A Closer Look STOCK SHOW 101: A Celebration of the West

Officially, it’s the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show. Unofficially, it’s the Fort Worth Stock Show, also sometimes known as the Fat Stock Show, now in its 101st year. If you’ve never been there, the Stock Show is similar to a county or state fair, one that’s been boiled down to its essence: parade, livestock, rodeo and carnival rides.

At the Stock Show you’ll see both ranchers and fresh-scrubbed 4-H kids, each hoping to get a good price for the steers they’ve raised from birth. And you’ll see real cowboys-not the cowboy “bidnessmen” you see on the streets of downtown Fort Worth wearing boots and hats with their suits, but real cowboys who ride the rodeo and work the livestock.

As a defining event whose history invokes a sense of place, the Stock Show is to Fort Worth what the State Fair is to Dallas. The State Fair came to Dallas because of the chutzpah of a group of businessmen who felt that the fact that there was no real reason to hold the Fair’s Centennial in Dallas wasn’t a good enough reason not to, and developed Fair Park to lure the Centennial. The Stock Show was born in Fort Worth because the ranchers who traded their livestock at the Stockyards felt an economic boost was needed, and thus this 17-day annual celebration of livestock was born.

So what’s at the Stock Show? Well, there are 30 performances of the rodeo, which was the world’s first indoor rodeo. In addition to the usual PRCA rodeo events, including invitation-only ladies barrel racing, this year’s half-time entertainment at the rodeo will be provided by the venerable Budweiser Clydesdales and by Jerry Diaz, a charro (Mexican cowboy) who in traditional charro costume demonstrates roping and horsemanship skills. Also featured will be Las Zapatistas, the reigning U.S. champions at escaramuza (literally, “sidesaddle”), a ladies precision drill team.

Besides the rodeo, the other main feature of the Stock Show is, not surprisingly, livestock. But there’s more than just cattle; 19,000 head of livestock will compete for $750,000 in prize money; an incomplete list of the other kinds of livestock scheduled for show includes swine, sheep, goats, horses and rabbits.

Jerry Diaz, a charro (Mexican cowboy) who in traditional charro costume demonstrates roping and horsemanship skills. Also featured will be Las Zapatistas, the reigning U.S. champions at escaramuza (literally, “sidesaddle”), a ladies precision drill team.

Besides the rodeo, the other main feature of the Stock Show is, not surprisingly, livestock. But there’s more than just cattle; 19,000 head of livestock will compete for $750,000 in prize money; an incomplete list of the other kinds of livestock scheduled for show includes swine, sheep, goats, horses and rabbits.

CATTLE AND CULTURE

Fort Worth often bills, itself as offering both “cattle and culture,” and the area around Will Rogers Coliseum illustrates why, The Coliseum complex is used for a variety of equestrian events throughout the year, but it has also been the site of concerts by artists such as John Prine. And it is directly across the street from the Kimbell and the Amon Carter museums: to the Coliseum’s immediate west, across from the parking lot they share, are the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. (For more information on the Cultural District, see Cityguide page 9.)

if you feel festival food is only fair, there are a number of terrific eating options in the Stock Show’s neighborhood, which is known as the Cultural District or the Near West Side. For breakfast try the 01’ South Pancake House, 1507 S. University Dr. Locals know they can find superior pastries at Harper’s Bluebonnet Bakery, 3905 Camp Bowie Blvd.

For ice cream after your Stock Show visit, the Back Porch. 3400-B Camp Bowie Blvd., is practically within walking distance and has about 40 homemade ice cream flavors.

Barbecue lovers might want to try a local favorite, the Railhead Smokehouse at 2900 Montgomery St. For burgers, it’s either Kincaid’s at 4901 Camp Bowie Blvd., or TCU student favorite Jon’s Grille, 3009 S. University Dr.

If you’re in need of caffeine, this area is also home to some of Fort Worth’s best coffeehouses, the Bagel and Bean, 6002 Camp Bowie Blvd., and the Four Star Coffee Bar. 3324 W. 7th St.