Serving and Informing the Volunteers and Supporters of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo

All trail rideslead to Houston

MAGAZINE

February, 1994—Vol 1l, No. 1

Magazine CommitteeOfficer in Charge

Suzanne Epps

ChairmanRoy Elledge Jr.

Vice Chairmen/Committee Editors

Bill BarrettPeter A. Ruman

Editorial BoardMark AnawatyJohn Murphy

Marshall R. Smith IIIStephen Stepinoff

Ron Stone

ReportersYahsmine Catli-Cowan

Deborah DahlkeCheryl Dorsett

Freeman GregoryPamela HensonWhitney Horton

Ann JacobsBeth JohnsonMark JonesTerri Kainer

Charlotte KirkMelissa Manning

Evelyn McConnellElise Oppmann

Middy RandersonKeith R. Schmidt

Design/LayoutPegasus Design, Inc.

PhotographerSam Pierson

Magazine Staff/ManagementManagement Coordinators

Leroy ShaferSuzy Brown

Production EditorJohnnie Hendon

Staff Coordinator/EditorTeresa Lippert

PhotographerFrank Martin, D.V.M.

Cover PhotoHouston Chronicle

Houston Livestock Show and RodeoExecutive Committee

Joseph T. Ainsworth, M.D. James O. Bloodworth Allen H. Carruth

James R. “Dick” Graves Hal Hillman H. Stuart Lang Jr.

Louis M. Pearce Jr. John O. Smith Clayton Underwood

Tommie Vaughn P.Michael Wells James M. Windham Jr.

Honorary Lifetime Members - Executive CommitteeDouglas B. Marshall Gail Whitcomb

Chairman of the BoardJames R. “Dick” Graves

PresidentDon D. Jordan

OfficersRichard E. Bean Don Buckalew John H. Causey

George A. DeMontrond III C.R. “Bob” Devine Suzanne Epps

George R. Hinsley Wayne Hollis Jr. Jim Janke

W.A. “Sonny” Lewis Robert V. McAnelly Howard H. “Red” Moore

Tom R. Northrup

General ManagerDan A. Gattis

Volume II, Issue 1, is published by the HoustonLivestock Show and Rodeo, Copyright 1993. Letters

and comments should be sent to: Marketing Department, Houston LivestockShow and Rodeo, P.O. Box 20070, Houston, Texas 77225-0070.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Message from the President—————————————— 1

Features

1994 Pre-Show Overview—————————————— 2

New Guaranteed Premium Program ————————— 4

The Voice of the Houston Rodeo——————————— 6

Dome Preparation ————————————————— 7

Law from the Saddle ———————————————— 8

Following the Music———————————————— 10

The McKinsey Study ——————————————— 12

Keeping an Eye on Rodeo ————————————— 20

Vice President Profiles————————————————— 15

Committee Spotlight

Trail Ride ———————————————————— 16

Range & Pasture Plant I.D. Contest—————————— 17

Events & Functions ———————————————— 17

Steer Auction ——————————————————— 18

Executive Committee Portrait

Tommie Vaughn ————————————————— 19

Calendar of Events —————————————— Back Cover

MAGAZINE,

t’s livestock show and rodeo time in Houston onceagain, and I know you’re looking forward to havinga hand in yet another world-class event. Certainly,

we’ll all enjoy attending the Show, having the oppor-tunity to visit with youth participants, seeing oldfriends and watching the very best rodeo performerson the face of the earth.

But for us, the actual livestock show and rodeo isn’tthe end of the fun. As members of the team that areresponsible for the Show’s success, we’re fortunate toget to enjoy the fruits of our labors many times duringthe year — once, in February and March, during theShow itself, and then again during the summermonths, when we get to see the living results of all ourwork and efforts.

Starting with the 4-H Roundup in June, and onthrough the Metro Scholarship Banquet, the FFA StateConvention and the Hispanic Scholarship Awards,we’ll have the opportunity to see our weeks andmonths of volunteer time pay off by sending some ofTexas’ finest young people to college. In many cases,these bright young men and women, the future leadersof this state and this nation, might not otherwise havehad an opportunity to attend a university.

Those scholarships are what the rodeo is real-ly all about.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a mam-moth event. It is a multi-million dollar business, avastly complicated and complexundertaking that simply could nottake place were it not for the multi-ple skills, business acumen andplain hard work that you bring tothis event. And it is a highly suc-cessful business...one that deliversmore than $3 million annually in

scholarships and other educational endeavors fordeserving youngsters.

It is successful because every one of us realizes thatsuccess depends upon attention to a thousand details.Whether you’re stalling horses, selling advertising,helping people find their way in the Astrohall, makinga speech about the Show, working in the arena or guid-ing people to shuttle buses, you’re helping to ensurethat Houston’s biggest and most famous annual Showcontinues to be the most prestigious event of its kindanywhere in the world.

Our goal this year, and every year, is to make surethat the general public will be welcomed as honoredguests, will receive a terrific entertainment buy andwill leave with nothing but fond memories ofHouston’s livestock show and rodeo experience. Butthose kids walking across various stages to receivescholarships, months after the rodeo itself, are our real bottom line.

It’s popular today for speechmakers to talk aboutinstilling family values, fighting crime, improving edu-cation and giving young people goals. That’s exactlywhat you are doing through your participation in theHouston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

So when you’re taking care of some of the myriaddetails you handle as volunteers...stop for just amoment and think about what you’re doing for thefuture of Texas. Stand a little taller knowing you’re

making this a better place to livetoday, and in the future.

I thank you, and the city ofHouston and the state of Texasthank you. Most importantly, theyoung people who are the ultimatebeneficiaries of your work, thankyou.

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s all of you volun-teers know, HoustonLivestock Show and

Rodeo management and staff havebeen busy since before the 1993Show preparing for the upcoming1994 event. Of course, after the1993 Show, we realized we had amajor challenge ahead of us for1994 because your work as com-mittee volunteers and the supportof the general public helped usbreak all records.

