Dates 7–26 March 2017 CEO Joel Cowley (5 Aug 2013–) Founded 1932 | Attendance 2,462,030 (2016) Headquarters Texas, United States | |
Location(s) Houston, Texas, United States Similar Museum of Fine Arts - Houston, National FFA Organization, Houston Independent School Di, University of St Thomas, 4‑H Profiles | ||
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also called RodeoHouston or abbreviated HLSR, is one of the largest live entertainment and livestock exhibitions. It also includes one of the richest regular-season rodeo events. It has been held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, since 2003. It was previously held in the Astrodome. It is considered to be the city's "signature event", much like New Orleans's Mardi Gras, Dallas's Texas State Fair, San Diego's Comic-Con and New York City's New Year's Eve at Times Square.
Contents
- Houston livestock show and rodeo
- Go Texan Day
- Rodeo Parade
- Trail Rides
- Worlds Championship Bar B Que Contest
- The Calf Scramble
- Transportation
- Attendance records
- Milestones
- References
In 2013, attendance reached a record high of 2,506,238 people requiring over 30,000 volunteers. In 2007, the rodeo was deemed "the year of the volunteer." The event is 20 days long. It is kicked off by the Downtown Rodeo Roundup held near Houston City Hall, the Downtown Rodeo parade, and the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run – a 10k and 5k walk & run and the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. The show features championship rodeo action, livestock competitions, concerts, a carnival, pig racing, barbecue and the Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition, shopping, sales and livestock auctions. Traditional trail rides, which start in different areas of Texas and end in Houston, precede the Rodeo events. The City of Houston celebrates this event with Go Texan Day, where residents are encouraged to dress in western wear the Friday before the rodeo begins.
The rodeo has drawn some of the world's biggest recording artists, including Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, Selena, Kiss, Elvis Presley, Beyoncé, Bob Dylan, Justin Bieber, Big Time Rush, Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, Janet Jackson, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Kenny Chesney, Bon Jovi, ZZ Top, John Legend, Taylor Swift and Lynyrd Skynyrd, among others.
Houston livestock show and rodeo
Go Texan Day
The Friday before the Parade is also known as "Go Texan Day", where the entire population of Houston is encouraged to dress in Western attire, such as jeans, cowboy boots, and cowboy hats. While the concept was discussed in 1938 by the General Manager of the Houston Chamber of Commerce, it was not until the 1950s that it finally was put into practice. In 1954, Archer Romero chaired the first Go Texan Committee to encourage what would later become a Houston tradition during the rodeo.
Rodeo Parade
In 1937, planning had begun for the first Rodeo Parade leading up to the 1938 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The first parade was headed by Mounted Police and various dignitaries on the city, county, and state levels, who also rode horseback. There were two bands with a Drum and Bugle Corp.
In 1952, the Salt Grass Trail ride was the first trail ride that was formed by only a few men. The following year, the publicity from that ride attracted more people to join.
All of the Trail Riders converge on Memorial Park to camp out for the night before heading down Memorial Drive to where it empties out onto Texas Ave to line up for the parade.
The parade has approximately 115 different groups joining in the festivities. There are 15 trail rides, 20 floats, 15 commercial wagons and stagecoaches, and 10 to 15 university and high-school marching bands in addition to Show officials, other elected officials and dignitaries on horseback and in vehicles.
Trail Rides
The Trail Rides (cavalcades) are a long tradition with the rodeo and gather at Memorial Park to camp for a rest and party before the big Annual Rodeo Parade through Downtown Houston.
World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest
The World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, also simply known as "The Cookoff", started in 1974 and has consistently drawn massive attendance numbers for the three-day event, drawing a record 264,132 visitors in 2013. It takes place on the southern parking lot of NRG Stadium, with over 350 teams participating every year, and is generally considered a "Hot Ticket", as most are for members or by invitation only. While the event is open to the general public, those that can get into the tents are generally allowed an unlimited amount of food and beverages.
The Calf Scramble
Since the addition of the event in 1942, it has been one of the more popular events during the actual rodeo. The event features 14 calves and 28 students who must try to capture one of the calves, put a halter on it and bring it back into the "winners square" in order to claim the win. One of the rules is that as long as a contestant is actually in the act of holding the calf (i.e. Holding it by the tail) to get the halter on, no other participant may interfere unless the calf wriggles itself free. It's at this point where the calf is fair game once again. The event is held nightly between major events in the Reliant Stadium. Each of the students who catch a calf is awarded a $1,250 certificate to purchase a registered beef heifer. Raising and showing this heifer becomes a yearlong project as the scrambler sees to the grooming, feeding and care of the animal. The exhibitor returns to the Houston Livestock Show the following year for a special competition. Calf Scramble exhibitors receive a $250 bonus when they return to compete with their heifer, totaling their $1,500 certificate.
A similar events for youngsters is Mutton Bustin', for 5- and 6-year-olds, who try to ride on top of a sheep for eight seconds.
Rodeo Houston also features the traditional rodeo events of bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, team roping, steer wrestling, calf roping, barrel racing (women only), and chuckwagon racing.
Transportation
With between 60,000 and 150,000 people attending the rodeo each day, every year, the city's transportation infrastructure is taxed as it must also compete with regular Houston Rush Hour on regular business days. There are a variety of ways into and out of the complex that include Park and Ride lots in certain parts of the city that are provided by the event as an express straight onto the property, Taxi, Self Parking, and METRORail. The Coordinators of the event try to persuade attendees to use public transportation as the most convenient way to and from the Rodeo.
Attendance records
(*) denotes all-time attendance record (#) denotes paid attendance figures beginning in 1999 (actual turnstile figures were reported through 1998).