The National Western Stock Show and Rodeo

Oh how I LOVE the rodeo!!!! I don’t even know how it all started, but I’m guessing it had something to do with my Dad growing up in New Mexico. Ever since I can remember my parents would take us to the rodeo every January. This is a HUGE rodeo, they have something like 6 buildings, multiple floors, two arenas and nearly their own exit off the highway. We always went with our family friends the Hogansons and between the five of us kids and the parents, I’m not sure who had more fun.

For those who haven’t been to a stock show or rodeo, it’s not like a state fair…..these are professionals cowboys cowgirls. It’s what they do for a living, raise animals and/or ride them.

As kids, we would usually get our of school a little early, which was a rare occurrence, meet the Hogansons and hit the highway. We parked in the same parking lot, ate at the same dining hall/cafeteria, got a new cowgirl hat topped with a feather and sat in the same seats, EVERY year. After my parents divorced, my mom checked out of that duty, but I enjoyed going, so I’d gather a group of friends and go.

This year was about the same, Jaime and Andrew, Kel and Dan and Kyle and I all went. We met at will call, and started through the rows of farm equipment, animal feeders, random stuff people sell and finally to the cows. A cow, people don’t think of this animal as pretty, but when you see the ones at the stock show….they are pretty. They are washed up, combed, hair sprayed and lookin’ good. All kinds of cows, you name it, and they are there. We walked through the petting area for kids…always fun. There are all sorts of animals for sale, bunnies, chickens, turkeys, pigs, cows, guinea pigs, horses, etc.

We stopped at our typical dining hall for dinner, and headed to the rodeo. It was so much fun, bareback to saddle bronc riding, calf roping to barrel racing, mutton’ bustin to monkeys riding on dogs (random). It was so much fun! Until next year…