Fort Worth Stock Show parade gives off All-Western feel
January 20,2015
Reposted from Star-Telegram
Hundreds of horses and riders participate in the Stock Show parade in downtown Fort Worth on Saturday. The parade lasted almost two hours. RODGER MALLISON STAR-TELEGRAM
It’s all about the horses at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo All-Western Parade.
The parade — all livestock and people, no cars or floats — fits into the city well, spectators said.
“It says a lot about the culture of Fort Worth and Texas,” said Nidia Parra of Garland.
Cowboys and cowgirls, young and old, trotted through downtown streets Saturday with plenty of “Howdy, y’alls” and “Yeehaws” to be heard as a huge crowd lined the streets to watch.
The parade, traditionally the first Saturday of the Stock Show, was expected to attract more than 100,000 spectators not only from the area but also from out of state. It was Parra’s first time at the parade — her husband’s company had a conference in Fort Worth over the weekend — and she called it a “good experience.”
“I can’t believe we’ve missed coming here all these years,” she said.
The sheer number of horses on display was memorable for many of the paradegoers, including Chris and Paula Brown.
“We never dreamed that that there was going to be this many horses,” Paula Brown said.
High school marching bands, group dancers and mariachi bands added musical flavor to the event.
“The Dunbar High School band was very colorful,” said Benjamin Bower of Fort Worth. “They had a lot of funk to their band — gave you a rhythm.”
The All-Western Parade is “the coolest part of the Stock Show” to Bower, who said he enjoyed the horses, the atmosphere and the performers.
“This is what I really wanted to see,” Bower said. “You get a good feel for the whole West.”
If you go
The Stock Show continues through Feb. 7 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center at West Lancaster Avenue and University Drive.
▪ 817-877-2400 or www.fwssr.com
▪ Grounds admission: $10 for adults; $5 for children 6-16; free for children 5 and under
▪ Rodeo tickets: $25 on Friday nights and weekends; $19 on weekdays. Special rodeo events vary in price. Rodeo tickets are good for general admission to the Stock Show the same day.
▪ Advance tickets: The office, at 3401 W. Lancaster Ave., is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily; 817-877-2420.
▪ Parking: $8 per vehicle
▪ Weekend shuttles: For $1 each way from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, the Fort Worth Transportation Authority offers shuttle rides to the Will Rogers Memorial Center from Ridgmar mall (near Macy’s) in west Fort Worth and the Billy Bob’s Texas parking lot in the Stockyards.
▪ Information booths: In the main concourse of the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall and the Richardson-Bass Building. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday-Friday and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday.
Sunday
7:30 a.m. Southwest Intercollegiate, 4-H and FFA Dairy Cattle Judging Contest — Cattle Arena
8 a.m. Texas MADE Competition — French Room, Watt Arena
9 a.m. All-American Dairy Goat Show — Swine Arena
9 a.m. AQHA and NRCHA Working Cow Horse Classes — Justin Arena
9 a.m. Cowboy Church provided by Shepherd’s Valley Cowboy Church — Auditorium
9 a.m. Pigeon Show — Poultry Building
11 a.m. American Premier Boer Goat Show — Sheep Arena
12:30 p.m. Best of the West Invitational Ranch Rodeo Award Presentations — Coliseum
1 p.m. Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show Invitational Ranch Horse Show and Sale — Coliseum
2 p.m. Junior Agricultural Mechanics Awards Presentation — Equestrian Multi-Purpose Building
2 p.m. Super Regional Point Santa Gertrudis Cattle Show — Watt Arena
3 p.m. Ayrshire and Milking Shorthorn Dairy Cattle — Open Show — Cattle Arena
6 p.m. National Braunvieh Sale — West Arena
7:30 p.m. Best of Mexico Celebración — Coliseum
Monday
8 a.m. AQHA Quarter Horse Cutting Classes – Justin Arena
8 a.m. Southern Regional Brown Swiss All-American Qualifying Show and Guernsey Dairy Cattle – Open Show – Cattle Arena
9 a.m. Longhorn Cattle – TLBT Youth Division Show – Watt Arena
9 a.m. Southwestern Classic Dairy Goat Show – Swine Arena
11 a.m. Yellow Rose Classic Boer Goat Show – Sheep Arena
Noon Jersey Dairy Cattle – Open Show – Cattle Arena
2 p.m. Cowboys of Color Rodeo – Coliseum
2 p.m. APHA Paint Horse Cutting Classes – Justin Arena
4 p.m. Braford Cattle Show – Watt Arena
4 p.m. Southwest Regional Holstein Dairy Cattle – Open Show – Cattle Arena
BY MARK DAVID SMITHMSMITH@STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
See a video of the Parade here!