HOUSTON, TX — ”I grew up in the Brazos valley, I grew up coming to this show and so I can see it from the outside in. Now I am seeing it from the inside out,” said Chris Boleman the President and CEO of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
The Houston livestock show and rodeo is an extravaganza that welcomes more than 2 million people to enjoy a huge livestock and horse show, carnival, rodeo, and more.
”Working with all of our internal folks includes our local elected officials, a lot of medical experts, and so forth.
It just became clear to us that March wasn’t going to be the opportunity to do what we want to do,” said Boleman.
A few events will stick according to the original set march dates from the 2-21.
”Now what we left in March ,and I want to highlight that our junior show, and our horse show, a lot of those kids, a lot of them right there in the Brazos Valley,” Boleman added.
These events will be private to mitigate the crowds and allow safety guidelines to be implemented—the opportunity for the show to go on is a huge advantage for some who rely on these specialty scholarships.
”A lot of those opportunities, a lot of us have to take notice of and a lot of us do take advantage of them in the sense, of a lot of us get an education or get to go to college,” said Abby Burkham,a Brazos county 4-H member and livestock show participant.
As a senior in high school, some of these participants like Abby only have one last ride, as she called it, for a chance to better her future through these opportunities.
“I was at the last show at the Houston rodeo before they closed that down” said Maren Morris, a performer at the 2020 Houson Rodeo
”We don’t want a shutdown to happen again, we want to make sure that whatever we do is with the health and wellbeing of everybody involved,” said Boleman.
The total economic impact supported over 5,000 jobs in the greater Houston area back in 2019.
”Everybody here has been so positive about what lies ahead knowing there’s no guarantees as I mentioned before, but certainly to give it, were giving it our best shot and to me, I think that’s what the rodeo is about, that’s what this communities about,” Boleman said.
Meanwhile the livestock show and horse show will remain in March all other events are now set for May 4-23.