Now I can say that truthfully.
Yee-haw! I happened to be in Houston during the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (RodeoHouston) last week, so I made it a priority to experience my first rodeo.
Cowboys and Fireworks at RodeoHouston
Whenever I’ve imagined a rodeo, I’ve thought of a dusty, small town arena surrounded by a weather-beaten wooden fence and parking lot full of pickups with local cowboys riding in the show. Held in the huge Reliant Stadium, with top competitors and ending the night with performances by famous country music stars, RodeoHouston is a totally different experience. (But it’s still very dusty.) So with eager anticipation and a couple of cold beers, Mr. TWS and I sat in the nosebleed seats and watched a fast-paced series of rodeo competitions.
First event: Tie-down roping
Tie-down Roping
I was silently rooting for the calves in the tie-down roping event, which used to known as calf roping. The calf gets a head start out of the gate, but most often these experienced cowboys were able to lasso the calf before time was up. The next events were bareback riding and team roping. Then …
Saddle Bronc Riding
The Bucking Bronco
Most people are familiar with the saddle bronc riding event where the object of the cowboy is to stay on a bucking horse that is trying to throw him off. I always thought it was called a bucking bronco event, but I’m not a cowgirl. Next up was Steer Wrestling and then …
Bull Riding
Thrown from the bull
It seems to me that all of these rodeo cowboys take some risks with their physical well-being, but riding a bull looks like a really dangerous occupation. The bull rider’s goal is to get an eight second ride before getting thrown. This cowboy had just had his short time on the bull. In this case, the bull was easily enticed back into the pen, but others wanted to chase the rider and rodeo clown around a bit.
Chuck Wagon Races
Chuck Wagon Races
I liked the fast and fun chuck wagon races where you hear the pounding of the horses’ hooves as they maneuver tight turns around the track.
WTF?
Calf Scramble
Good question. It just looks like a lot of kids and calves running amok, doesn’t it? We had a few good laughs watching this event as Texas 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) members were trying to catch uncooperative calves in the Calf Scramble. It wasn’t clear what the rules or strategies were — or if there even are any. It ended when all the calves had been downed, roped and pulled back to the center.
There was another kids events called mutton bustin’ where 5 and 6 year olds see who can ride a lamb the longest.
My First Rodeo and My First Country Music Show
Blake Shelton
After the rodeo events, a performance by country star, Blake Shelton, followed. Country isn’t my favorite genre of music, but live concerts are always exciting and Blake puts on a good show. There was lots of energy on the rotating stage and in the audience.
Here’s the beef
Food vendors at RodeoHouston are well-known for serving up hefty portions of beef, ribs, and turkey legs.
Cooking up sirloin at the Texas Skillet
But if that’s not your thing
BBQ Shrimp
Word of warning — if you’ve got a hankering for BBQ ribs, don’t wait to get them at the end of the night. I got the last slab at a booth that was getting ready to close. The ribs were meaty, but lukewarm and rather disappointing.
Then for dessert
Fried Treats
I’d heard a lot about the fried dessert options I’d find at the rodeo. My choice was fried Oreos. It doesn’t sound good, does it? You get a bag of about 6 of them all covered in powdered sugar, much of which ended up on my black sweater. I thought that they would be made like a fried chicken crust around the cookie, but it’s fried in beignet batter, making it more like a small beignet with a melted Oreo inside. They are delicious!
Carnival Rides and Games
Carnival Rides and Booths
The grounds surrounding the building were filled with food vendors, game booths, and carnival rides. I’m not one for going on a lot of rides, especially those that spin in endless circles, I certainly wasn’t going to do it after indulging in fried Oreos and a couple of beers.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo ends on March 18th.
Can you honestly say, “This isn’t my first rodeo”?
Or is a rodeo just not your kind of thing?
Going to my first rodeo in Calgary in July – when the Calgary Stampede celebrates it’s 100th birthday.
This actually look like fun and the oreo’s sound high cal but why not!
Woo hoo! The Calgary Stampede should be so much fun, especially being the 100th birthday. Enjoy!
I’ve never been to a rodeo, but that looks like something to experience at least once in your lifetime. Those chuck wagons remind me of the dog food commercials I saw as a kid. 🙂
Haha — I remember those commercials. Yes, the rodeo is one of those unique experiences in life.
This makes me so happy it literally looks like this is the happiest place to be on earth. With all the cool pictures you posted I’m already convinced that I should go to Houston specifically for this event.
I think a lot of people do go there specifically for the rodeo. I don’t think I’d do that, but since I was already in Houston, it was a very fun thing to do.
