The world’s largest celebration of agriculture, education, entertainment and Western heritage drew a record-breaking 2,611,176 visitors in total attendance to the 85th annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, March 7 – 26, 2017.
“Powered by more than 33,000 volunteers, the 2017 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo successfully provided a record number of visitors with a world-class entertainment experience,” said Joel Cowley, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo president and CEO.
“During the 2017 Show, fans were immersed in one-of-a-kind educational and agricultural exhibits, larger-than-life entertainment, and nightly celebrations of Western heritage during RODEOHOUSTON®.”
2017 HIGHLIGHTS:
ATTENDANCE
The total 2017 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo attendance was more than the population of any Texas city.
- Total attendance for all activities on the grounds was a record 2,611,176. o In three days, the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest entertained 226,369 guests, and on Thursday, March 2, attendance reached an opening-day record of 47,883.
o Another record was broken on Saturday, March 18, with a single-day attendance of 185,667, when the Show had more people on the grounds than Texas’ 16th most populated city.
- Paid Rodeo/concert attendance reached 1,370,263. o Two of the RODEOHOUSTON® performances landed on the list of the Show’s top 20 paid rodeo/concert attendance records. § First: Sunday, March 19, 2017 – Go Tejano Day – Banda El Recodo and Siggno – 75,557
- 17th: Thursday, March 16, 2017 – Luke Bryan – 75,033
RODEOHOUSTON®
- RODEOHOUSTON committed $2.17 million to its contestants in 2017.
- The 2017 RODEOHOUSTON Super Series invited the world’s top rodeo athletes to compete in seven traditional rodeo events, March 7 – 25. o With the entire purse provided by RODEOHOUSTON, Super Series athletes competed for a share of $1,748,000 in prize money. Each event champion rode out of NRG Stadium with $50,000, plus winnings from the preliminary rounds.
o 2017 RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Champions, with total money earned, are: § Tie-Down Roping: Caleb Smidt: Belleville, Texas – $58,500
- Bareback Riding: Jake Vold: Airdrie, Alberta, Canada – $56,000
- Team Roping: Zac Small: Welch, Oklahoma; and Levi Lord: Sturgis, South Dakota – $110,000
- Saddle Bronc Riding: Cody DeMoss: Heflin, Louisiana – $56,438 • 2003 RODEOHOUSTON Champion
- Steer Wrestling: Tyler Waguespack: Gonzales, Louisiana – $56,500
- Barrel Racing: Kassie Mowry: Dublin, Texas – $60,000
- Bull Riding: Garrett Smith: Rexburg, Idaho – $53,375
- The RODEOHOUSTON Super Shootout®: North America’s Champions, presented by Crown Royal, was held Sunday, March 26, 2017. o This one-day event featured champion athletes from eight of the best rodeos in the U.S. and Canada.
o Contestants competed as individuals, and as part of a team consisting of event champions from each of the eight rodeos.
o The Super Shootout features five fan-favorite events: bareback riding, barrel racing, bull riding, saddle bronc riding and steer wrestling.
o With a total purse of $250,000, the Super Shootout is among the richest one-day rodeo events in the world. Each event champion earned $25,000, and team members earned an additional $2,500 each for their share of $12,500 for the winning team.
o 2017 champions, with the rodeos they represented, are:
- Bareback Riding: Tim, O’Connell, Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
- Barrel Racing: Ivy Conrado, Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
- Bull Riding: Riker Carter, Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
- Saddle Bronc Riding: Taos Muncy, Reno Rodeo
- Steer Wrestling: Sterling Lambert, Rodeo Austin
- Super Shootout Team Award: Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
- each team member took home an additional $2,500
2017 HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW™
- Livestock and horse show competitions drew 32,793 entries.
- There were more than 19,000 Houston Livestock Show junior entries for the 10 breeding, market and dairy livestock shows, and 21 judging competitions and contests.
- Junior auction sales totaled $15,239,356
- Six junior auction Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion lots set world or Show records. The prices for the top winners in the junior market and school art auctions were:
o Junior Market Barrow
- Grand Champion Barrow: $212,000 (world record)
- Reserve Grand Champion Barrow: $133,000 (world record)
o Junior Market Pen of Broilers § Grand Champion Pen of Broilers: $150,000
- Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Broilers: $75,000
o Junior Market Goat § Grand Champion Goat: $180,000 (world record)
- Reserve Grand Champion Goat: $115,000
o Junior Market Lamb § Grand Champion Lamb: $270,000 (world record)
- Reserve Grand Champion Lamb: $125,000
o Junior Market Steer § Grand Champion Steer: $345,000
- Reserve Grand Champion Steer: $330,000
o Junior Market Turkey § Grand Champion Turkey: $110,000
- Reserve Grand Champion Turkey: $68,000
o School Art § Grand Champion Work of Art: $235,000 (Show record)
- Reserve Grand Champion Work of Art: $221,000 (Show record)
- Auction totals (unaudited preliminary totals that do not include cash contributions and some purchase commitment amounts) were:
o Barrow: $2,773,280
o Lamb and Goat: $3,101,479
o Poultry: $1,615,334
o School Art: $2,285,233
o Steer: $4,354,700
- The Junior Commercial Steer Auction totals were $628,539 (live auction of choice steers).
