National Western Stock Show facts for kids
The National Western Stock Show is a super fun festival and livestock show that happens every January in Denver, Colorado. It's been going on since 1906!
This big event takes place at the National Western Complex. It started to teach ranchers better ways to raise and feed their animals. Some of the people who helped start it were Elias M. Ammons, who later became the governor of Colorado, and George Ballentine.
Since it began, the National Western Stock Show has grown a lot. It's now the biggest stock show in the world based on how many animals attend! It's also the only show where you can see special "carload and pen" cattle shows.
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A Look Back: How It Started
When the show first started in 1906, it only included animals from the western United States. But by 1908, it became much bigger. Animals from all over the world started coming to compete!
In 1908, a special horse show was added. Then, in 1931, a thrilling rodeo became part of the event. By 1925, young people involved in 4-H (a youth development program) also started holding their "4-H Roundup" alongside the stock show.
The show wasn't held in 1915 because of a disease called Foot & Mouth disease, which affects animals like cattle. It also didn't happen in 2021 due to Covid19. But don't worry, it came back in 2022!
What You'll See at the Show
The National Western Stock Show is packed with exciting things to see and do!
Amazing Horse Shows
If you love horses, you're in for a treat! The horse shows at the National Western Stock Show are some of the biggest in the world. In 2006, over 18,000 horses competed! You can see all kinds of horses, like Quarter Horses, Paint Horses, and even huge Draft Horses pulling heavy weights.
Thrilling Rodeo Action
The National Western Rodeo is super famous! It's known as one of the biggest indoor rodeos in the country. It has even won awards from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) for being the "Indoor Rodeo of the Year" many times. In 2008, the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo was honored by being added to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Why the Show is Important
The Western Stock Show Association runs the National Western Stock Show. This group is a non-profit organization. Their main goal is to "preserve the western lifestyle." They do this by showing off the agriculture industry. They focus on teaching, improving animal genetics, using new technology, and creating big opportunities for selling farm products.
Helping Students with Scholarships
A really cool thing about the National Western Stock Show is that all the money it earns goes to the National Western Scholarship Trust. This trust gives out 64 scholarships every year! These scholarships help students who are studying agriculture or medicine. The idea is that these students will then work in rural areas in Colorado and Wyoming, helping farming communities.