Just as we all have to start earlyto make our committees successfuleach year, we plan more than ayear in advance for each Show.This includes talking to potentialcorporate sponsors, negotiatingwith entertainers, critiquingchanges and looking at ways tomake everything better for you andthe public.

Although we’ve touched onsome of the changes and improve-ments in previous issues, this is agreat time to really preview the1994 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

On the shuttle bus front, wewon’t be able to use the MeyerlandMall parking lot, but we do have anew location very near there — theparking lot at 9009 West LoopSouth. This facility is across Loop610 from Meyerland Mall. Also,we’ll still be running the shuttlesfrom Gulfgate and Northline malls,and the West Loop Park-n-Ride atLoop 610 and Braeswood.

Please ride the shuttle wheneveryou can. Parking is still a majorchallenge, and although you aregiven a parking pass, it does notguarantee a parking place.Sometimes your committee workschedules don’t allow you to takethe bus, but we’re counting on all10,000 of you to take advantage ofthe bus. The bus will run from 5p.m. to midnight Monday through

Friday, and 9 a.m. to midnightSaturday and Sunday. Remember,you ride free with your gold badge.

On the subject of gold badges,please be aware that when youwear your badge, you’re represent-ing the Houston Livestock Showand Rodeo and its 29,000+ mem-bers. Please show respect for your-self as a hardworking com-mittee member.

One of the biggest complaints wereceive every year from seasonticket holders concerns committeemembers, gold badges prominentlydisplayed, refusing to get out ofseats in the Astrodome during the rodeo.

Your gold badge does not guar-antee you a seat in the rodeo.When someone with a ticket, or anAstrodome usher, asks you tomove, please do it quickly andpleasantly. Season ticket holdersare our largest ticket-buying pub-lic, and they deserve to sit in theseats they have purchased, withno problems.

Also, please follow the otherrules governing the wearing of goldbadges. Your badge allows you tobring one guest in with you. Whenyou abuse this privilege, you runthe risk of having restrictions puton the use of the badge, creating aproblem for all of us.

Due to overcrowding in theDome, we have eliminated theSeason Box Holders’ badges thisyear. Again, please cooperate ascommittee members and adhere tothe rules - one rodeo, one guest.

Your badge also allows you andone guest admission to the World’sChampionship Bar-B-Que Contest,the livestock show and the horseshow. This is one guest per day.

Gold badges do not provideadmission to various restrictedareas such as the executive suites,skyboxes, Corral Clubs, rodeo

grand entry, rodeo chute area,entertainer dressing rooms, judgingrings and arenas, etc.

You do know, gold badges arenon-transferable. You’re the onewho earned it — don’t give it away,loan it to someone or sell it!

Also, you’ll only receive onegold badge, regardless of the num-ber of committees on whichyou serve.

Any member found to be dupli-cating or attempting to reproducegold badges, parking permits orother similar items without writtenpermission from the HoustonLivestock Show and RodeoGeneral Manager may be prosecut-ed to the fullest extent of the lawand/or permanently expelled fromShow membership.

Also, because you work so hardto earn your gold badge, keep inmind that to be eligible for a com-mittee for the 1995 Show, you’llneed to have all of your Showaccounts paid by July 1, 1994. Itwould be helpful to promptly payfor your auction animals, souvenirprogram advertisements, rodeotickets, etc., before the July 1deadline.

In keeping with the efforts tocontrol crowds, credentials for themedia and Show guests also havebeen changed. Only official cre-dentials, issued from the offices ofthe Houston Livestock Show andRodeo, will be accepted at thevarious gates.

You, your friends and committeeguests will have even more excit-ing things to do at this year’s Show.Due to the first rodeo performancebeing held on Saturday, Feb. 19,the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest will start a day earlier,on Thursday, Feb. 17, with judgingon Friday, Feb. 18. The contestwill be the site of pig races andthree free concert stages through-

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out the two-day run of the cook-off.Also, the $5 admission into thecontest includes barbecue samples,plus coupons for other food andfun products from booths through-out the contest.

The shuttle bus will run onThursday and Friday, 5 p.m. tomidnight both days, and the carni-val will be open both days, 2 p.m tomidnight Thursday and 2 p.m. to1 a.m. Friday.

The Group Ticket SalesCommittee is preselling carnivalcoupon ride books, which containbargains for rides, food and drink.Watch for special “pay-one-price”days at the carnival, as well asother special sale-price days.

Your children and other littlefriends and guests will love theaddition of two new petting zoos.This makes a total of three pettingzoos, spread throughout the complex.

One of the new petting zoos willbe located in Astrohall Plaza, alongwith pony rides, commercialexhibits and part of the carnival.This location also will be the site ofthe Tejano Diner, home of the“Mariachi Plate,” superb SouthTexas-style Mexican food. You’llalso be able to see pig races inAstrohall Plaza every day, at 10 a.m.,noon and 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 p.m.

Rodeo Plaza, between theAstrohall and the Astrodome, willreturn with great restaurants andplaces to sit under cover.

The excitement of the Wild WestShow will fill the Main CattleArena every day, Sunday, Feb. 20,through Sunday, March 6, at 6 p.m.

Don’t forget that the rodeo startsa day early, on Saturday, Feb. 19, at7 p.m. All evening rodeo perfor-mances will start at 7, 15 minutesearlier than last year. Also, allSunday performances will be at 4p.m., which should help traffic flowconsiderably.

Tickets started selling at a recordpace in November, so we’re look-ing at another tremendous year.And although our goal is to breakrecords, we also want to keep ourShow moving forward in quality aswell as quantity.

