The Houston Rodeo: Ten Classic Pictures

By Richard Connelly Wed., Feb. 23 2011 at 8:01 AM

Photos courtesy HLS&R

Look closer

Rodeo excitement is here, as our version of the State Fair ramps up with the trail riders nearing the city and Go Texan Day Friday.

The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo people were nice enough to let us rifle through their archive of pictures, and we've presented ten of them for you. The one above, for instance, may look like any photo of the year's Grand Champion Steer, but if you look closer -- say, under the steer's body -- you'll see that despite his placid demeanor he's doing the cow equivalent of pissing his pants with excitement.

The rest of the rodeo top ten:

9. The Parks Are Full of Twirlers
Twirling was apparently a very popular activity back in the days when Separate Tables was playing on the big screen -- the city's Parks & Rec department was able to field quite a contingent. The Park & Rec's Banner Graphics Club, however, was apparently less of a draw.

8. By All Means Necessary
The whitest crowd ever, until Sarah Palin came along, watches a classic tow-headed boy hold on for dear life in the calf scramble.

7. Johnnie Walker, Trail Rider
A successful trail ride needs the proper supplies: Lone Star by the case, Johnnie Walker by the box. And whatever you do, don't forget the accordions.

Tags:

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo

We Recommend

Mark

Here's what you can look forward to at this year's Rodeo: http://www.energyinyourlife.co...

truth hurts

The lovely Houston I remember, all the minorites new their place, and more importantly we did too. Alas

Johnc20041918

Huh?

Big Tex

GO RODEO!

Fiorello2

Great pics! I feel nostalgic to be part of a community, as communities were more broadly defined back then. It would be interesting to see how these pics have changed and how the parade looks nowadays.

I would guess that most affluent whites don't line the parade route. They have high-priced tics to balls or functions that separate them from the masses. They have access at the rodeo that allow their kids to rub shoulders with famed cowboys, or entertainers. They have parties at ever-larger homes, or ranches, that pay respect to the cowboy tradition, without engaging with people who actually farm or raise livestock.

These pics are valuable to me because it's a time of community that has been lost. And sadder, things are trending more toward elites and less toward this type of inclusion.

Big Tex

You took an offramp into Rantsville.

Pamela Chupp Cavazos

8. By All Means NecessaryThe whitest crowd ever, until Sarah Palin came along, watches a classic tow-headed boy hold on for dear life in the calf scramble.

what does this mean, the white crowd, Palin thing - i don't get it