Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Reliant Stadium filled with rodeo attendees at the 2006 HLSR
Genre	Rodeo, livestock show and fair
Dates	7–26 March 2017
Location(s)	Houston, Texas, United States
Founded	1931 (as the Houston Fat Stock Show and Livestock Exposition)
Attendance	2,462,030 (2016)[1]
Website
www.HLSR.com

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.^[2] It is considered to be the city's "signature event", much like New Orleans's Mardi Gras, Dallas's Texas State Fair, and New York City's New Year's Eve at Times Square.^[3]

In 2013, attendance reached a record high of 2,506,238 people^[4] requiring over 30,000 volunteers. In 2007, the rodeo was deemed "the year of the volunteer."^[5] 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.^[6] 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.^[7] 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.^[8]

The rodeo has drawn some of the world's biggest recording artists, including massive sold out shows from Ariana Grande And Other artists that include Demi Lovato, 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.

Entertainment lineups

2010 entertainment lineup

^[9]

2011 entertainment lineup

^[10]

2012 entertainment lineup

^[11]

2013 entertainment lineup

^[12]

2014 entertainment lineup

2015 entertainment lineup

^[13]

2016 entertainment lineup

^[14]

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.^[15]

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.^[16][17]

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.

• Salt Grass Trail Ride – 85-mile (137 km) ride from Cat Spring, Texas, established in 1952
• Sam Houston Trail Ride – 66-mile (106 km) ride from Montgomery, Texas, established in 1955
• Old Spanish Trail Ride – 216-mile (348 km) ride from Logansport, Louisiana, established in 1956
• Prairie View Trail Ride – 102-mile (164 km) ride from Sunnyside, Texas, established in 1957
• Valley Lodge Trail Ride – 72-mile (116 km) ride from Brookshire, Texas, established in 1959
• The Spanish Trail Ride – 112-mile (180 km) ride from Coldspring, Texas, established in 1961
• Texas Independence Trail Ride – 92-mile (148 km) ride from Brazoria, Texas, established in 1961
• Los Vaqueros Rio Grande Trail Ride – 386-mile (621 km) ride from Hidalgo, Texas, established in 1973
• Southwestern Trail Ride – 100-mile (160 km) ride from Brazoria, Texas, established in 1974
• Northeastern Trail Ride – 108-mile (174 km) ride from Beaumont, Texas, established in 1982
• Texas Cattlemen's Trail Ride – 85-mile (137 km) ride from Anderson, Texas, established in 1986
• The Mission Trail Ride – 210-mile (340 km) ride from San Antonio, Texas, established in 1990
• Southwest Trail Ride – 120-mile (190 km) ride from Rosenberg, Texas, established in 1993

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.^[18] 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.^[19][20][21]

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.^[22]

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,^[23] 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.^[24] 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

Interior of the Reliant Stadium at the 2006 HLSR

(*) denotes all-time attendance record (#) denotes paid attendance figures beginning in 1999 (actual turnstile figures were reported through 1998).

Milestones

1931 : First established as The Houston Fat Stock Show and Livestock Exposition.

1932 : First Show is held at the Sam Houston Hall.

1938 : Moved to new location: Sam Houston Coliseum.

1942 : First star entertainer: Gene Autry, "the Singing Cowboy"; calf scramble event added to the Show's rodeo.

1952 : First trail ride (Salt Grass Trail Ride) commences from Brenham, Texas.

1957 : First major educational scholarship ($2,000) awarded to Ben Dickerson.

1961 : Name changes to Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

1963 : The School Art Program begins

1966 : New location: Astrodome complex; Astrohall built for Livestock Exposition.

1970 : Research program launched committing $100,000 annually in support of research studies at various universities and colleges in Texas

1974 : The first World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. Elvis Presley sets attendance record of 43,944. On his second show, on the same day, he breaks his own record drawing 44,175, for a one-day record 88,119

1975 : The Astroarena is completed.

1977 : Four-year scholarships increased from $4,000 to $6,000.

1983 : Four-year scholarships increased from $6,000 to $8,000.

1989 : Scholarship program expands to Houston metropolitan area.

1992 : Four-year scholarships upgraded from $8,000 to $10,000 retroactive to all students currently on scholarship.

1993  : Tejano superstar Selena breaks attendance record at the Astrodome by drawing a crowd of exactly 57,894 fans.

1994  : Tejano superstar Selena sets another attendance record at the Astrodome by drawing another crowd of 60,081 fans, breaking her previous record.

1995  : Tejano superstar Selena holds famed Astrodome concert with over 67,000 fans, again, breaking her previous records

1997 : Rodeo Institute for Teacher Excellence is created as a 3-year pilot program with $4.6 million in funding; websites www.hlsr.com and www.rodeohouston.com introduced.

1998 : Number of 4-H and FFA scholarships increased to 60 per program, totaling 120 four-year $10,000 awards.

1999 : Number of 4-H and FFA scholarships increased to 70 per program, totaling 140 four-year $10,000 awards; Opportunity Scholarships awarded based on financial need and academic excellence.

2000 : Rodeo Institute for Teacher Excellence extended another 3 years with another $4.6 million; Reliant Energy acquires naming rights for the Astrodomain; renamed Reliant Park includes the Reliant Astrodome, Reliant Arena, Reliant Hall, Reliant Center and Reliant Stadium.

2001 : Largest presentation of scholarships to date, with 300 four-year $10,000 awards through the Metropolitan, Opportunity and School Art scholarship programs, totaling $3 million.

2002 : George Strait sets paid attendance record for any Rodeo event in the Reliant Astrodome with 68,266; Reliant Hall is demolished.

2003 : New location: Reliant Stadium and Reliant Center; Carruth Plaza, a Western sculpture garden named in honor of past president and chairman, Allen H. "Buddy" Carruth, completed at Reliant Park.

2006 : Brooks & Dunn break rodeo attendance record set by Hilary Duff in 2005 with 72,867 in attendance.

2007 : The Cheetah Girls and supporting act Hannah Montana sell out in just three minutes and set a new rodeo attendance record of 73,291.

2008 : Hannah Montana sets an attendance record of 73,459.

2009 : Ramón Ayala and Alacranes Musical set the all-time paid Rodeo attendance record on Go Tejano Day, with 74,147 in attendance for championship Rodeo action, concert entertainment and the Mariachi finals.

2012 : The Professional Bull Riders held their first event at Reliant Stadium, and it was their first to be a part of RodeoHouston.

2013 : George Strait, Martina McBride, and the Randy Rogers Band set a new all-time attendance record with 80,020.

2015 : La Arrolladora Banda El Limón/La Maquinaria Norteña set a new all-time paid Rodeo attendance record on Go Tejano Day with 75,357.

2016 : Banda Los Recoditos/Los Huracanes Del Norte broke the all-time paid Rodeo attendance record on Go Tejano Day with 75,508.

See also

• Rodeo bareback rigging

Notes

External links

• Houston Livestock Show And Rodeo 2011
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Homepage
• Houston Livestock Show - Pro Rodeo Online
• Houston Rodeo Photographs
• Houston Livestock & Rodeo Photo Gallery

Coordinates: 29°41′5″N 95°24′39″W / 29.68472°N 95.41083°W / 29.68472; -95.41083