Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/461140
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT VAN OSDOL (GIRL ON HORSE); RODEO AUSTIN (INSET); SHUTTERSTOCK (BULL) Where Austin Gets Its Texas On RODEO AUSTIN PAYS HOMAGE TO OUR HERITAGE WITH A WORLD-CLASS LIVESTOCK SHOW AND COUNTRY MUSIC STARS. BY WES EICHENWALD For many Central Texans, March doesn't mean South by Southwest; it means Rodeo Austin, when even city folks—up to a quarter of a mil- lion each year—make a date with their inner cowboy or cowgirl to experience this exciting event. Tracing its origins to a 1938 stock show with 16 animals, Rodeo Austin has expanded into a two- week extravaganza, March 14–28 at the Travis County Exposition Center. Besides this main event, Rodeo Austin works all year to raise money for its successful scholarship program. Last year, the organization awarded more than $500,000 to 45 students from around the state. With 15 livestock and horse shows in the Show Barn, visitors get a taste of ever ything related to raising animals like horses, goats, and chicken. The rodeo itself includes bareback- and saddle-bronc riding, tie-down calf roping, team steer roping, bull riding, and women-only barrel rac- ing, along with the ever-popular sight of 6 -year-olds fighting to stay atop sheep (also known as "mutton bus- tin'"). The riders come from towns all over Texas, including Azle, Vernon, Bartonville, and Waller, and from farther afield: Oklahoma, Wyoming, Iowa, and Alberta, Canada. All of them tr y to stay on the wildly bucking, rearing, twisting animals until the buzzer sounds. R iders call it eight sec- onds of eternity. The fairground offers over 60 carnival rides and games, shopping for that perfect cowboy hat or boots, and, of course, eating: Indulge in all your favorite treats, including fun- nel cake, cotton candy, corn dogs, and even fried Coke. With its pig races and scaled-down rides, the Rockin' A Ranch offers children younger than 12 a rodeo experience created just for them, and infants and tots can spend time at the petting zoo in Kidstown. Although country music dominates the live music lineup, rock group Panic! at the Disco's March 17 concert offers some variety. Among the bigger names set to perform are Dwight Yoakam (March 15) and Martina McBride (March 26). "We're unique in Austin," says Michele Golden, a former Rodeo Austin board member (and its first Rodeo Queen in 1982). Although the rodeo gets many repeat visitors, Golden thinks it's a particular must for newcomers to town. "There are so many folks coming in from all over the country and all over the world who have never seen a rodeo before. Austin is a spe- cial town, and [the rodeo] is a great Texas experience." Rodeo Austin, March 14–28, Travis County Exposition Center, 7311 Decker Lane, 512-477-6060; rodeoaustin.com AW The two-week-long Rodeo Austin provides an authentic Texas experience for all ages. INSET: Rodeo Austin originated in 1938. ANIMAL INSTINCTS Area veterinarian Dr. Gary D. Warner, a leading bucking-bull expert, shares insights on the animals behind the rodeo. Elgin-based veterinarian Dr. Gary D. Warner—who raises show cattle on his Bastrop County ranch—cares for the bucking-bull stars of the rodeo circuit, such as Bushwacker, a three-time Professional Bull Riders [PBR] world champion. Regarded as one of the best bovine vets in the country, Warner recommends rodeo spectators pay careful attention not just to the riders, but to the animals as well. "I love to watch those [bulls] perform [more than] the humans who are trying to ride them," he says, equating the bull's movements with those of a gymnast. "Watch the grace and agility the bucking bulls have. The same thing [is true of] the bareback and saddle broncs. How those horses move and kick can be quite graceful and fun to watch." Warner maintains that these "animal athletes" are well treated. "There are not really any more health concerns than [for] any other athlete, be it the equine or even the human variety," he says. "Both PBR and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association [PRCA] have rules that safeguard the animals. These organizations are very concerned about animal welfare." 40 AUSTINWAY.COM CULTURE Out and About