See a rodeo

“Whenever I’ve imagined a rodeo, I’ve thought of a dusty, small town arena surrounded by a weather-beaten wooden fence and parking lot full of pickups with local cowboys riding in the show. Held in the huge Reliant Stadium, with top competitors and ending the night with performances by famous country music stars, RodeoHouston is a totally different experience. (But it’s still very dusty.) So with eager anticipation and a couple of cold beers, Mr. TWS and I sat in the nosebleed seats and watched a fast-paced series of rodeo competitions.”

“I entered the convention hall for the Livestock Show which, mammoth though it was, felt like walking into a gerbil cage. (Maybe it was the pervasive scent of woodchips?) Everywhere I looked I saw animals in pens—cows, sheep, pigs, llamas, all with their own names and pedigrees—row after row of farm fare stretching out to infinity. There were whole armies of men in matching shirts roaming the hall, and for no other purpose, it seemed to me, than to sweep up manure.”