Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
NRG Stadium filled with rodeo fans at the 2006 HLSR
Genre	Rodeo, livestock show and fair
Dates	01–20 March 2022
Location(s)	Houston, Texas, United States
Founded	1931 (as the Houston Fat Stock Show)
Attendance	2,506,263 (2019)
Website	rodeohouston.com

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also known as RodeoHouston or HLSR, is the biggest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world! It hosts one of the richest professional rodeo events. Since 2003, it has been held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Before that, it was held in the Astrodome. Many people see it as Houston's most famous event, like New Orleans's Mardi Gras or New York City's New Year's Eve in Times Square.

In 2017, a record 2,611,176 people attended, helped by 33,000 amazing volunteers. The event lasts for 20 days! It kicks off with fun activities like the Downtown Rodeo Roundup, a big parade, and a run called the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run. There's also the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. The show features exciting rodeo action, animal competitions, concerts, a carnival, pig racing, and even a wine competition. You can also enjoy shopping and livestock auctions. Before the main event, traditional trail rides from all over Texas end in Houston. The city celebrates with "Go Texan Day," where everyone dresses in Western clothes!

Many famous music artists have performed at the rodeo. These include Beyoncé, Cardi B, Selena Gomez, NCT 127, Fifth Harmony, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, Selena, Kiss, Kelly Clarkson, The Chicks, Elvis Presley, 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, Jonas Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

History of the Rodeo

How it Started

In the early 1900s, ranchers near Houston created a new type of cattle called the American Brahman. These cattle were a mix of four breeds from India and were perfect for Texas's hot, wet weather. A manager named James W. Sartwelle started the American Brahman Breeders Association. Ranchers wanted a place to show off their new cattle.

In 1932, Sartwelle and six other businessmen decided to create a livestock show in Houston. Sartwelle became the first president of the "Houston Fat Stock Show." Their first event was in April 1932 at Sam Houston Hall. It was a local event to show off farming and animals, especially Brahmans. About 2,000 people came, and a high school band played music. The show lost a little money, but it was a start!

The show happened every year for four years. Soon, it needed a bigger place. In 1938, the show moved to the Sam Houston Coliseum, which had 10,000 seats. It also added a parade, a carnival, and a rodeo with prize money.

In the 1940s, even during World War II, the show added music. Local singers performed after the rodeo. In 1942, Gene Autry, the "Singing Cowboy," became the first national star to perform.

Trail Rides and Growth

In the early 1950s, fewer people were coming. To get more attention, organizers started a cattle drive. In 1952, cowboys rode 75 miles (121 km) from Brenham, Texas to the show. This idea was a big hit! Soon, other groups from around Texas started their own trail rides to Houston. This helped the show become famous across the state.

In 1954, Archer Romero became president and started the "Go Texan Committee." This group created "Go Texan Day," where Houston residents wear Western clothes to celebrate Texas culture and promote the show.

In 1957, Myrtis Dightman led the first trail ride for African-Americans. They rode from Prairie View, Texas to Houston. That same year, the show gave its first big scholarship of $2,000 to Ben Dickerson. This was the beginning of the show's focus on education and scholarships.

The Astrodome Years

In the 1950s, Houston leaders wanted a professional sports team. They decided to build a new stadium. The Fat Stock Show offered 230 acres (93 ha) of land for the project, if they could help design it. Voters approved the new stadium, and the show became a main event at the new Astrodome.

In 1961, the show changed its name to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In 1966, it officially moved to the Astrodome. They even got a new logo, the "Bowlegged H." The first night in the Astrodome featured stars from the TV show Gunsmoke. Many thought a 45,000-seat stadium was too big, but over 40,000 fans came to see Jimmy Dean perform!

Louis Pearce Jr. was a very important board member for 60 years. He was known as "Mr. Houston Livestock Show" because of his hard work.

In 1973, the first Hispanic trail ride, "Los Vaqueros Rio Grande Trail Ride," started. They rode 400 miles (644 km) from Reynosa, Mexico to Houston.

The World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest began in 1974. Seventeen teams competed, cooking barbecue over wood fires. This contest became very popular, growing to over 200 teams by 1981!

In 1988, the show added a 5k and 10k fun run through downtown Houston. The money from entry fees went to the scholarship fund.

The 1990s and Beyond

By the 1990s, the show lasted 20 days. Each night had a rodeo sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The rodeo offered huge prize money, second only to the National Finals Rodeo. After the rodeo, a famous entertainer performed. Tickets were cheap, letting people see animals, rodeo, and a concert for a low price. The livestock show was the biggest of its kind, with many young people showing animals. Winning animals were sold at auction for much more than their market value, raising millions for scholarships.

