Photos this page by Jeanne Graham
RODEO!
THE CHUCK WAGON RACE, top, is often one of the most
exciting events of the rodeo; fans cheer for their favorites
while the drivers battle for position. Above is Orlando, the
Grand Champion Bull of this year’s livestock show.
By Julie Smiley
Battalion Reporter
Houstonians “Go Texan” for two weeks a year
when cowboys and rexall rangers, livestock and ex
hibitors, music stars and fiddlers gather at the As
trodome for the Houston Livestock Show and
Rodeo. It is Houston’s big chance to dress in cow
boy boots, belt buckles, hats and pearl-snap shirts
and be a real Texan.
The 22.5-acre production began in 1932 with
2,000 entries, and this year it attracted over 27,000
livestock exhibits.
The stock show began this year on February 21
with the largest Brahman cattle show in the history
of the show and the breed, with 512 entries. Besides
the 18 breeds of cattle shown in the cattle arena in
the Astrohall, exhibitors also showed horses, sheep,
goats, rabbits, swine and poultry in open class com
petition during the first week. The youth show fol
lowed, and will run from last Tuesday through next
Sunday.
Exhibitors found showing livestock hectic enough
without the invasion of the Osmond family television
production crew. Donny and Marie and family filmed
their March 18 television program on location at the
show.
For three days, crowds watched as the Osmonds
sang and danced in the cattle arena, sang to chil
dren in the FFA children’s barnyard and performed
in concert in the Astrodome.
Amused livestock exhibitors and fans laughed
when Marie Osmond fell on her face during a filming
as the impatient ewe she was leaning on walked out
from under her.
Larry Mahan, former all-around cowboy, showed
Donny Osmond how to ride a bronc with the help of
a bucking machine, but Osmond decided against
flying hooves and chose to ride a Guernsey cow out
of the bucking chute.
Perhaps the real stars of the show are the chil
dren who come to watch and show livestock. Minia
ture cowboys and cowgirls dressed in belt buckles
three sizes too big and hats drooping over their eyes
found cotton candy and barbecue sausage
sandwiches much tastier than hot lunches in the
school cafeteria.
One 9-year-old showman, Mitch Thomas from
Raymondville, is a 6-year veteran of the show. He
shows Charolais and Zebu cattle. With showstick in
one hand and a leather lead strap in the other, he
shows yearling heifers, a 2,200 pound Zebu bull and
all sizes in between. He said he loves to show cattle,
and that his bull is just a big teddy bear to him.
Another young attraction was a 7-year-old female
fiddler who competed in the fiddle competition. She
didn’t place first, but she captured the audience with
her version of “The Orange Blossom Special.” Her
18-year-old brother, Reggie Wrinkle of Vidor, placed
first and won the chance to perform in the As
trodome last Saturday evening.
Cattle, sheep, horses, swine and barns — a per
fect setting for children and, of course, Aggies. Each
year about 50 Aggies are chosen from animal sci
ence and agricultural journalism to work at the
show. Aggies work long days in the show ring writ
ing press releases, taking pictures and running er
rands for the Osmonds, and find sleep and hot
showers at a premium.
“It’s lots of fun and work, but also a great chance
to meet professionals from breed magazines and
publications,” said Martha Hollida, a junior ag jour
nalism major from Silva, Mo. “I decided last year,
after working four or five days, that I was in the right
major and this is the kind of work I want.”
Bill Stone, Max Crittenden, Kevin Smith and Ste
ven Wythe, animal science majors, kept record
books in the open cattle show. They agreed it was a
great learning experience, plus much fun and hard
work.
Another ag journalism major, Bonnie Helwig of
Miles, said she hopes she can work next year even
though catching up on a week of college work will be
tough. She said she owes her college education to
the Houston show. She is a recipient ot a $6,000
Houston Livestock Show Scholarship.
The show’s main purpose is to provide over $1.25
million in scholarships and research funds for col
leges and universities in Texas. Each year the show
awards 50 FFA and 50 4H scholarships. Of the 247
scholarship recipients, 135 students chose to attend
Texas A&M.
Money from the Houston show also funds re
search projects at Texas A&M in amino acid availa
bility, utilization of slaughter blood in feed, muscle
development in cattle and nutrient requirements in
athletic horses.
And if you think livestock shows are just a bunch
of smelly barns, scholarships and cattle, you should
know that the grand champion turkey in Houston
last year sold for $13,005.
Open 10am-9pm
Closed Sunday
693-2899
MOTHER MATURE
HOME OF NUTRITION
JUICE BAR
smoothiesfrozen yogurt
Culpepper Plaza
1605 Texas Ave.South
sandwiches juices
Natural Vitamins * Foods ♦ Cosmetics