The committee operates the horse stalls much like a hotel - contestants are required to check their horses in to and out of the Astrodome complex. When contestants arrive at the gate, they are met by a committee member who assigns a stall for each of the contestant's horses. The stall's location and contestant's information are recorded on a chart of the 155 available stalls. To remove a horse from the Astrodome complex, the contestant must check out with the committee, and the free stall is noted on the chart. This chart provides the committee immediate information about which stalls are available and whose horse is in which stall. It also allows the committee to instantly contact a contestant if a problem develops with a horse, to identify horse owners and to prevent theft, and to achieve a high rate of turnaround in the stalls. During the 1998 Show, this system enabled the Livery Team Committee to board more than 1,225 horses in its 155 stalls. Dan Gattis, general manager of the Show, originated the idea for the Livery Team Committee to better serve the contestants. Prior to 1993, Show contestants would use the stalls on a first-come, first-served basis. A stall might have been reserved by merely hanging a bridle or a bucket in it. Sometimes, a reserved stall would remain vacant for days because a contestant would hold a stall for the entire Show, take the horse elsewhere, and return for a later rodeo go-round. To maximize stall usage, Gattis organized a 12-member livery team that developed the current system. Contestants' initial reluctance to abandon the old system was overcome once the benefits of the new system were recognized. Embracing the new system, the contestants send letters praising the organization and often comment on the committee's efficiency. Contestants also have extolled the Livery Team Committee's warmth and hospitality. According to Committee Chairman Mike Ellis, "The only requirement to be on this committee is that you have good people skills. Since we don't touch the horses, we've staffed the committee with 'people-people' rather than 'horse-people.' As a result, all the committee members have contributed to what we feel is an excellent process to interact with and serve the contestants."
The committee also provides information to the contestants about the city of Houston. As officer in charge Lodie Stapleton said, "The contestants know to bring their horses to the Show, but they might not know what to do with the rest of their life once they get here. The Livery Team Committee helps them get their lives organized while they are here." The committee provides contestants information such as names of places that sell diesel fuel, stores that sell horse feed, locations of the nearest churches and places that service trucks. The committee office also maintains free beverages and snacks, and during every Show, the committee hosts a barbecue on the grounds to feed all the contestants. New for the 1998 Show was a covered and lighted warm-up arena. Located next to the cowboy barn, this pen measures 60 feet by 80 feet. With the addition of this pen, the committee was able to board horses in the pen if all the stalls were full. On the first weekend of the Show, the committee already had received several compliments on this arena from the contestants. This group's high level of hospitality and service should only continue with its change to committee status. According to Ellis, "Everyone is just tickled to death to be an official committee and we look forward to many years of being a vital cog of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo."
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Letters and comments should be sent to: |
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ince 1993, a volunteer group has staffed
the Astrodome's Northeast Drive entrance to greet the arriving rodeo contestants
and to coordinate the use of the horse stalls the Show provides the contestants.
In 1997, this group of 45 volunteers officially became the Livery Team Committee.
