It’s been in town for a couple weeks, but last night we made our annual pilgrimage to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The past couple years, the traffic has been so bad that we’ve missed most of the rodeo itself, so yesterday we left Clear Lake at 4:00 to make sure we had plenty of time. It worked out perfectly! We only got stuck in a bit of traffic getting off the loop near the stadium, and it wasn’t too awful. We parked in the giant empty lot formerly known as Astroworld, and were able to walk across the bridge to the rodeo.
We had enough time to get something to eat and wander through the livestock show. They have both the cleanest cows and the cleanest pigs I’ve ever seen! The highlight was the birthing center, which I had never visited before although I think it’s there every year. We saw just-hatched baby chicks, baby cows, baby pigs, and baby sheep. This chick was so new it couldn’t really even stand up yet, although it tried:
This baby pig starting squirming and squealing shortly after I took this photo. I think he wanted to be back in the warmth of the pile of baby piglets.
And these baby sheep were pretty much the cutest things ever, all gangly and clumsy on their feet. I totally want a baby sheep now.
After the trek to our seats high at the top of the stadium (and I do mean TREK, geez it was far and high), we enjoyed most of the rodeo. Highlights included Cord (of Jet and Cord from The Amazing Race, who are my favorite Amazing Race team of all time) as a bull-riding contestant, the always entertaining calf scramble, and the HILARIOUS mutton bustin’. I had never seen mutton bustin’ before, but it consists of 5- and 6-year-olds holding onto the back of a sheep for dear life and seeing how long they can stay on. HILARIOUS. The kids were really cute.
Zac Brown Band was the headliner for the night and they put on a good show as well. After the concert on our way out, we rode the ferris wheel and — of course — snacked on some deep fried Oreos. After all, the rodeo isn’t the rodeo without deep fried Oreos.
Sounds like fun — I would like the birthing center! I like ZBB and would have liked that
too. When I retire, I’m coming to Houston in March to go to the Rodeo!
Seriously! Jet and Cord are hands down my favorite Amazing Race team ever too! I was so bummed they lost their season but was so happy they are back. I’m not sure I would have watched this season if they weren’t on it.
That pig is so cute! I want to hold a pig.