The rodeo was very popular with cowboys. Houston won the "Indoor Rodeo Committee of the Year" award many times. Big screens showed the action live and instant replays.

In 1996, the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia even appeared live on the screens! Later that year, George Strait set a record, performing for over 1 million Houston rodeo fans. The 1996 rodeo made $16.8 million in profit and gave over $7.9 million in scholarships.

In 1997, "The Hideout" was created as a nightclub for adults after the rodeo and concert.

The 21st Century

A new stadium, Reliant Stadium (now NRG Stadium), was built in 2002. The last rodeo night in the Astrodome was March 3, 2002, with a performance by George Strait. His show was recorded as a live album. The rodeo moved to its new home in 2003, and Strait performed again on opening night.

In 2004, the show added "Rodeo Uncorked! International," a wine competition and auction that raised a lot of money for scholarships. In 2008, they opened the "Wine Garden" for everyone to taste the wines.

Rodeo attendance started to drop. Many people came only for the concert. In 2008, Houston asked the PRCA for permission to change the rodeo format. They wanted to know which cowboys would compete each day so they could promote them. The rodeo was changed to a playoff style, and attendance went way up! Champion bareback rider Bobby Mote said, "It was exciting to be a part of because people were really getting into it."

In 2008, HLSR was honored by being added to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

In 2009, the Astrodome closed for good. The Hideout then moved to a big tent.

The rodeo's special agreement with the PRCA ended in 2011. Houston became an independent rodeo, meaning prize money didn't count for world standings. However, with $1.75 million in prizes, it was the biggest rodeo purse at the time, so many cowboys still wanted to compete. This also meant the show could invite special competitors, like local champion Fred Whitfield. Almost all invited cowboys came!

The rodeo also added the "Cinch RodeoHouston Super Shootout," inviting champions from the top 10 rodeos in North America to compete. Total attendance in 2011 reached over 2.26 million people!

In 2019, RodeoHouston became sanctioned by the PRCA again. This means money won in the "Super Series" counts for world standings. RodeoHouston also won the "PRCA Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year Award" in 2019.

In March 2020, after 8 days, the rodeo was stopped by the city due to health concerns related to a virus. It was the only time in the event's history that the Rodeo was shut down early. The 2021 rodeo was also canceled due to the same health concerns, the first cancellation in 76 years.

Fun Events at the Rodeo

Rodeo Uncorked! RoundUp and Best Bites Competition

Each year, almost 3,000 bottles of wine are entered into the Rodeo International Wine Competition. The best wines are served to the public at the Rodeo Uncorked! RoundUp and Best Bites Competition before the main show starts. Over 5,000 people come to this event to try food from more than 100 local restaurants and vote for their favorite.

During the livestock show, you can buy glasses of these wines at the Wine Garden. This is a large outdoor area with six tents and live music every evening.

Go Texan Day

"Go Texan Day" is the unofficial start of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It's usually held the Friday before the rodeo begins. This day encourages everyone in Houston to celebrate Western culture. People wear Western clothes like jeans, cowboy boots, and cowboy hats. It's like an unofficial holiday, and many schools and businesses encourage their students and employees to join in the fun!

Trail Rides

Since 1952, traditional trail rides have been a big part of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In 2017, there were 13 official trail rides with over 3,000 riders! These groups ride on horseback or in horse-drawn wagons from different parts of Texas to Houston. They travel about 3 miles (5 km) per hour, covering up to 17 miles (27 km) each day. Some parts of the rides are on major highways, so safety is very important.

The trail rides can last from a few days to three weeks, depending on how far they travel. Some people join only on weekends or at the end of the trip. The days start early and often end with live music or a small party. Many riders camp in recreational vehicles. Each morning, they drive their vehicles to the next camp spot, then ride their horses back to where they left off.

The rides all meet at Memorial Park, Houston in Houston on Go Texan Day. The city closes some roads downtown for the riders, which can cause traffic. The day after, all the trail riders take part in the big parade.

Rodeo Parade and Rodeo Run

The official start of the show is the annual Rodeo Parade. It happens the Saturday before the show begins and goes through downtown Houston. The parade features members of the 13 trail rides, important Houston people, bands, and decorated floats.

Before the parade, there's the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Run. Over 10,000 people run in 5k and 10k fun runs. All the money raised goes to the show's scholarship fund.

