As the 2007 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ draws near and the 75th anniversary celebrations begin, it is time to take a step back and honor the nearly 17,000 volunteers who make the Show the world-renowned success that it has become.
Many Texans are familiar with legendary cattle drivers Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight, who were the inspiration for Larry McMurtry’s novel “Lonesome Dove.” Perhaps fewer folks are as familiar with another cattle herder and tireless worker, Bose Ikard, a best friend to Goodnight, and one of America’s most famous black cowboys.
The 2007 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ is a must-see event, as 75 years of agriculture, education, entertainment and Western heritage will be celebrated from Feb. 27 to March 18 at Reliant Park in Houston. During the first part of the Show, Feb. 27 to March 1, a Ranching and Wildlife Expo will inhabit Reliant Arena.
The 75th anniversary Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ will feature the RODEOHOUSTON™ Super Series, where champion cowboys and cowgirls will compete for a total rodeo purse of $1.275 million, an increase of more than half a million dollars over previous years.
It was a dreary February morning in downtown Houston, but the threat of rain did not dampen the spirits of the participants who were chomping at the bit to start the 19th annual ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run. Chuck wagons, horses and cowboys clad in Western finery intermingled with race-savvy entrants sporting running gear as they waited for the signal to “Go!”
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