In an effort to further expand ouraudience, the Houston LivestockShow and Rodeo will be broadcastlive on pay-per-view televisionFriday, March 4, from 8 to 11 p.m.The rodeo and star concert will beavailable for $14.95 from partici-pating cable companies, withmoney-off coupons also offered. Itshould be a great show, allowingpeople all over Louisiana,Oklahoma and Texas, and parts of

Arkansas and New Mexico, to seethe best entertainment value in theSouthwest!

Thanks to all the suggestionsyou’ve made on your committeesurvey forms, we’re continuing tomake our event better every year.

The men and women who com-prise the management and staff ofthe Houston Livestock Show andRodeo know we couldn’t continueto grow and improve without yourhard work and support.Have a great Show!

This year, the pig races will be held daily in the new Astrohall Plaza.

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he response hasbeen overwhelm-ingly positive to

one of the most comprehensivechanges ever made in the HoustonLivestock Show’s junior show auc-tions — the guaranteed premiumprogram. In fact, auction exhibitorsand auction buyers both will bene-fit when the program takes effectduring the 1994 Show.

All lambs, barrows and poultry,

along with steers whose exhibitorselect to sell in the auction, that winribbons while competing in theirindividual classes will become theproperty of the Houston LivestockShow and Rodeo in return for aguaranteed premium paid to theanimal’s exhibitor.

These animals will then be soldby the Houston Livestock Showand Rodeo in their respectivejunior market auction sales.

This way, junior market live-stock exhibitors at the HoustonLivestock Show will know inadvance the minimum amount ofmoney they will receive for ani-mals sold at auction throughthis program.

Also, in accordance with recenttax legislation, the Houston

Livestock Show and Rodeo (a non-profit charitable organization) willprovide each auction buyer with arecord of the animal they pur-chased from the Show. This docu-mentation also will inform buyersof the fair market value of thegoods and services provided by theShow. This disclosure shall allowbuyers to determine what amountof the excess payment abovefair market value is a charitable

contribution.As in the past, all

junior market auctionsales proceeds will bepaid to the HoustonLivestock Show andRodeo. All guaranteedpremiums will be dis-bursed after the livestockshow is completed.

Total money com-mitted by the HoustonLivestock Show andRodeo for this new guaran-teed premium programexceeds $3.21 million,an increase of more than$340,000 above the 1993

auction awards of $2.87 million.“The new guaranteed premium

program is a win-win situation forthe exhibitor as well as the buyer,”said George DeMontrond, Showvice president and former chairmanof the Steer Auction Committee.“The Show has committed morethan $3 million to underwrite thisprogram, providing a substantialincrement in dollars available tothe junior market exhibitors.”

Prior to the implementation ofthis program, junior marketexhibitors, (all Texas 4-H and FFAyoungsters), received the moneybid for their ribbon-winning ani-mals at auction up to a maximumamount. Money paid by buyers atany of the four market auctions(steer, lamb, poultry and swine)

that exceeded the maximumamounts was placed in theHouston Livestock Show andRodeo Educational Fund to sup-port scholarship programs forTexas students.

These cap amounts were takeninto account in determining theguaranteed premium for each ani-mal. For example, the winningexhibitor of the grand championsteer at the Houston LivestockShow will receive a guaranteedpremium of $50,000, the sameamount as the cap.

Additionally, any money that isbid for animals that exceeds theguaranteed premium amount, yetfalls short of the cap amount, couldresult in additional premiums forthe youngsters. Any and all addi-tional premiums will be paid even-ly to all eligible junior market showexhibitors who receive a guaran-teed premium that is less than thecap amount. Therefore, the poten-tial exists for the youngsters toreceive even more money than theguaranteed premium amount.

“We feel the guaranteed premi-um program will provide young-sters with strong incentives to raiseand develop superior livestockwhile becoming involved in atremendous learning experience.We leave no doubt as to the mini-mum amount of money youngexhibitors will receive for their ani-mal projects. Our generous buyersare the force behind this programas they help us benefit youth andsupport education across Texas,”said Don Jobes, assistant generalmanager of the Houston LivestockShow and Rodeo.

A special committee of keyTexas agricultural science teachersand county extension agents metwith Show management membersDec. 1 to discuss the new program.Response to the program was over-

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BroilersPlace Guaranteed Premium

Price

Grand Champion $20,000Reserve Grand Champion $10,000Remaining 3rd-20th Place $ 5,000Remaining 21st-30th Place $ 1,250Remaining 31st-50th Place $ 800Remaining 51st-100th Place $ 700Remaining 101st-150th Place $ 600All Placing Broilers $ 500

Auction Cap AmountsGrand Champion $20,000Reserve Grand Champion $10,000All Placing Broilers $ 5,000

TurkeysPlace Guaranteed Premium

Price

Grand Champion $20,000Reserve Grand Champion $10,000Remaining 1st-12th Place $ 5,000Remaining 13th-24th Place $ 700Remaining 25th-36th Place $ 600All Placing Turkeys $ 500

Auction Cap AmountsGrand Champion $20,000Reserve Grand Champion $10,000All Placing Turkeys $ 5,000

whelmingly positive, with oneagricultural science teacher quot-ed, “I believe this will help the

junior sale and the junior show ina number of ways. We really doappreciate all that the Houston

Livestock Show has done and con-tinues to do on behalf of ouryouth in Texas.”

