They Call It February Fever in These Parts

By Steven Long

HOUSTON, (Horseback) – I was introduced to the great American sport of rodeo at the age of four when I witnessed a drunk Gene Autry fall off his horse in the arena of Houston’s venerable Sam Houston Coliseum in about 1948.

Now in its 70^th year, the Houston Livestock Show and rodeo continues to be arguably the biggest party in the United States, dwarfing the Super Bowl, political conventions, the NBA Finals, the World Series, and even presidential inaugurations.

An expected 2 million. will either see the rodeo, concerts, go to the carnival, or chow down at the World Champion Barbecue Cookoff where Horseback Magazine was the sole sponsor of last years World Champion, Craig Sharry and his Texas Pepper Jelly team.

And like tens of thousands of others, The Horseback staff brought their families for a Texas feast.

The rodeo will run through March 18^th.

Tags: barbecue cookoff, houston livestock show and rodeo., Rodeo Houston