World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest

The World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest is held the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before the livestock show starts. It's one of the biggest barbecue cook-offs in the United States! Over 250 teams, including some from other countries, compete to be the best in categories like brisket, chicken, and ribs. The barbecue must be cooked over a wood fire.

Judges score the food based on taste, tenderness, smell, and how it looks. Winners are chosen in each category, and then an overall Grand Champion is named. Teams can also win awards for things like the cleanest area or most colorful team.

Each barbecue team has its own tent with entertainment like bands or DJs. You usually need an invitation to enter these tents. Many teams sell sponsorships to their tents, with the money often going to charity. If you don't have an invitation, you can go to one of the three general admission areas, which also have live music. In 2013, a record 264,132 people attended the contest!

Rodeo and Concert

A sold-out concert for Miley Cyrus

One of the biggest attractions at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the 20 nights of rodeo and concerts, held in NRG Stadium. Tickets are usually affordable, around $29 in 2016, and they also let you into the livestock show and fairgrounds. Over 43,000 season tickets are sold every year!

RodeoHouston is approved by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). It offers over $2 million in prize money, one of the largest amounts in North America. This money counts towards the PRCA's National Finals Rodeo. RodeoHouston features 280 of the best professional cowboys. They compete in a playoff style, with the winner in each event earning $50,000. For one day, champions from the top 10 rodeos in North America are invited to compete as teams in events like bull riding and barrel racing. Since 2020, the entire rodeo has been shown live on The Cowboy Channel.

After the professional rodeo, kids get a chance to compete! Each night, 30 high school students try to catch one of 15 calves in the "calf scramble." Winners get money to buy their own animal to show next year. Right after that is "mutton busting," where five- and six-year-olds try to ride a sheep across the arena. On the last night, the winners from each evening compete again to become the grand champion!

Then, a spinning stage comes out for the nightly concert. Most nights feature country music singers, but some nights have pop or rock acts. "Go Tejano Day" usually has the biggest crowds. The winner of the Mariachi Invitational competition gets to perform on stage with the Tejano acts.

Grounds and Activities

Visitors who don't have tickets for the rodeo and concert can buy a cheaper general admission ticket to access all of NRG Park except the stadium.

The NRG Center has "AgVenture," which teaches about farming and where our food comes from. Over 61,000 schoolchildren visited AgVenture in 2015! You can see cows, pigs, and sheep give birth, or watch chickens hatch. There are also live rabbits and honeybees. The NRG Center also has a huge area with many vendors selling different things.

Outside, kids can pretend to do farm chores and race pedal tractors. There's also a petting zoo, pony and camel rides, and a big carnival with rides and games. In 2015, visitors bought over $23 million worth of food outside the stadium!

Other competitions happen throughout the three weeks at NRG Center and NRG Arena. These include cattle shows and a paint horse competition. Kids with disabilities can compete in the "Lil' Rustlers Rodeo," which has fun, imitation rodeo events.

Free educational talks are available to the public, covering topics about wildlife, farming, and Texas heritage.

Adults can visit "The Hideout," a dance hall in a large tent near NRG Arena. After the stadium show, The Hideout features live music from new artists. Many artists who played at The Hideout, like the Dixie Chicks and Blake Shelton, later became main performers at the big rodeo show!

Livestock Show

The HLSR is the largest indoor livestock show in the world! For a whole week, cattle auctions are held in NRG Arena for professional breeders to sell their animals. The livestock show also has a big international presence. In 2017, government officials from Russia and Colombia visited, along with over 2,600 business people from 88 countries. The HLSR International Committee helped make over $2.6 million in agriculture sales between show participants and international visitors in 2016.

There are also "junior market auctions." Kids from all over Texas show the animals they have raised, including cows, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, and chickens. The animals are judged, and the winners are auctioned off. This is the largest group of animals shown and judged at any livestock show. Most champion animals sell for much more than their normal price. The winning kids are guaranteed scholarship money. If the bid is higher than the scholarship amount, the extra money goes to the general scholarship fund. In 2017, over 4,368 cattle were shown!

Impact of the Rodeo

The HLSR is a charitable organization. Its main way of making money is through the annual livestock show and rodeo. HLSR has 85 full-time employees and over 31,000 volunteers! These volunteers work an estimated 2.1 million hours each year. All volunteers pay a small fee, and some committees require a larger donation. The most popular volunteer groups even have a waiting list!

Over 2.5 million people, including visitors from around the world, attended in 2016. It's the biggest cultural event in Houston, with more attendees than most professional sports teams or major events in other cities. For example, New Orleans' Mardi Gras usually gets about 1.4 million visitors.