Place Guaranteed Premium PriceSteers Lambs Barrows

Grand Champion $50,000 $25,000 $25,000Reserve Grand Champion $35,000 $17,500 $17,500Breed Champions $15,000 $ 7,500 $ 7,500Reserve Breed Champions $12,500 $ 7,500 $ 7,500Remaining First Place Animals $ 6,000 $ 7,000 $ 7,000Remaining Second Place Animals $ 5,000 $ 6,500 $ 2,000Remaining Third Place Animals $ 3,000 $ 3,000 $ 975Remaining Fourth Place Animals $ 2,750 $ 2,000 $ 950Remaining Fifth Place Animals $ 2,500 $ 1,500 $ 925Remaining Sixth Place Animals $ 1,100 $ 900Remaining Seventh Place Animals $ 1,090 $ 875Remaining Eighth Place Animals $ 1,080 $ 850Remaining Ninth Place Animals $ 1,070 $ 825Remaining Tenth Place Animals $ 1,060 $ 800Remaining Eleventh Place Animals $ 1,050 $ 775Remaining Twelfth Place Animals $ 1,040 $ 750Remaining Thirteenth Place Animals $ 1,030Remaining Fourteenth Place Animals $ 1,020Remaining Fifteenth Place Animals $ 1,010All Remaining Placing Animals $ 2,000 $ 1,000 $ 725

Auction Cap AmountsGrand Champion $50,000 $25,000 $25,000Reserve Grand Champion $35,000 $17,500 $17,500All Placing Animals $15,000 $ 7,500 $ 7,500

hen the Show’sl o n g - t i m eannouncer Bob

Tallman is doing what he wants dur-ing a rodeo performance, not one ofthe 50,000-plus people in the audi-ence believes, “...they’re going to betaxed, hassled or read a bad head-line.”

For the last 17 years, Tallmanhas used his unmistakable drawl tofill audiences with the infectiousenthusiasm he feels for every eventthat occurs during a rodeo perfor-mance. And he makes it lookeffortless.

There probably isn’t a better pair-ing anywhere in rodeo thanTallman and the Show. His warm,humorous gift of gab turns whatcould be a distant experience—given the cavernous expanses ofthe Astrodome—into high-spiritedentertainment for the hundreds ofthousands of people who attendthe rodeo each year.

“It’s part of my life all year, notjust the 20 days I’m here,” he says.“I’ve watched Houston’s rodeogrow from being one of the coun-try’s biggest rodeos to being one ofthe most awesome events in thecountry. Period. I’m on a bill thatis probably the largest entertain-ment offering for the best price inthe world. There’s not anythinglike it.”

Tallman was 28 years old whenhe began learning announcingduties at the rodeo from ChuckParkison, who had spent the pre-ceding 25 years behind the micro-phone. Tallman had beenannouncing at smaller shows forabout five years when the Houstonopportunity arose.

“Getting to go to Houston at thatpoint in my career was like, ‘You’rekidding me!’ I remember my firstperformance. I rode in on horse-back in front of 50,000 people

without any notes. I admit it mademe think, but I don’t rememberbeing nervous. We just rode outthere and did it. When you’re on,you’re on. If you’re on fire, you’vegot to find some water.”

Today’s rodeo performances areso intricately produced and requireso much planning, Tallman admitshe wouldn’t try it without notesagain.

“It requires a certain pacing ofenergy,” he explains. “You have tomaintain a freshness. We’re actu-ally doing live television becauseof the DiamondVision replay.There are no take-two’s. This isn’tlive-to-tape. It’s live-to-life.”

Tallman credits the Show’s staffwith upholding professional pro-duction values and keeping thingson track with daily organizationalmeetings. “There is nothing elselike it. We’re responsible for mak-ing sure that every segment duringthe 20 days of activity here is asgood and perfect as it can be.”

And perfection is a relative termwhen it comes to live productions,he says. Learning to bob andweave in an entertainment sense isa very useful talent. One neverknows what might happen next.

“At the 1991 show,” Tallmanrecalled “we learned that thePresident was about to announcethe end of the war in Kuwait.

“After receiving permission fromABC Television, we stopped therodeo and patched in the Presidentas he announced the end of the warto an excited and surprised rodeocrowd. That’s just one instance inone hundred I’ve been involved inwith this rodeo. There’s no otherway to describe it except ‘awesome.’”

Tallman actually gets wound upfor a performance during the GrandEntry. “I have become so comfort-able knowing that the colorannouncer, Bill Bailey, and last

year Ron Stone, is going to warmup the audience for me during theGrand Entry. When he hands themto me, they’re on fire.”

As he sees it, his job is to, “... put frosting on the cake Bill hasbaked and keep it together, slicingit up in the last few minutes of theperformance and giving about55,000 people a piece to take homewith them so that they leave feelingthey have a part of it.”

Tallman also noted, “I havelearned that I need my annual‘Texas fix’ to raise my attitude andmaintain a total optimistic outlookfor the rest of the year.”

“Houston is totally differentfrom anything else in the world. Itsets the pace for what it means toproduce the best, and the rest fol-low,” he said. “How can you com-pete with 10,000 volunteers? Theyunderstand that the only way ourworld will progress is to educatethe young people and give themopportunity. If I could gather all10,000 of them in a room and shaketheir hands...well, that would be animmense project, but I surewould like to try it sometime.”

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With microphone and script in hand,Tallman keeps the rodeo crowdinformed.

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here may be somesimilarities betweentackling an NFL

running back and a cowboywrestling a steer at the HoustonRodeo, but the playing field isn’tone of them. So every year afterthe Oilers’ football season, theAstroturf comes up, and the dirtgoes down. It is just one step inthe transformation of theHouston Astrodome into the siteof the world’s richest regular-sea-son rodeo.

Before livestock fill the pens andcowboys don their spurs, workerswill log 75,000 hours preparing theAstrodome complex for the 1994Show.

“It’s a massive, complicated job todo in an extremely short amount oftime,” said Gary Richards, assistantmanager of buildings and grounds.“But this team is the best there is.Everyone works together to makesure we get the job done.”

Richards and his crew of 150begin working 10-hour days, sevendays a week, on Jan. 2. All con-struction and preparation, with theexception of the carnival, are theirresponsibility. When consideringthe magnitude of their tasks, ithardly seems like enough time:

•The floors of the Astrodomeand horse arena must be coveredwith an 18-inch base of dirt — 211truck-loads’ worth.

•16,500 feet of fencing is erect-ed for the barbecue contest, carni-val and parking.

•More than 4,000 animal pens,stalls and tie-outs are erected.

