The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo today announced the launch of “Mission Rodeo,” the organization’s first-ever podcast and a new way to connect with the volunteers, exhibitors, supporters and community members who bring its mission to life. The series first debuts with a teaser, followed by its first full episode on Aug. 26, available on YouTube and everywhere listeners find their favorite podcasts.
Hosted by Danielle Grossman, the Rodeo’s director of strategic communications, Mission Rodeo is where the conversations are real, and the stories are anything but ordinary. The leaders behind the Rodeo’s biggest decisions, including the chairman of the board and the president and CEO will answer your questions. Each episode pulls back the curtain on everything that makes the Rodeo more than a three-week event, spanning the organization’s four pillars of agriculture, education, entertainment and Western heritage.
“Finally, we have a podcast. It only took 94 years,” Grossman says in the series’ trailer, a nod to the nearly century-old organization telling its story in an entirely new way as it approaches its 2032 centennial.
The series launches at a pivotal moment. Early episodes center on the Rodeo’s new one millionsquare-foot agricultural complex along Highway 288, from the vision behind the project and what it means for year-round programming, to how the organization’s 36,000 volunteers will help shape its future. Listeners will go behind the scenes of the facility’s groundbreaking, construction milestones and the long-term strategy connecting the property to the Rodeo’s mission of supporting Texas youth, agriculture and education.
“This new complex is much more than a replacement for an aging facility. It represents an opportunity to expand our reach, serve more students and families, and create a year-round destination dedicated to agriculture and education,” Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Chairman of the Board Wesley Sinor said in the series. The podcast is designed as a storytelling and education tool, creating a more personal and accessible way to connect audiences with the Rodeo’s legacy, impact and vision for the future ahead of its centennial.
From there, Mission Rodeo takes listeners beyond the arena and into the stories, traditions and people at the heart of the organization, including the calf scramble, the Rodeo Uncorked!® International Wine Competition, the Rodeo’s educational impact, special days, RODEOHOUSTON® athletes, artists and more. Along the way, surprise “wild card” episodes bring unexpected special guests, all in a relaxed, conversational style that feels like those late-night chats with your friends at the Rodeo.
The debut episode features Chairman of the Board Wesley Sinor and President and CEO Chris Boleman discussing the vision for the future and why now is the right moment to bring the Rodeo’s story directly to its community. New episodes will be released each Wednesday through the 2027 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Fans can follow along on the podcast’s dedicated Instagram account, @missionrodeopodcast, and by searching “Mission Rodeo” on their preferred podcast platform.