Spring Break
Anticipation among Aggies grows for Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
By: Emily Baker
Issue date: 3/8/05 Section: Aggielife
"The bucking horses have a strap around their abdomen to get them to buck," O'Day said. "According to PETA, Ohio and Pittsburgh have banned bucking straps due to the cruel nature of the placement of the strap. A fair amount of the people watching these events have no idea what is going on. Many times the rodeo organizers will cover up the cruelty and the audience never knows what has happened."
For Anderson, the events of the HLSR are personal, revolving around the very animals that PETA and O'Day aim to protect. As a member of the National FFA Organization, growing up around agriculture and animals is a central part of Anderson's life.
"I started my experience in 8th grade in San Antonio at a calf scramble," he said. "That is how I got my first heifer. The money won from a calf scramble is used to buy the winner's first head of cattle. My dad is an agriculture teacher, so that has a lot to do with my interest in showing livestock. My family has raised commercial cattle forever. Now I show for ranches, which means I take care of the cattle before they are shown in the ring. I wash them, clip them and show them to a judge."
The fans of the event said it provides experiences that bring people from all walks of life closer as a group.
"The common interest people have with livestock brings people together from all across the state," said Ryan Murphy, a sophomore agribusiness major. "People come for a whole variety of reasons. HLSR has a fair for kids, livestock shows for ranchers and concerts for people our age. A rodeo and livestock show is a way for people to improve their business by seeing the new technology and ways of doing things. An event this large pulls all sorts of entertainment, and it's not all country."
Anderson agrees that the event is a place for people who are involved in livestock and understand its processes to mingle with those who normally might not appreciate the many facets and intricacies of agriculture.
"All sorts of people go, whether it's for the rodeo or the entertainment," Anderson said. "Where I am from, everyone knows all about raising cattle, but that's not the case for everybody. There are usually a lot of 'city folk' at HLSR. You can spot them a mile away. They'll have on rhinestone shirts or ornate cowboy hats. HLSR is a way for people who don't know as much about agriculture to learn about the different aspects."
Besides the horses and cowboys, the HLSR boats an entertainment lineup including Kenny Chesney, Maroon 5 and Alicia Keys. Besides the musical entertainment, the grounds will house vendors selling products such as rodeo supplies, jewelry, clothes and even pickup trucks.
However much entertainment is drawn to the livestock grounds, for some the price paid to run a rodeo is too high.
"A lot of performers come and a lot of people go for the entertainment aspects, but I wouldn't go even for that, because in some way or shape my dollar would go to supporting the rodeo," O'Day said.
For Anderson, the events of the HLSR are personal, revolving around the very animals that PETA and O'Day aim to protect. As a member of the National FFA Organization, growing up around agriculture and animals is a central part of Anderson's life.
"I started my experience in 8th grade in San Antonio at a calf scramble," he said. "That is how I got my first heifer. The money won from a calf scramble is used to buy the winner's first head of cattle. My dad is an agriculture teacher, so that has a lot to do with my interest in showing livestock. My family has raised commercial cattle forever. Now I show for ranches, which means I take care of the cattle before they are shown in the ring. I wash them, clip them and show them to a judge."
The fans of the event said it provides experiences that bring people from all walks of life closer as a group.
"The common interest people have with livestock brings people together from all across the state," said Ryan Murphy, a sophomore agribusiness major. "People come for a whole variety of reasons. HLSR has a fair for kids, livestock shows for ranchers and concerts for people our age. A rodeo and livestock show is a way for people to improve their business by seeing the new technology and ways of doing things. An event this large pulls all sorts of entertainment, and it's not all country."
Anderson agrees that the event is a place for people who are involved in livestock and understand its processes to mingle with those who normally might not appreciate the many facets and intricacies of agriculture.
"All sorts of people go, whether it's for the rodeo or the entertainment," Anderson said. "Where I am from, everyone knows all about raising cattle, but that's not the case for everybody. There are usually a lot of 'city folk' at HLSR. You can spot them a mile away. They'll have on rhinestone shirts or ornate cowboy hats. HLSR is a way for people who don't know as much about agriculture to learn about the different aspects."
Besides the horses and cowboys, the HLSR boats an entertainment lineup including Kenny Chesney, Maroon 5 and Alicia Keys. Besides the musical entertainment, the grounds will house vendors selling products such as rodeo supplies, jewelry, clothes and even pickup trucks.
However much entertainment is drawn to the livestock grounds, for some the price paid to run a rodeo is too high.
"A lot of performers come and a lot of people go for the entertainment aspects, but I wouldn't go even for that, because in some way or shape my dollar would go to supporting the rodeo," O'Day said.
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