•The pens and stalls are con-structed with 13,000 square feet ofsand, 3,600 square feet of cedarchips and 3,600 square feet ofstraw, which must be treated witha fire-proofing agent.

With the Astrohall booked withother trade shows in the weeks

leading up to the Show, the crewbegins their work behind thescenes. Pens, chutes and the con-cert stage come out of storage to bedusted off and undergo any neededrepairs. The stage, which is storedin three pieces, is reconstructedinside the Dome. Under Richards’direction, contractors begininstalling special lighting and

sound systems. And even thoughthe carnival is responsible for itsown booths and rides, Richardsmakes sure that electricity, water,lighting and telephone services areavailable.

When opening day is less than aweek away, the stalls are set, thejudging arena and bleachers arebuilt in the Astrohall, and commer-cial exhibitors move in and occupymore than 700 booths. For safetyconsiderations, the walkways inthe Astrohall are covered with non-slip roofing material, while thou-sands of feet of electrical cables aresecurely taped down.

“Everything must be in place,

checked and operating properlythe day before the Show. Once theShow opens, we have a whole newset of problems to deal with,”Richards says.

His crew stretches the 10-hourdays into 24-hour days for theduration of the two-week event,completing all maintenance workand setting up the concert stage for

each performance.Unlike much of

the work that goes intothe staging of the annualHouston LivestockShow and Rodeo, vol-unteers are not involvedin the physical prepara-tion of the event.Members of the Show’sstaff are assisted byAstrodome USA person-nel and outside laborers.

But when theShow is over for mostHoustonians, the Dometaskforce and the rest ofRichards’ crew starts itsown event. In less thanone week after the finalcurtain call and fire-works display, all tracesof the Houston

Livestock Show and Rodeo vanish.In two weeks, pens, chutes, fenc-ing, stalls and the stage arerepaired, painted, disassembledand placed in storage. Even thebase layer of dirt and sand from theinside of the Dome is collected andset aside for next year.

“The work is hard and the days arelong,” said Richards, “but there isnothing like the feeling you get whenyou see the kids who have worked sohard to get to the livestock showand families enjoying therodeo together.”

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olting from themall, a shoplifterclears the parking

lot figuring he “has it made,” only toencounter a member of the HarrisCounty Sheriff’s DepartmentMounted Posse aboard 1,200 poundsof horseflesh. And in the vernacularof the criminal world, the “jig is up.”

Founded in 1949 by the late andlegendary Sheriff Buster Kern, thePosse currently has more than 100

members.Typical of those who make up

the Posse is Gary Look, son of oneof Houston’s most famous restaura-teurs, Sonny Look, a lifetime vicepresident of the Houston LivestockShow and Rodeo.

“My father encouraged my inter-est in the rodeo at an early age,”Look said. “I became a life memberof the show when I was 12 yearsold and joined my first committeein 1967.”

Look commands a ReserveMounted Posse, and is one of thetwo veterinarians who care for theanimals entered in the livestockshow and rodeo. Look joined theforce in the late ‘60s, and like him,

most members of the Posse are vet-erans who maintain a great espritde corps. They take special pridein what they do, not only in lawenforcement but also in their rolein the Houston Livestock Showand Rodeo.

The Sheriff’s Mounted Patrolcontinues to act as an honor guardand ambassador under SheriffJohnny Klevenhagen. Mountedofficers also assist and provide spe-cialized protection at events suchas the 1990 Economic Summit, theRepublican National Conventionin 1992 and other events wherethey can add special assistance incrowd control and security.

The Reserves unit provides aready resource of citi-zens trained to assistthe Harris CountySheriff’s Departmentmeet law enforce-ment and emergencyneeds. The organiza-tion is the largestforce of its kind inTexas. It ranks sec-ond nationally, andhas the longest activehistory of any unit ofits kind in the state.

Yet another ser-vice the reserve Posseprovides is searchingfor missing persons orescaped convicts inrural areas of the coun-ty. Other departmentsthroughout the nationhave copied theHarris County pro-gram as an effectiveway to increase avail-able enforcement andsecurity personnelwithout capitalexpenditures.

Reserve deputiespossess full police

powers while on duty. Theybecome part-time, unpaid but fullyqualified professional police offi-cers with the same responsibilitiesas regular deputies. Posse membersprovide their own horses, saddlesand care for their animals.

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Members of the Mounted Posse act as pivots during the rodeo to guide the grand entry through the arena.

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The reserves mandate basic min-imum requirements. Applicantsmust pass an extensive back-ground investigation, drug testing,and complete a minimum of 145hours of training before being com-missioned. Then, in-service train-ing programs and firearms qualifi-cation become mandatory. Bydepartment regulation, deputiesmust perform a minimum of 16hours of duty each month.

While the requirements fordeputies are strict, the “character”of their mounts is equally impor-tant and de-manding. A lot of goodriders can’t qualify for the Possebecause their horsesdo not have the rightdisposition. The ani-mals must be matureto the degree that theywon’t bolt in stressfulsituations, such asgunfire, smoke,crowds and

a variety of distractions.One of the special qualities these

horses must learn is the ability tosidestep. It’s an unnatural move-ment for a horse, but it is an invalu-able crowd control technique. Bysidestepping a suspect against awall or car, the horse effectivelypins the suspect, allowing thedeputy to reach down and applythe handcuffs.

Many of the training techniquesemployed by the patrol come fromthe New York Police Depart-mentMounted Posse Manual, which isbased on the U.S. Cavalry Unittraining regulations of the early1930s.

An interesting foot-note to the growingpopularity of mount-ed posses for lawenforcement is thefact that in the

1930s the motorcycle graduallyreplaced the horse. Now, in the1990s, the peace officer on horse-back is becoming increasinglycommon. In urban areas the horsecan quickly go where no vehiclecan. And, a good horse addsinstincts and a second set of eyes toany situation.

