Joe Beaver - Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

aising cabrito (goats) for profit.A project directly related to theShow was a study by JohnDillingham at Texas Tech University’sDepartment of AgriculturalEducation and Mechanization. Dillinghaminterviewed everyexhibitor who received Grand andReserve Grand Champion steerhonors at the Houston LivestockShow from 1962 to 1982. His investigationincluded statistics such asbreed, weight and purchase price.He coupled that information withqueries about the aesthetic rewardsthe winners received by raising achampion steer.The result is an interesting lookat the way the Show’s junior marketsteer competition has changedthroughout the years, as well as theway it has managed to hold on tomany of the admirable values thatcharacterize people who make agriculturetheir lives.Over the years, the Show’s grantshave acquired a good reputationamong research institutions. “Thecaché of the Show and our supporttend to let other people see theseprograms in a positive light,”explained Nathanson. “It’s seen as avery positive thing to have thebacking of one of the major playersin the field of agriculture. It is aform of validation.”To qualify for a research grant, auniversity must first develop appropriateprojects. At the beginning ofthe fiscal year, the Show issues a callfor proposals to the state’s universitiesand colleges that have agriculturalprograms. All proposals arethen evaluated and analyzed forapproval. Most of the grants are thenawarded during the summer so therecipients may bring their work inconjunction with the fall semester.The amount of money budgetedfor research is approved by theExecutive Committee as part of theorganization’s overall educationalbudget.The research program is anintrinsic part of the HoustonLivestock Show and Rodeo’s missionto support young people intheir efforts to obtain a quality educationand to contribute toadvances in technology. “It is agood indicator that this organizationremain true to our foundingprinciples that are based on supportof the agricultural industry,”Nathanson added.This is one area in which theShow has not been greatly imitated.The scholarship program, bycomparison, has led to a numberof scholarship programs by otherlivestock expositions. However,in the field of agriculturalresearch, the Houston LivestockShow and Rodeo remainsthe pacesetter.SHOW SETS RECORDSFrom Page 3(including a horse and ratite sale)tallied in at $7,516,206. Junior showmarket sales, making up $4,545,349of the total, rose 6 percent from1994. Of this amount, $1,351,950was placed in the Show’sEducational Fund. And, due to theShow’s guaranteed premium programinitiated in 1994, the youngTexas 4-H and FFA exhibitorsreceived a total of $3,125,575 fortheir auction animals.Making up the $4,545,349 juniorshow total were market steer salesof $2,494,800, followed by juniormarket swine sales of $718,225;junior market lamb sales of$618,700; and junior market poultrysales of $498,700. The juniorcommercial steer sale posted a finaltotal of $214,924.The fourth annual HoustonLivestock Show and Rodeo PremierHorse Sale totaled $350,450, rising16 percent over the previous year’sfigure of $301,275.Commercial cattle sales variedfrom breed to breed, totaling$2,527,382 in sales.RIDIN’ AND ROPIN’ EXCELLENCEThe world’s richest regular-seasonrodeo drew 501 cowboys and cowgirlscompeting for champion beltbuckles and saddles and a portionof the $634,757 rodeo purse.Joe Beaver, of Huntsville, Texas,won the All-Around Cowboy title,and added $25,000 to the $9,736 hewon in the calf roping and teamroping events, for total winnings of$34,736.STAR-STUDDEDENTERTAINMENTOnce again, the rodeo was unsurpassedin the quality of musicalperformances. Entertainers includetraditional country music favoriteslike Clint Black, Alan Jackson,Reba McEntire, George Strait,Tanya Tucker and Hank WilliamsJr. There were many first-timeAstrodome performers, includingDavid Ball, Peabo Bryson, NatalieCole, Toby Keith, Little Texas, TheMavericks and Sawyer Brown.Tejano Day featured Selena andEmilio, who drew the highest singleperformance attendance for thesecond year.With unbridled support fromthe community, exhibitors,patrons, Show members, volunteers,benefactors and everyoneinvolved with the HoustonLivestock Show and Rodeo, the1995 event was one for the recordbooks. Once again, the Show’smessage of benefiting youth andsupporting education wasamplified throughout theworld!9