Both champion and would-be champion barrel racers agree that, in order to win, a horse has to have heart. Granted, the human athlete also must be gutsy, have a mind-set for monotonous skills training and be an excellent equestrian, but, in the end, winning is mostly about the horse. Clearly, not every horse has the fortitude to be a champion.
Anyone who has attempted to ride a horse bareback for any amount of time, or with any speed, can appreciate why early horsemen quickly found motivation to craft primitive saddles in hopes of softening the ride and providing some stability. Although the exact time saddles came into use is unknown, patches of animal hide or cloth were used more than 4,000 years ago.
Remember watching George Strait ride away on his horse to end the 2002 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™, and the Show’s 37-year run in Reliant Astrodome? Fireworks exploded, and the crowd cheered as Strait rode his horse out of the Dome one final time. A total of 68,266 people filled Reliant Astrodome for that R odeoH ouston™ concert finale, breaking the all-time paid attendance record for any event in the Dome.
A hushed silence falls over the crowd. Side by side with their owners, eight breed champion and reserve champion lambs from across Texas line up for a final viewing. The judge, Kent Boggs from Stillwater, Okla., looks over each animal. He feels its muscle tone once more before making his decision as to which junior market lamb will win the 2005 Grand Champion Lamb title at the Houston Livestock Show™. He knows these are the best of the best. He chose them as breed champions from competitions earlier that day and the day before. Which lamb will he choose?
Letters and comments should be sent to:
Marketing and Public Relations Division,
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™
P.O. Box 20070
Houston, Texas 77225-0070