In addition to its law enforce-ment duties, the Posse plays vitalroles in the staging of the livestockshow and the rodeo. The Possecoordinates the annual PonyExpress run from Houston toAustin, carrying the Show’s invita-tion to the governor to attend theevent. During the rodeo, membersof the Posse act as pivots to guidethe Rodeo’s grand entry throughthe arena.

For members of the Posse, thereis special gratification fromknowing they are carrying onthe Texas tradition of enforcingthe law from a westernsaddle.

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F E A T U R E

ew people are stillaround who remem-ber seeing the enter-

tainers of the Houston LivestockShow and Rodeo in the early years.To many people, legendary nameslike Gene Autry, Roy Rogers andEddy Arnold are just that — namesof legends of country and westernmusic.

In the beginning years of theShow, television stars like ChuckConners, Rex Allen and BatMasterson—who all rode horses—

headlined the Show. Sometimes,even a few “four legged” stars likeLassie performed.

“Once the Show moved to theAstrodome, it became apparentthat it would take more entertain-ers to support the needed increasesin attendance,” said Leroy Shafer,assistant general manager. “Onlytop musical acts would fill the

Astrodome even on the weekend.”The most dramatic change in the

Show’s entertainment line-upcame in 1972, the year of theShow’s 40th anniversary, when,for the first time, 10 different enter-tainers headed the bill. The fol-lowing years saw such names asElvis Presley, Sonny and Cher, theFifth Dimension, the Jackson Fiveand Doc Severinsen.

“During the first years in theAstrodome, rodeo officials took thebest general draw stars available

and worked from experience andgut reactions,” Shafer explained.

“That philosophy worked fine,especially when a surge in the pop-ularity of country and westernmusic and the ‘urban cowboy’mania swept us to multiple sell-outs in 1982.

“But with a fragmentation ofmusic categories and a downturn in

our attendance during the mid-1980s, we knew we could not solelyrely on experience, instinct and gutfeelings any longer.” (See McKinseyStudy article in this issue.)

Enter the computer age and anentirely new way for selecting tal-ent for the ever-increasing crowdsat the Show. In late 1986 and early1987, Shafer and the Show’s mar-keting staff began developing theirown computer program designedspecifically to determine who, cou-pled with the rodeo and specialtyacts, would continue to draw thebest crowds.

“We set out to develop a com-puter program that would tell usthe correct music mix (country andwestern, contemporary hit, etc.)and would accurately predictattendance for specific stars, andthat is exactly what we now have,”Shafer said.

“Our current system will takedata and make a projection ofattendance for any given entertain-er for each performance. Based onall the expenses for each perfor-mance, such as star salary, rodeopurse, rodeo contractor, specialtyacts, and lighting and sound costs,the computer informs the Showwhich combination results in thebest return for each day.”

The data that drives the comput-er analysis program is actuallygathered through a number of dif-ferent research methods. The firstmethod used—and still the mostimportant—was the telephone sur-vey, which is now conducted threetimes each year by members of theCommunications—EditorialCommittee, Show staff and tempo-rary labor services under the direc-tion of the marketing department.The committee volunteers conducta majority of the telephone interviewcalls.

Committee members are trained

F o l l o w i n g t h e M u s i c

Story byCharlotteKirk

F

Reba McEntire returns to the 1994 Houston Rodeo for two performances.

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to conduct surveys by staff mem-bers and visiting researchers fromuniversities and corporate market-ing departments.

The computer program also relieson data gathered through writtensurveys that are distributed annual-ly to all Show committee membersand season ticket holders.

“Then we continue to gather datathrough the random interview sur-veys conducted in person at eachrodeo performance by ourCommunications—EditorialCommittee,” Shafer explained.“They conduct between 150 to 250interviews per performance. Thisfeedback allows us to gauge theaccuracy of our predictions andprovides a basis for fine tuning thecomputer code.”

Armed with this data, the market-ing department advises Dan Gattis,general manager, and Lori Renfrow,the assistant manager for presenta-tions, as they schedule the best pos-sible entertainer mix annually.

“We develop a music mix per-centage that tells us how manycountry and western entertainersand what type of non-country andwestern entertainment to sched-ule,” Shafer said. “And no matterwhat we do, if we stray from thecomputer’s predictions, we findout ultimately that the computerwas correct.”

For example, during the 1993rodeo, the computer predicted theneed for only 15 country and west-ern performances. When the Showwas unable to schedule a top con-temporary star and booked 16country and western performers,two of the country performanceswere not sellouts—even though allbut 1.2 percent of the availableseats in the Astrodome were sold.

“Of course, we do consider theimage of the Show because we’re afamily environment,” he added,

“so no matter what our customerstell us through the computer, thereare sellout entertainers that we willnot sign.

“You can’t please everyone witheach entertainer, but we use thecomputer and the wishes of eachgroup to put together an entertain-er mix that will please as much ofeach market segment as possiblewhile maximizing our overallticket sales.”

Currently, since 558,000 seasontickets are being sold, the comput-er program has been modified forthe future to give more weight tothe wishes of our major marketgroups — season ticket holders,committee members who do notbuy season tickets, but who bought58,770 tickets in 1993, and thenon-season ticket buying generalpublic, who purchased 375,858tickets in 1993.

Staff members who work with theentertainer selections point out thatwhile research determines theentertainers that should appear,signing these stars is another matter.

Because of various non-avail-abilities—star not touring, touringout of the country, booking con-flicts, etc.—the Show can usuallysign no more than 80 percent of thecomputer’s recommended “topchoices.” Last year, 1993, was thebest ever—95 percent of the com-puter’s top choices were signed.

“The computer is the amplifiedand personified voice of our cus-tomers,” Shafer said. “It is atremendous tool that allows us toinstantly and accurately follow themusic preferences of our rodeoaudiences and bring the best to theHouston Livestock Showand Rodeo.”