In 2015, the organization made $133.35 million. The Corral Club, which sells alcohol, sold more alcohol during the three weeks of HLSR than almost any other place in Texas for that month!

A study in 2010 estimated that HLSR brought $220 million into Houston's economy. By 2017, it was estimated to contribute almost $500 million each year, which is like Houston hosting the Super Bowl every year!

In 2017, HLSR gave $26.07 million in scholarships and grants. Over 750 students received scholarships, many worth $20,000 over four years. Students can study anything but must attend a college in Texas. The show also gives money to other non-profits and schools to teach young people about farming and pioneer history. Since 1932, HLSR has given away over $430 million!

Important Moments

• 1931: First started as the Houston Fat Stock Show.
• 1932: First show held at the Sam Houston Hall.
• 1937: No rodeo this year.
• 1938: Moved to a new place: Sam Houston Coliseum.
• 1942: First star performer: Gene Autry, "the Singing Cowboy"; calf scramble event added.
• 1943–45: No rodeo due to World War II.
• 1946: Rodeo starts again.
• 1952: First trail ride (Salt Grass Trail Ride) starts from Brenham, Texas.
• 1957: First big educational scholarship ($2,000) given 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 animals.
• 1970: Research program starts, giving $100,000 yearly for studies at Texas universities.
• 1974: The first World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. Elvis Presley sets an attendance record of 43,944. On his second show that day, he breaks his own record with 44,175, for a one-day total of 88,119!
• 1975: The Astroarena is finished.
• 1977: Four-year scholarships increase from $4,000 to $6,000.
• 1983: Four-year scholarships increase from $6,000 to $8,000.
• 1989: Scholarship program expands to the Houston area.
• 1992: Four-year scholarships increase from $8,000 to $10,000 for all current students.
• 1993: Tejano superstar Selena breaks attendance record at the Astrodome with 57,894 fans.
• 1994: Selena sets another record with 60,081 fans.
• 1995: Selena holds her famous Astrodome concert with over 67,000 fans, breaking her records again.
• 1997: Rodeo Institute for Teacher Excellence created; websites www.hlsr.com and www.rodeohouston.com launched.
• 1998: Number of 4-H and FFA scholarships increases to 120 awards of $10,000.
• 1999: Number of 4-H and FFA scholarships increases to 140 awards of $10,000; Opportunity Scholarships added.
• 2000: Reliant Energy gets naming rights for the Astrodomain; renamed Reliant Park.
• 2001: Largest scholarships given so far, with 300 awards of $10,000, totaling $3 million.
• 2002: George Strait sets a paid attendance record for any Rodeo event in the Reliant Astrodome with 68,266.
• 2003: New location: NRG Stadium and NRG Center; Carruth Plaza, a Western sculpture garden, finished.
• 2006: Brooks & Dunn break the rodeo attendance record set by Hilary Duff in 2005 with 72,867 people.
• 2007: The Cheetah Girls and Hannah Montana sell out in three minutes and set a new record of 73,291.
• 2008: Hannah Montana sets another attendance record of 73,459.
• 2008: Inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
• 2009: Ramón Ayala and Alacranes Musical set the all-time paid Rodeo attendance record on Go Tejano Day, with 74,147 people.
• 2012: The Professional Bull Riders hold their first event at Reliant Stadium as 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 break the all-time paid Rodeo attendance record on Go Tejano Day with 75,508.
• 2017: Banda El Recodo/Banda Siggno break the all-time paid Rodeo attendance record on Go Tejano Day with 75,557.
• 2017: Rodeo officials announce plans for a new five-point star stage. Garth Brooks is the first to perform on it.
• 2018: Garth Brooks starts and ends the Livestock Show & Rodeo.
• 2018: Calibre 50 breaks last year's attendance record with 75,565 fans on Go Tejano Day. This is later broken by Garth Brooks, with 75,577.
• 2018: Cody Johnson becomes the first unsigned artist to play to a sold-out crowd.
• 2019: Cardi B sets a record with 75,580 fans.
• 2019: Los Tigres del Norte sets a new all-time attendance record a week later, with 75,586 fans.
• 2019: George Strait breaks his own 2013 attendance record with 80,108 fans to close the show. (Two attendance records are kept: one for shows with rodeo, one for concert-only performances.)
• 2020: RodeoHouston canceled after 9 days due to health concerns related to a virus.

See also

In Spanish: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo para niños