The Old West?

On the way back from Austin we stopped by to see sister Evelyn. Or to see the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, I can't remember which was the impetus and which the bonus. In any case, this annual, nationally known cowboy and farm event happened to be in the middle of it's three week run. On this day, the first half inventory of competing livestock were transitioning out to make room for those participating in the second half (weekend) of the show. Each barn had more than 100 stalls, and there were more than a dozen barns. That's a lot of animals.

Could barely keep his head up

Not to mention the exhibit halls. Bonnie was in heaven. Lot's of boot and hat stores, tack shops, and western trinkets and craft exhibits. For me, the tractor and ATV inventory seemed glorious and never ending. Tractors in particular seemed to be staged around every corner and between every building. A huge affair that substantially exceeds our own Minnesota State Fair in scope and quantity, at least as far as the stock and farm trade is concerned.

As we walked through the barns, arena's and exhibit halls, I wondered how long this kind of extravaganza could endure. When we arrived, we noticed the proximity to the Fort Worth skyline, with the city closing in on the stockyards boundaries. The buildings had obviously stood for quite some time, well maintained but not modernized for many years (that they have in common with our state fair.) Yet the value of the assets in trucks, trailers, livestock, and equipment was tremendous. As farms shrink in number and generations continue to increasingly opt for city life, how long could the sheer numbers be maintained?




Certainly the event remains a vibrant attraction to the non-farm spectators and urban cowboys. While not terribly busy in the middle of the week, we learned that crowds were Disney-thick on the weekends. Vendors looked to be recovering, physically and in inventory, while we were there, preparing for the next weekends onslaught.

If you're ever in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in late January or early February, it's worth taking in the show. Be sure to bring your cowboy boots and maybe even a cowboy hat. You'll fit right in (until you speak, that is.)