Salt Grass Trail Ride
I’ve live in Texas my whole life and in the Houston area for 16 years. Nobody does rodeo like Houston. Three weeks of Rodeo, about 20 evening performance averaging 50,000 in attendance each night. The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo is Texas size. In January of 1952, E.H. Marks formed the very first trail ride as a way to increase awareness of the Show. Though only four men made the first journey from Brenham, Texas, the attention they raised attracted more publicity than ever expected, as more than 80 men signed up the next year. The trail rides are a signature tradition of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo today.
I’ve been associated with Wagon #1, the founder’s wagon, of the Salt Grass trail ride for about 4 years. The trail ride is organized by wagon. It has approximately 25 wagons with 40 riders associated with each wagon.In the beginning the riders slept on the ground or in tents. Today it RV’s, Stock trailers, water trucks, & generators. Today there are 13 different trail rides coming from all across Texas. This coming Friday (February 29th) all 13 trail rides converge in Memorial park near downtown Houston for Saturdays Rodeo Parade. It really plays havoc with the traffic on the freeways.
It's trail ride time in Houston!
posted by Texas Bob @ 9:14 PM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
Hi Texas Bob,
This is my first time on your site.
I'm a displaced Texan. I've lived in Minnesota for 18 years and I'll never stop longing for Texas, especially in the winter.
I remember going to downtown Houston, by city bus, to watch the rodeo parade. To me that was more exciting than the rodeo itself.
I really loved to see the Trail Riders coming into town. They were something special. I have a niece and nephew on the Salt Grass Trail Ride this year. (They live in Katy, Texas too.) What I didn't realize is, that there are many other trail rides coming from all over Texas.Do they have different names or are they all called Salt Grass Trail Riders?
I like your blog. But it makes me homesick.
Displaced Texan Married to a Minnesotan
P.S. Since last March, I've been back to Texas 3 times. One of those times was for my mom's funeral.
God Bless,
D.
This is a link to a page that list all the Trail Rides going to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Trail Rides
Hi Bob!
I'm your old (gettin' older ever' day!) friend to whom you gave permission to turn your coloring pages into embroidery designs; thanks again. I'm so tickled to see you on the SGTR-- I'm sure you saw my Sister-in-Law, with 2/3 of her kids (Jake and Laura). Laura's ridden that Trail Ride since she was one, and she always gets alot of attention. Her mom, Lisa, also brought a zebra on the ride one year. I followed the rodeo coverage closely via the Chronicle this year, and it looked like so much fun!!! We are smoking 130 pounds of meat this weekend for 100 friends to whom we can brag and swagger and boast! Texas, one and indivisible!
Hugs, to you,
Laura
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