Any successful businessperson will tell you that one unhappy customer is one too many. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo operates by this philosophy, and from this belief the Breeders Greeters Committee was formed. The informal beginning of this group included only three members. In 1963, R.T. "Bob" Herrin, a member of the board of directors and the first chairman of the committee, was called upon to give assistance to a Show exhibitor who was unhappy when checking in his cattle. After Herrin gave assistance to the exhibitor, he and other Show officials noticed these exhibitors needed care and attention. Herrin enlisted the help of two friends, who became an unofficial committee to greet breeders. The committee didn't actually form until 1966, when it assumed the name Exhibitors Reception Committee. Many people over the years referred to these volunteers as breeders greeters; consequently, the name was officially changed in 1980. Although the name was changed, the main objective of the committee has remained the same over the years, and its workload has increased significantly.
Assisting both open and junior exhibitors in moving their animals and equipment to their respective stalls is just one of the many functions performed by members of the Breeders Greeters Committee. Today, the more than 400 members of the Breeders Greeters Committee have numerous functions. During the three weeks of the Show, the volunteers will assist all exhibitors, both open and junior, with their stock and tack from the parking lot to their respective stall assignments. On average, 80-plus members with 10 tractors staff the various livestock entrances every day. By the end of the Show, over 1,600 shifts will have been worked, and 25,000 exhibitors will have been met. Included in this process is overseeing the parking of the exhibitors' trailers at Butler Stadium. The committee also provides volunteers to staff an information booth in the Astrohall to help exhibitors and the general public locate animal and commercial exhibits throughout the Astrodome complex. "The largest part of our job is being well-prepared and being able to adapt to change quickly. We like to say 'expect the unexpected,' " said Committee Chairman Bill Stallings. The committee's work is not restricted to the Astrodomain; the group is also responsible for three off-site functions. Each January, the committee travels to College Station, Texas, to assist the Poultry Science Department at Texas A&M University in wing-banding and distributing more than 50,000 1-day-old chicks to the youngsters who will compete in the poultry division at the Show. During the Show, the committee coordinates the move-in of the swine sift at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Brenham, Texas, where more than 4,500 pigs are prejudged to determine which 660 will advance to Houston for the final breed judging and the selection of the Breed, Grand and Reserve Grand Champions. The committee also coordinates the move-in of the poultry and the lamb sift at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in Richmond, Texas, where each of the divisions is prejudged prior to going to the Astrodome complex for final judging. These off-site sifts came about as a result of overcrowding at the Houston facilities. Officer in charge Lucky Long said, "When it became necessary to have the off-site sifts, the Show asked if the Breeders Greeters Committee would assist in these efforts. Since the committee had greeted the exhibitors at the Dome for so many years, it only seemed natural that we would continue to greet and assist them at the off-site sifts. Not only was the committee glad to help, but we were also honored that the Show felt we were the best ones for the job." There are a number of factors that attract many exhibitors to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and the hard work and the hospitality offered by the Breeders Greeters Committee is one of the reasons that keeps them coming back year after year.
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