. They dangle $1.3 million in front of the world´s top 50 rodeo athletes, and those rodeo stars put on a show with the best in bareback riding, barrel racing bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down roping.
Nightly concert entertainment gets the next level of attention. There´s a lot of country—George Strait, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Brooks and Dunn, for instance—but you´ll find acts such as Gladys Knight, the Jonas Brothers, Darius Rucker and ZZ Top, too. Elvis set records when he was shaking his hips.
The whole package is almost more than you can take in. There´s the world´s largest Western shopping mall (go ahead, you really need those ostrich cowboy boots, and that white Stetson looks great on you), a major-league carnival, 4-H and FFA competitions, petting zoos, agricultural displays and more.
Several hundred people get in the spirit early each year by mounting up for trail rides that draw attention to Western tradition as they mosey toward Houston. There are 13 in all, and they´re not little-bitty rides. One starts in Hidalgo—386 miles away.
There´s even a wine component. Before you get all snooty about it, Texas wineries make some might fine product, and the competition brings in wines from around the world.
Rodeo Uncorked! is the name of the wine event, and that´s a big shindig in November. During the rodeo time itself, you´ll find the Champion Wine Garden for daily sampling of the winners.
This year´s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo cranked up on March 3 and doesn´t utter its last hurrah until March 22, so there´s still time to dash to Houston for some cowboy fun. Otherwise, start making plans for 2010.
Rodeo details are at www.rodeohouston.com, and citywide information is at www.VisitHoustonTexas.com.
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