21June2008 Rodeo at Fort Worth
We were told that Fort Worth was less pretentious and was more of a cowtown than Dallas. With only time to do one place, it was off to Fort Worth some 260 miles away from Houston. Upon our arrival, we went to the Tourist Office in town and was presented with a beautiful shopping bag printed all over with longhorns, and with leather straps for handles.
Fortworth was once the biggest and busiest cattle, horse, mule, hog and sheep marketing center in the Southwest US where more than 160 million head of livestock were sold. The 125-acre stockyard had been designated a National Historic District which now hosts over 2 million visitors a year. There were reenactments of cattle drives at the Stockyard Station, horseback rides,carriage rides,steam train rides, rodeo shows, museums, restaurants, hotels, saloons, galleries, shops and all manner of family fun like the Cowtown Maze.
After a snack at Billy Bob’s (the biggest honky-tonk in the world), we settled down to watch the Stockyards Championship Rodeo in the air-conditioned Cowtown Coliseum.
After the show, it was back to Billy Bob’s for comedian Bill Engvall’s show - a hilarious description of life over 50. Then with wide-eyed fascination, we watched how modern cowboys and cowgals moved on the dance floor to the sound of twanging guitars. It was a most enjoyable evening.
Distance traveled 315.9miles
Dickey's for barbecue - we stumbled on this place on the way to Fortworth.
This was only lunch. It was hard trying not to overeat. Everything was bigger in Texas.
Loved the photo of this pair of boots at the barbecue place
On the way to the Stockyards Station area were these cool wheels, dedicated to the Fallen Heroes of New York Fire Department 343 with a verse from John15:13
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
The biggest honky-tonk in the world - Billy Bob's - 100,000 sq ft of fun.
Entering Billy Bob's which was a barn for prize cattle during the stock shows, it had a bull-riding arena which was an auction ring in Fort Worth's heydays. The whole place had a sloping floor which allowed easy runoff from the cattle pens. Now there are bars, restaurants, dance floors, stages for concerts, pool halls with video games and the inevitable gift store.
A quick meal of ribs at Billy Bob's before the show
Blessing America before commencement of the evening's events at the Cowtown Coliseum.
The whole place was air-conditioned. There was bull riding, tie down roping, calf scramble, bareback riding, saddle bronc, breakaway roping, mutton scramble, team roping, and barrel racing
The emcee, the judges, and the entrance for the bulls and broncs at one end
Choice seats for sponsors to the Cowtown Coliseum at the other end.
It was not as easy at it looked, some did get away even after having been roped
This was the Team Roping event - two to a team, one of the cowboys getting off to tie 'em down whilst his partner looked on
The Calf Scramble, open to children ages 8 to 12; enter at your own risk; kids all lined up ready for release of their quarry
All the kids after the poor bewildered animal.
The Bull Riding event - the gate was pulled openned, the handlers on the railing let go of the bull which barreled out with the competitor on board, hanging on for dear life.
In an instant, the competitor was scrambling to get on his feet and out of harm's way, other cowboys ran in to distract the bull, a good idea, for only a second!
OK, another one came out bucking wildly with its man hanging on bravely.
All of a sudden, "Sorry sorry, I didn't mean to ride you", "Oh yeah?" the bull glared back, nostrils flared
Not a very good shot of the band in Billy Bob's I'm afraid, but using a flash would have been too invasive.
Remember seeing rotating spheres that gave out thousands of light spots in a night club? Well this saddle in the middle of the dance floor had the same effect. I think it will be given out as a prize on some special occasion
OK, last blurry shot of the biggest honk-tonk in the world, this was the corner where we got something to eat
Many entertainers have performed at Billy Bob's - some already famous, others guaranteed to be, once they have made an appearance here. This place has been voted Country Music Club of the Year many times.
Fortworth was once the biggest and busiest cattle, horse, mule, hog and sheep marketing center in the Southwest US where more than 160 million head of livestock were sold. The 125-acre stockyard had been designated a National Historic District which now hosts over 2 million visitors a year. There were reenactments of cattle drives at the Stockyard Station, horseback rides,carriage rides,steam train rides, rodeo shows, museums, restaurants, hotels, saloons, galleries, shops and all manner of family fun like the Cowtown Maze.
After a snack at Billy Bob’s (the biggest honky-tonk in the world), we settled down to watch the Stockyards Championship Rodeo in the air-conditioned Cowtown Coliseum.
After the show, it was back to Billy Bob’s for comedian Bill Engvall’s show - a hilarious description of life over 50. Then with wide-eyed fascination, we watched how modern cowboys and cowgals moved on the dance floor to the sound of twanging guitars. It was a most enjoyable evening.
Distance traveled 315.9miles
Dickey's for barbecue - we stumbled on this place on the way to Fortworth.
This was only lunch. It was hard trying not to overeat. Everything was bigger in Texas.
Loved the photo of this pair of boots at the barbecue place
On the way to the Stockyards Station area were these cool wheels, dedicated to the Fallen Heroes of New York Fire Department 343 with a verse from John15:13
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
The biggest honky-tonk in the world - Billy Bob's - 100,000 sq ft of fun.
Entering Billy Bob's which was a barn for prize cattle during the stock shows, it had a bull-riding arena which was an auction ring in Fort Worth's heydays. The whole place had a sloping floor which allowed easy runoff from the cattle pens. Now there are bars, restaurants, dance floors, stages for concerts, pool halls with video games and the inevitable gift store.
A quick meal of ribs at Billy Bob's before the show
Blessing America before commencement of the evening's events at the Cowtown Coliseum.
The whole place was air-conditioned. There was bull riding, tie down roping, calf scramble, bareback riding, saddle bronc, breakaway roping, mutton scramble, team roping, and barrel racing
The emcee, the judges, and the entrance for the bulls and broncs at one end
Choice seats for sponsors to the Cowtown Coliseum at the other end.
It was not as easy at it looked, some did get away even after having been roped
This was the Team Roping event - two to a team, one of the cowboys getting off to tie 'em down whilst his partner looked on
The Calf Scramble, open to children ages 8 to 12; enter at your own risk; kids all lined up ready for release of their quarry
All the kids after the poor bewildered animal.
The Bull Riding event - the gate was pulled openned, the handlers on the railing let go of the bull which barreled out with the competitor on board, hanging on for dear life.
In an instant, the competitor was scrambling to get on his feet and out of harm's way, other cowboys ran in to distract the bull, a good idea, for only a second!
OK, another one came out bucking wildly with its man hanging on bravely.
All of a sudden, "Sorry sorry, I didn't mean to ride you", "Oh yeah?" the bull glared back, nostrils flared
Not a very good shot of the band in Billy Bob's I'm afraid, but using a flash would have been too invasive.
Remember seeing rotating spheres that gave out thousands of light spots in a night club? Well this saddle in the middle of the dance floor had the same effect. I think it will be given out as a prize on some special occasion
OK, last blurry shot of the biggest honk-tonk in the world, this was the corner where we got something to eat
Many entertainers have performed at Billy Bob's - some already famous, others guaranteed to be, once they have made an appearance here. This place has been voted Country Music Club of the Year many times.
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3:06 AM
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