Houston Rodeo spectators have long enjoyed the skills and spills of rodeo athletes competing in the Astrodome. For the first time on television comes "Rodeo Uncinched: Bulls & Broncs," a special pay-per-view presentation bringing together the best RodeoHouston performances from 1997, 1998 and 1999. Exclusively on DIRECTV and PrimeStar by DIRECTV for $4.99 in November, it's a unique rodeo experience featuring the toughest bulls, the wildest broncs and the fastest barrel racers.

"Rodeo Uncinched" brings RodeoHouston competitors right into your living room -- great athletes like Clint Corey, Tuff Hedeman, Dan Mortensen, Ty Murray and Kristie Peterson. To add to the excitement, "Rodeo Uncinched" takes you up close for bone crushing falls and rodeo bloopers, including a special presentation of the best of Houston's High Flyin' Hard Luck Awards and an appearance by ProRodeo Hall of Fame bucking bull Bodacious.

Great news! The METRO Rodeo Express will have two locations in the southeast Houston area with the return of the Gulfgate Mall location and the addition of the METRO Monroe Street Park and Ride lot. The six METRO Rodeo Express locations for the 2000 Show will be: METRO North Shepard Park and Ride lot, Delmar Stadium, Aramco Building Parking at 9009 West Loop S., METRO West Loop Park and Ride lot, METRO Monroe Street Park and Ride lot and Gulfgate Mall.

New this year, advanced tickets for the METRO Rodeo Express will be available from the Group Ticket Sales and the Carnival Ticket Sales committees. Tickets will be $2, which is the same as buying them on-site, but will allow ticket holders to avoid waiting in line to purchase them.

From its earliest beginnings, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has built a legacy of preserving heritage and supporting youth and education. In July, the Texas Agricultural Extension Service recognized the Show's longstanding support of Extension education, youth and agriculture programs with one of its first Legacy Awards.

In the 2000-2001 school year, more students than ever will benefit from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Educational Fund thanks to increases approved by the Show. Eight additional four-year, $10,000 Metropolitan scholarships were added to accommodate growing school districts, bringing the total number of Metropolitan scholarships to 183. The School Art and Future Homemakers of America scholarship programs were each increased by $50,000, resulting in 15 four-year, $10,000 scholarships for School Art and 10 four-year, $10,000 scholarships for FHA. In 2000, the Area Go Texan scholarship program increases by $40,000 because of the addition of four sweepstakes awards, complementing the eight sweepstakes awards already presented. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has committed $8.3 million to educational programs for the current fiscal year (May 1, 1999-April 30, 2000).

There are a lot of great things about Houston, and when the Houston Press named their 1999 Best of Houston, the Conoco 10K Rodeo Run was on the list! Selected as the area's Best Fun Run, the Rodeo Run is a 6.2-mile race from downtown to the Astrodome complex. More than 5,000 runners participated in the 1999 event, and all entry fees are donated to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Educational Fund. The 2000 run will be February 12, and applications will be available December 1 via the Conoco Rodeo Run Web site at www.rodeorun.conoco.com.

In the liner notes of Clay Walker's new album, "Live, Laugh, Love," Walker writes in his thank yous:

"Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: Thanks for 'setting the stage' for a wonderful career."

Our thanks to Walker for being part of the Show and rockin' the Dome year after year.