- The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Champion Wine Auction brought in $1,844,208.
- The Ranching & Wildlife Auction totaled $551,116.
- Calf scramble and judging contest winners received 370 certificates, each worth $2,000, to apply toward the purchase of a registered beef heifer, steer or dairy calf to exhibit at the 2018 Houston Livestock Show. Certificate premiums totaled $740,000.
- Calf scramble exhibitors from 2016 who returned with their heifer, steer and dairy projects to compete at the 2017 Houston Livestock Show received more than $100,000 total in premiums and awards.
SCHOLARSHIP AND EDUCATION
- The Show committed $26,065,510 to the youth of Texas in 2017:
o $14,272,000 in scholarships to be awarded this summer ($18,000 scholarships were increased to $20,000);
o $7,653,750 to junior show exhibitors and calf scramble participants;
o $3,614,360 in educational program grants; and
o $525,400 in graduate assistantships.
MORE FACTS AND FIGURES
RODEOHOUSTON
- Three RODEOHOUSTON entertainers drew 75,000 or more fans to NRG Stadium.
- Show officials announced on Thursday, March 16, that country music icon Garth Brooks would open and close 2018 RODEOHOUSTON.
- The new Mare and Foal presentation became a fan-favorite during the nightly 2017 performances, highlighting animal welfare and breeding programs. A new foal was born during RODEOHOUSTON, and fans voted to name the new addition Houston’s Honey.
AGVENTURE, presented by Occidental Petroleum
- More than 61,000 people participated in a scheduled school tour or field trip.
- More than 20,000 little cowboys and cowgirls rode the pony rides.
- More than 425 eggs hatched in the Poultry Exhibit.
- Fifty-eight piglets, 20 calves and 14 lambs and were born at the Birthing Center.
- More than 65,000 sunflower seeds were planted in the Soil Exhibit.
The Junction
- More than 109,500 little farmers visited TDECU Fun on the Farm.
- More than 16,000 people rode camels.
- More than 3,500 children participated in Mutton Bustin’ in The Junction.
Food
- Visitors consumed o 47,480 tamales;
o 38,000 cinnamon rolls;
o 29,196 potatoes;
o 18,915 barbecue sandwiches;
o 10,819 sausages on-a-stick;
o 8,000 funnel cakes;
o 3,400 corn dogs;
o and 122 slices of bug pizza.
RODEOHOUSTON TV
- Live television broadcasts were available on FOX Sports Southwest throughout the U.S. and Canada, March 22 – 26.
- Live streaming of RODEOHOUSTON action each night was available at rodeohouston.com and FoxSports.com/Southwest.
- The Show produced four live streams of various Show activities and live rodeo competition each day.
Show Merchandise
- Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and entertainer merchandise sales reached more than $4 million.
- More than 80,000 items with the Show’s logo went home with fans, including 25,000 T-shirts, 10,000 lapel pins, and 10,000 cups and mugs.
Social Media
- Since March 1, 2017,
o more than 357,000 public mentions online were recorded;
o 281,259,000 fans were reached online;
o and more than 287,683,000 additional fans were reached due to shares of the Show’s online content.
Transportation
- More than 830,000 visitors utilized the Rodeo Express and METRO Park & Ride locations, including more than 380,000 riding METRORail.
Carnival
- It took 350 truckloads of equipment to build the carnival.
- The carnival hosted more than 2.4 million riders during the 20-day run of the Show.
- Eighty semitrailers full of teddy bears found new homes.
- Forty-one miles of turkey legs, if lined up end to end, were eaten.
- The equivalent of two fields of corn were roasted.
- The top five rides were Skyride, La Grande XL, Windstorm, RaveWave and G Force.
- The top five games were Bank a Ball #1, One Ball, Mini Basketball, Bank a Ball #2 and Tubs.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a Section 501(c)(3) charity that benefits youth, supports education, and facilitates better agricultural practices through exhibitions and presentation. Since its beginning in 1932, the Show has committed more than $430 million to the youth of Texas. For more information, visit rodeohouston.com and connect with #RODEOHOUSTON online via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for all of the latest news. The 2018 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is scheduled for Feb. 27 – March 18.