I live in a town where the vast majority of the population would go to a rodeo every day if they could. That’s probably why I have never been:)
Don’t like to go along with the crowd, eh? Go ahead and give a rodeo a chance sometime – we won’t tell anyone. 🙂
Oh my gosh, this looks SO fun! I would definitely do this — and drag my husband, too! I would probably like the wagon race the best (I would want to participate) and that food — my goodness! Glad you found something cool like this in Houston!
It was actually even more fun that I thought it would be. It was just luck that I was there while the rodeo was in town.
I would sit through a rodeo for deep fried Oreos. To be fair, I have sat through many rodeos for much less.
Those fried Oreos were a big surprise for me. I really didn’t think I’d like them and now I want more.
I lived in Houston from 1995-97. As a kid from Michigan, the Rodeo was quite an experience. Nothing more “Texas” in the whole state!
I couldn’t believe my luck that I was in town for the rodeo. It really was a Texas experience.
That looks and sounds like a great event. Wow, I would have wanted to have been there, if only for the sirloin. 😉
They definitely know how to cook sirloin down there. I happily had plenty of beef while in Houston.
Some show – must be amazing to experience.
Definitely fun, even though I never really thought about going to one before.
Well, you know the old saying, everything is bigger in Texas…..I guess they meant it! It looks like you had a wonderful time….Yeah the deep fried oreos….digusting. lol I’ve heard that there is something called deep fried butter too….what it would be used for is beyond me. ugh!
Oh, deep fried butter doesn’t sound good at all, Renee. I was a skeptic about the fried Oreos until I tried it. Surprisingly delicious.
I saw Blake Shelton once at a rodeo in Wyoming! Except there was no actual rodeo that day, just the concert. I definitely want a real rodeo experience at some point in my life.
Yep, you need to fill the rodeo gap in your life sometime since you missed it in Wyoming. I guess Shelton likes to do the rodeo circuit.
In my mind rodeos were certainly less spectacular, looks like you had a great fun!
I did have lots of fun. I might even be tempted to go again, sometime.
I didn’t think Rodeos got that spectacular!
Me either — always thought of them on a much smaller scale.
I haven’t seen anything like this – not even Calgary can compete. The rest of the rodeos I saw were more of the “weather-beaten wooden fence'” variety 😉
I’ll bet the Calgary Stampede will be pretty awesome this year since it’s the 100th birthday. Hopefully, Leigh McAdam will be sharing her experience with us!
Thanks, Randy. The rodeo is a huge annual event there. Hope you do get to see a rodeo sometime. 🙂
That actually looks fun. I know some might not like it, but it looks like there is something to do for all family members there. (Just like some would say auto racing is not their thing, till they attend their first MotoGP, F1, or NASCAR event)
The fireworks photos looks really cool with all the colors and lights.
Exactly. I was always thinking about the animals in the rodeo. But I understand that they are not being treated cruelly and that there are rules about equipment used, etc. But still … that’s why I was rooting for the calves. 🙂
Oh my! That ain’t like no rodeo this cowgal’s seen in Canada.
I’d like to see one of those Canadian rodeos sometime 🙂
Five year-olds riding lambs? That actually sounds really cute. And the chuck wagon races would be fun to watch!
Mutton bustin’! It was really cute.
This looks like serious business. I really don’t like the calf roping, but I did go to a rodeo in Mexico. Let me just say it was not what I expected. Probably not what most Americans would expect either. We left at intermission because we were so bored and actually a little appalled. It was a string of performances that seemed to promote hitting women. At least that’s what we took from it.
Oh, the Mexican rodeo doesn’t sound good at all, especially the “promote hitting women” part. 🙁
I had a chance to go to the Houston Livestock and Rodeo show a few years ago. It was fun, and you certainly knew you were in Texas..lol
I was glad I was in town to get have that Texas experience!
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I’ve been to a few rodeos in my time in Salisbury, MD. They were not so big as this. I’ve also been to a Professional Bull Riding match. And my local carnival did deep fried oreos – SO good! What can I say, I’m a country girl at heart.
Aww- thanks for re-submitting this post – I LOVED IT! Course I love anything Texas!!! Gotta love the show we can put on for you at the Rodeo huh? They do have the small town ones like you were picturing still too!
Thanks for linking up this week! Have a super weekend!
I’ve never been to a rodeo although being Canadian I think that I should make an effort to go to the Calgary Stampede sometime. I’m not sure I could sit through a rodeo though as I’d be worried the entire time that someone was going to get hurt – Mutton bustin’ might be more my speed.
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