The 2013 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

The 2013 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo season began with the official proclamation of Go Texan Day by Houston Mayor Annise Parker during the annual Rodeo Roundup event, and will continue through Sunday, March 17. World’s Championship Bar-B-Que ContestApproximately 300 teams will compete in the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 21-23, at Reliant Park. 

The three-day competition also will include live entertainment from artists such as Gary P. Nunn, Josh Abbott Band, Bart Crow, Cory Morrow, Aaron Watson and more. This year’s new Brewfest event will feature craft beers with brewery representatives on site to elaborate on each beer for enthusiasts and interested patrons. Visit www.rodeohouston.com for a complete list of entertainers and performance times, carnival hours, and shuttle bus locations and times.

Trail Rides
More than 3,000 trail riders will make their way through the streets of the nation’s fourth largest city Friday, Feb. 22, as they move toward Memorial Park. This continues a more-than-60-year-old tradition that helps keep Western heritage alive and alerts everyone that the world’s largest livestock show and rodeo is about to begin. After traveling a combined total of nearly 1,800 miles, 13 trail rides will merge and camp one last night before the Downtown Rodeo Parade, Saturday, Feb. 23. Beginning as early as Feb. 16, trail rides started making their way to Houston from points as far away as Reynosa, Mexico. Trail riders are judged several times during their individual journeys on overall appearance, including dress in traditional Western wear. Final judging occurs as the riders enter Memorial Park on Feb. 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the awards presentation at 5 p.m.

ConocoPhillips
Rodeo Run More than 15,000 contestants are expected to participate in the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run, Saturday, Feb. 23, which includes a wheelchair race at 9:10 a.m., a 10K race at 9:20 a.m. and a 5K fun run/walk at 9:45 a.m. ConocoPhillips has contributed more than $3.3 million to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Educational Fund since the race began in 1988. For more information, visit www.conocophillipsrodeorun.com. 

Downtown Rodeo Parade 
On Saturday, Feb. 23, Texas A&M University head football coach, Kevin Sumlin, will lead the Downtown Rodeo Parade as grand marshal. Hundreds of thousands of Houstonians and out-of-town spectators will line the streets of downtown to watch participants on decorated floats, trail riders on horseback and marching bands celebrate the 2013 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The Downtown Rodeo Parade route is new for 2013 due to location changes with METRORail.

• Begin at Bagby and Walker streets.

• Take Walker Street to Travis Street, then go right on Travis.

• Continue on Travis to Bell Street, then go right on Bell.

• Take Bell to Louisiana Street, then turn right on Louisiana. • Take Louisiana to Lamar Street, and go left on Lamar.

• The parade ends at Lamar and Bagby. 

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
The world’s largest livestock show and rodeo opens Monday, Feb. 25, and runs through Sunday, March 17. Since 1932, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has committed more than $330 million toward scholarships, research, endowments, calf scramble participants, junior show exhibitors, School Art participants, and other educational and youth programs. 

More than 15,000 junior livestock show exhibitors will call Reliant Center home for the Houston Livestock Show, as they prepare to compete for the coveted titles of Grand Champion in their various contests.

More than $5.8 million will be awarded to junior livestock exhibitors in 2013. The 2013 RODEOHOUSTON® BP Super Series, Feb. 25-March 8, and March 10-16, showcases the finest rodeo athletes in a tournament-style format. A winner is presented every night in front of crowds averaging 64,000 fans at each of the Rodeo performances. The top cowboys and cowgirls in all of rodeo have the opportunity to compete for a purse totaling more than $1.6 million.

The RODEOHOUSTON Super Shootout: North America's Champions, presented by Crown Royal, is scheduled for Saturday, March 9. This one-day rodeo features champion athletes from 10 of the top U.S. and Canadian rodeos competing in RODEOHOUSTON fan-favorite events: bareback riding, barrel racing, bull riding and saddle bronc riding. With a total purse of $200,000, this event is the richest one-day rodeo in the world.

The overall purse and additional earnings at RODEOHOUSTON total more than $2.04 million for 2013. Leading up to RODEOHOUSTON, FOX Sports Southwest will televise a 30-minute preview show and a “Meet the Cowboys” special profiling the athletes who will compete at RODEOHOUSTON.

FOX Sports Southwest will provide live television coverage of the RODEOHOUSTON Super Shootout and the BP Super Series Semifinals, Wild Card, and Championship rounds. A 15-minute nightly recap show also will be televised on FOX Sports Southwest following the network’s live event programming on the five live event nights. Each night’s rodeo competition will be streamed live on foxsportssouthwest.com. 

Free Mobile App 
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has launched a brand new, free mobile application in partnership with Nashville, Tenn.-based company Aloopma for 2013. The multi-feature app is available for iPhone and Android devices and ensures the visitor experience is easy and enjoyable.

The following categories are included for navigation ease: parking and maps; schedule and lineup; shop, dine, and more; rodeo scores; news and socialize; radio and camera. The app features a meet-the-athletes section, as well as live updates of the athletes’ scores, so fans can follow their favorite cowboy or cowgirl to the Championship Round.

The user also can create a personal schedule from the many events the Show has to offer and even purchase tickets to their favorite RODEOHOUSTON star entertainer, based on availability, through Ticketmaster. 

There are great seats still available for most RODEOHOUSTON performances, with Rodeo/concert tickets starting as low as $10 for Value Wednesdays and $18 for all other days. Complete ticket availability can be viewed online at www.rodeohouston.com/Tickets/TicketAvailability.aspx. 

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a Section 501(c)(3) charity that benefits youth, supports education, and facilitates better agricultural practices through exhibitions and presentation. For tickets and more information, visit www.rodeohouston.com.