Yesterday, Barb and I made our annual trek to the
National Western Stock Show. The Stock Show has been going on since 1906, and is a huge event at which thousands of ranchers from all over the U.S. come to show off their prize livestock and horses.
Now, I know this sounds like something that would probably be uninteresting to "city folk,", but it is fascinating. We've been attending for about 7 years or so, and every year I find myself in more in awe of the amazing people who choose to be stewards of animals for a living. Our first interest in the show was to go to the Coors Western Art Show, which features many top western artists. Since we love art and collect it, we attend the Red Carpet event, which is held before the exhibit opens to the public. At this event, you can register your name with a painting or sculpture you like in a "drop-box draw," and if your name is chosen, you get the opportunity to purchase the art. For some reason, Barb and I have always been very lucky and have been able to add some wonderful works to our collection as a result. We've also become friends with many of the artists, and we enjoy meeting with them at the Red Carpet event every year. This year, we added a new painting to our collection by a talented artist named Jill Soukup:
When we first attended the show, we were primarily interested in the art but not in the livestock. Since then, we've gotten addicted to walking around the show floors where the livestock are being prepared to be shown. For example, yesterday we walked into the first floor show area and there were huge, well-groomed Highlands Cattle (the kind with long hair and big horns, see left below) that were standing around waiting to go to the show floor. We always make it a habit to go to the Cowboy Bar (below) which is probably one of the few times you can be in a bar and watch horses and cattle wandering by. I'm surprised they don't let the cattle into the bar…
There were a bunch of draft horses that were being prepped for show, and it's always a treat to see these huge animals walking by. There were also a group of draft mules that were so big that their back flanks were higher than the top of my head. Of course, there are smaller livestock; sheep and pigs, even chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs. But the cattle and horses are the kings and queens of the National Western.
A lot of business goes on at the Stock Show. Ranchers who own prize-winning stock are selling breeding rights, some people are selling cattle or horses outright. There are also a lot of exhibitors selling everything from cowboy hats (Barb got a nice one this year) to stock pens, from pickup trucks to . The one thing that both Barb and I have noticed is that our respect for the ranchers has gone up considerably. They're very hard-working professionals who are independent and have a huge amount of respect for the land and for their cattle.
If you ever get a chance to attend either the National Western Stock Show or one of the many rodeo events that are associated with the show, go. It's a fascinating peek into an industry and a lifestyle that many of us are too ignorant about.
References:
Howdy from Colorado!
