March 2-5, 2008: A Visit to Ruckman Haus
	February 19, 2008: The Chieftains Concert at Bass Hall
	Return to Index for 2008

Getting to the Texas Gay Rodeo

On Saturday, March 1, Fred and I went over to Fort Worth to the rodeo being held under the auspices of the TGRA- the Texas Gay Rodeo Association. We probably wouldn't have gone if it were just us, but Frank and Joe were coming up from South Texas to visit Frank's parents again and also attend the Rodeo. So it was an opportunity to see them again (even though we'd seen them performing at the Stock Show just a few weeks before.

The rodeo was held in the same complex as was the Stock Show, but in a different building. We headed over towards Fort Worth on Interstate 30, exited just past the Botanical Gardens and then drove first north and then east into the Stockyard Complex. We had a couple of false starts in finding the actual rodeo. At first we thought it would be in the same place as the Stock Show had been, but we found that it was at the other end of the complex.

Through a combination of looking at the little map we'd printed off the Internet and following a couple of groups that we thought might be heading there, we finally determined that the rodeo was being held in an arena in the southeast corner of the stockyards complex- in Watt Arena. So we got back in the car and drove along the south side of the complex to the parking area just east of the arena.

The rodeo was being held in two buildings. The actual events were being held in Watt Arena, and we'll get to those events shortly. As is the case with most events like this one (and as was true at the Stock Show a month ago), there were also various vendors and exhibits that were connected with the rodeo in some way- like artists and equipment vendors and such. These folks were set up in an adjacent building (which is actually the holding area for animals and trailers).

So, the pictures and movies of the rodeo itself were all taken in Watt Arena, but you will also see some taken in then vendor area in the adjacent building.

Fred and I got to the rodeo ahead of Frank and Joe; we were there about an hour and a half before they arrived. When we got there, the events were already underway, and they continued throughout the day. We sat and watched a few of them before the other guys arrived, and then during the day we all sat down and watched more of them. For this page in the album, then, it really doesn't add anything to the narrative to intersperse the event pictures and movies through the still pictures; I might as well put all the events in one place.

Events at the Texas Gay Rodeo

When we arrived, the calf-roping event was just getting underway. Like most rodeo arenas, the Watt Arena has gates at either end of the arena itself. For the calf-roping, the calf and horse and rider come out of the starting gates at one end of the arena. Then, when a ride is concluded, the calf, horse and rider exit through the other end of the arena (which you'll see in some of the movies). The arena itself is surrounded on either side by the rows of seats; as you can see here, there were not many folks present when we first got here. But as you watch some of the movies below (which are presented in the table in time sequence), you will see that the rodeo became more and more crowded.

Movie players for the nine movies we took can be found below, and each has a title describing the event being filmed. Please uses these players to watch as many of the movies as you wish:

Calf Roping

Calf Wrestling

Horse-riding Around Obstacles

Horse-riding Around Obstacles

Cow Riding (funny)

Bull Riding

Bull Riding

Bull Riding

Bull Riding

We Meet Frank and Joe at the Texas Gay Rodeo

Frank and Joe arrived at the rodeo just before noon, and we spent the rest of the afternoon with them, going out for some lunch about three-thirty. One of the first pictures I took was of Frank, Joe, Fred and a friend of Joe's from South Texas, and you can see that picture here.

When there was a lull in the events, we walked down into the vendor area where I took some more pictures and movies.

Frank met someone else that he knew, and we stopped along the vendor aisle to talk, and I took the opportunity to film some of the rodeo attendees and vendors in the vendor area. That's the movie at right.

We also stopped at another vendor- two women who did Texas-themed artwork and clothing. Frank and Joe (and Fred and I as well) were admiring the three-dimensional artwork that they made, and found their experiences (one had been a gay cowgirl for quite some time in the rodeos) intriguing as well, and so we stopped and talked with them for quite some time.

At the Vendor Booth

They were nice enough to let us use their artwork as a backdrop for some pictures, and I have put thumbnails for these pictures below. Just click on the thumbnails to view the full-size images:

A little later on we returned to the arena to watch some of the final events, and at that time I took a pretty good movie of our conversations with Frank and Joe as well as one of the horse obstacle racing events that was going on at the time. You can watch that movie using the player at left.

We enjoyed the day with Frank and Joe, and along about six we all left the arena. We headed home while Frank and Joe went to Frank's mother's house for a dinner that they had planned.

You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.

	March 2-5, 2008: A Visit to Ruckman Haus
	February 19, 2008: The Chieftains Concert at Bass Hall
	Return to Index for 2008