Totally Texas -- Horses, cows & cowboys galore

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Will Rogers Memorial Center

3401 West Lancaster Avenue

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I can’t believe I waited so long to see it, joining the nearly 100,000 other spectators to the parade of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. First time ever watching a parade with no motor vehicles. Just horses of every size and description -- a dream come true. Okay, there were also mules, including adorable to look at zebra mules, horse- and mule-drawn wagons and stagecoaches. And riders. Some human, some not -- amazing how many riders carried dogs tucked in their pockets and saddle bags.

Official starting point is the Tarrant County Courthouse on West Weatherford between Commerce and Houston, with first riders moving into downtown at 11 a.m. The pageant goes south on Commerce to Ninth Street, turns onto Houston and continues to the courthouse. Expect to see more than an hour’s worth of horses, like the white horse troop whose picture from 2012 illustrates this post.

Then head out to Will Rogers Memorial Center for entry to the livestock show that began the whole celebration back in 1896. This year’s stock show actually opened this morning, January 18, at 8 a.m. and ends each night through closing, February 9, with a rodeo. And more rodeos during the day.

The ground are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily during the stock show. Between rodeos and livestock shows and sales, watch the likes of a celebrity goat milking contest January 19 and the Mustang Magic trainers challenge January 24 -26. And hear campfire stories presented by the Texas Cowboy Poets Association January 29 - 31.

New to the stock show this year is reciprocal admission to three local museums -- Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Cattle Raisers Museum, and National Cowgirls Museum and Hall of Fame. Stock show admission entitles you to free admission to the museums. If you’re already a museum member, you’ll get free admission to the stock show. For details, see www.fwmuseum.org/, www.cattleraisersmuseum.org/, and www.cowgirl.net/.

General admission to the stock show grounds is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-16. However, children age 2 and older must have a rodeo ticket to attend one of the rodeos. A rodeo ticket will entitle you to general admission to the grounds on the rodeo date. For tickets and complete schedule of events, see www.fwssr.com/.

(Next Friday -- all about another historic event, the Dallas Museum of Art’s new free admission policy.)