1994 HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO ENTERTAINERS

Sat., Feb. 19, 7 p.m.................................................................................Clint Black

Sun., Feb. 20, 4 p.m............................................................................Alan Jackson

Mon., Feb. 21, 7 p.m. .................................................................................Wynonna

Tues. and Wed., Feb. 22 & 23, 7 p.m..................................Reba McEntire

Thurs., Feb. 24, 7 p.m..........Frankie Beverly & Maze/Gladys Knight

Fri., Feb. 25, 7 p.m..............................................................................Randy Travis

Sat., Feb. 26, 11 a.m......................................................................Billy Ray Cyrus

Sat., Feb. 26, 7 p.m..............................................Willie Nelson/Clay Walker

Sun., Feb. 27, 4 p.m. ..........................................................Selena/Ram Herrera

Mon. and Tues., Feb. 28 and Mar. 1, 7 p.m.......................George Strait

Wed., Mar. 2, 7 p.m..........Tanya Tucker/John Michael Montgomery

Thurs., Mar. 3, 7 p.m......................................Doug Stone/Tracy Lawrence

Fri., Mar. 4, 7 p.m.........Mark Chesnutt/Tracy Byrd/Doug Supernaw

Sat., Mar. 5, 11 a.m. ........................................Trisha Yearwood/Billy Dean

Sat., Mar. 5, 7 p.m.......................................................................................Vince Gill

Sun., Mar. 6, 4 p.m.........................................................................Brooks & Dunn

12

F E A T U R E

o one can argue thatthe Houston LivestockShow and Rodeo is

one of our country’s greatest suc-cess stories. Its unparalleledachievements largely depend on thethousands of enthusiastic experts inas many professions that are broughtin either on a volunteer basis or aspart of the Show’s permanent staff.

“We don’t normally use outsideconsultants because we have atremendous pool of expertise in ourvolunteers,” said Leroy Shafer,assistant general manager. “And wehave as professional a staff as youare going to find in this industry.”

But the Show’s success alsocomes from knowing to step out-side for professional assistancewhen the need arises.

The McKinsey study, conductedat no cost to the Show, began in1986 and continued through 1987.Its accomplishments and resultsare still often referred to in com-mittee meetings, and is an excel-lent example of Show officials uti-lizing an outside consultant to helpensure a strong future.

The early to mid ‘80s brought ascreeching halt to the urban cow-boy craze, a petroleum bust and areal estate depression. Costs wereup; ticket sales were flat.

The Show’s Executive Committee,aware of strategic planning groupswith national and internationalreputations, for the first time inmany years felt it was time to seeksome outside advice.

Enter the worldwide consultingfirm of McKinsey and Company, Inc.

“One of the most impressivethings to me about the originalstudy,” said Shafer, “was thatMcKinsey committed their resourcesto understanding this industry byvisiting events as distant as theCalgary Stampede in Canada, andmeeting with the International

Association of Fairs and Expositions,before they did anything.”

Following their extensive prepa-ration, McKinsey staff membersmet with committee chairmen, cor-porate sponsors, committee mem-bers, ticket buyers, entertainers,commercial exhibitors, livestockadvisors, scholarship recipients,university representatives and thegeneral public. Given the objec-tives, it was imperative that thisstudy be exhaustive.

At issue was the need for exper-tise in four major areas: 1) Wheredoes the Show stand today? 2)What immediate changes need tobe made? 3) What is the long-termpicture? 4) Are the Show’s volun-teer and contribution structureswhere they should be?

On May 7, 1987, the results ofthe extensive study were presentedto the Show’s Executive Committeeand the management staff. Thefindings confirmed what Showofficials had suspected—the Showwas an exceptional event, butpotentially disruptive economicand demographic trends loomedlarge on the horizon.

The report stated that the Showprovides important contributionsto the community, the livestockindustry and Texas youth. Mostevident was an energy and vitalityexhibited in the enthusiasm shownby the public and the volunteersabout their support of the Show.

Then McKinsey staff member,and now assistant general managerof the Show, Skip Wagner, noted,“The Show demonstrated a level ofcommitment, wisdom and vitalityto implementation that is muchhigher than the typical client. Inevery quarter, there was a whole-sale commitment to making thisevent better. In the largest sense,the success of this study is directlya result of the ability of this organi-zation to attract and maintain suchan impressive number of tireless,dedicated volunteers and staffmembers.”

The report recommended vari-ous modifications to the Show inorder to meet long-term financialgoals. The following is a sample ofsome of the recommendations andobservations upon which Showofficials have acted.

T h e M c K i n s e y S t u d y

Story by Terri Kainerand MarkAnawaty

✩

N

McKinsey and Company, Inc., is an international consulting

firm which specializes in problem solving and program imple-

mentation for a broad range of corporate and, to a lesser extent,

government institutions. Working at the top-management level,

this company helps its clients to improve significantly the perfor-

mance of their organizations, both by resolving internal problems

and by anticipating and responding effectively to external threats

and opportunities.

Founded in 1926, McKinsey and Company now has 58 offices in

28 countries.

Who is McKinsey?

13

1 Compared to local entertain-ment attractions, ticket prices weretoo low, at an average cost of $8.58.

RESULT: A gradual increase inticket prices, which has added rev-enues of $2 million.

2 Add rodeo performances toaccommodate greatest attendancepossible, since a significant num-ber of surveyed persons indicatedthey attended the Show on “theonly day they possibly could.”Scheduling changes were suggest-ed, such as expanding the Show tocover three weekends, ultimatelyproviding more opportunities forthe general public to attend at leastone performance. They proposedSunday matinee and evening per-formances be eliminated orrescheduled—Sunday shows wereconsidered a problem because ofchurch attendance and work orschool the following day.

RESULT: The Show now spansthree weekends with performancetimes scheduled to better respondto public demand (i.e., only oneperformance on Sunday, beginningat 4 p.m.) .

3 Review the Show’s componentsto match changing demographics,especially the growth in theHispanic population and the agingof America.

RESULT: New data programmedinto Show’s entertainmentresearch computer helped to devel-op and attract a broader audience.

4 Create a structure to enhancethe corporate community’sinvolvement with the organization.

RESULT: A new CorporateDevelopment Committee, bettercoordination and expected 1994corporate contributions of nearly$3 million—a number far in excessof the study’s projections.

5 Be innovative with traffic andcongestion issues.

RESULT: Four off-site shuttleparking areas open to the public,with 30 percent utilization byShow patrons.

6 Reposition the carnival for bet-ter visibility, as it was formerlylocated in the northeast corner ofthe Astrodome parking lot, andpedestrians were walking long dis-tances to the carnival.

RESULT: Relocation of the carni-val, resulting in a 40 percentincrease in revenues.

7 The study also found that com-mercial exhibits were low in com-parison to other similar shows inthe amount of space and the feesbeing charged.

RESULT: Within a year after theMcKinsey study, Harris Countyofficials upgraded the Astrodomefacilities. Show officials were ableto work with them to make a majoraddition to the Astroarena, whichnow houses the new sales pavilionand several hundred thousandsquare feet of additional livestockand exhibit space.

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McKinsey also analyzed theShow’s volunteer and contribu-tion structures and found that itsrapid growth had far exceeded thestaff’s capabilities to respond tothem, but felt that overall, the struc-ture was sound. Recommendationswere made on how to be moreresponsive to that growing structure.

They also studied the livestockindustry, the youth organizationsand the scholarship programs.One result of these studies is thatthe Show now offers non-agricul-tural scholarships to benefit morelocal metropolitan students.

Dan Gattis, general manager ofthe Houston Livestock Show andRodeo, expressed great enthusiasmfor the McKinsey study and itsresults. “This study was extremelybeneficial to the Show and itsfuture. It enabled us not only tocommunicate and bring to reality

some ideas that we had for manyyears, but to fine tune those ideasand implement them.

“It resulted in a tremendoussurge of success for the Show, andthe bottom line increased dramati-cally, due to some of the sugges-tions that were made and carriedout. The philosophy that theyhelped us establish really spurredus into a whole new era of man-agement and growth with theShow.”

Shafer also indicated his satis-faction with the study. “In the pastfive years, we have made tremen-dous strides in implementing whatMcKinsey set forth for us. Themost critical aspect that was dis-covered was that we had our mostsuccessful year in 1982, and wehad continued with what madethat year successful. In otherwords, we know now that no mat-

ter what we’re doing that is suc-cessful today, it is going to takesomething different to be success-ful tomorrow. Research andchanges are imperative to our orga-nization. This event has alwaysbeen a product of the people, andeach year we are going to start fromscratch to find out what the peoplewant.”

In a short time, McKinsey andCompany has helped the HoustonLivestock Show and Rodeo leapfrom an organization that it hadbeen to the business-like, market-ing and competition-oriented orga-nization that it had to be in the ‘80sand ‘90s. But all has been accom-plished while retaining the charac-ter, spirit, friendliness and family-environment that has madeit a success from 1932 towhere it is today.

M C K I N S E Y S T O R Y C O N T .

On June 3, 1993, the outgoingShow officers presented toHouston Livestock Show andRodeo with another visibleimprovement, a flagpole. Theflagpole, which stands directlyin front of the Show offices,bears the logo of the HoustonLivestock Show and Rodeo. Aspecial thanks goes to these for-mer Show vice presidents, Dr.Max Butler, Larry Carroll, ThadGilliam, Tom Glazier, and JimLightfoot.

Pictured from left to right: Don Jordan, Show president; Dick Graves, chairman of the board; and 1993outgoing vice presidents, Thad Gilliam, Tom Glazier, Jim Lightfoot, and Dr. Max Butler.

Another Show Improvement

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O F F I C E R P R O F I L E S

lthough Robert V. “Mac” McAnelly says hewas a city kid growing up in Copperas Cove,

Texas, he remembers picking cotton on his grandfather’sland when he was 3 years old.

That youthful agricultural indoctrination must haveimpressed him mightily since his adult interests have ledhim to years of service as a volunteer and officer in theHouston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He’s also chairmanof the board of the Houston Farm and Ranch Club, and alongtime participant in the Salt Grass Trail Ride.

As a child in the mid-1950s, McAnelly accompaniedhis family to performances of the Houston Rodeo and hefondly remembers seeing Roy Rogers and Dale Evans andThe Cisco Kid and Pancho.

He attended Lamar University on a football scholar-ship, taking criminal justice and pre-law courses, thenmoved to Houston and put himself through South TexasCollege of Law while working as an officer on the RiverOaks Police Force. His private law practice now focuseson personal injury and “light criminal” work.

In 1978, McAnelly began volunteering on the SouvenirProgram Committee and later served on the Corral ClubCommittee. Currently, McAnelly serves as officer incharge of the Trail Ride, Souvenir Program, SwineAuction and Rabbit Show committees.

McAnelly and his wife of 11 years, Caryl, serve togeth-er on the Committeemen’s Bar-B-Que committee and shealso is a member of the Palomino Committee. They havethree daughters, Carly, 10; Kelly, 8; and Casey, 6.

McAnelly says what keeps him so interested in his vol-unteering is the camaraderie of the committee work and“the pleasure of seeing the results of the workwhen we visit scholarship recipients.”

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V i c e P r e s i d e n t P r o f i l e s

Robert V. McAnelly Richard E. Bean

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how vice president Richard E. Bean hasreceived more than the usual blessings from his

dedicated volunteer work with this organization.In addition to the joy of helping others and the satis-

faction of a job well done, Bean met his wife, Dorothy,while working together at the 1988 Show. They weremarried in December, 1992. Dorothy, a third gradeteacher at Bunker Hill Elementary School, is a 20-yearveteran of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo commit-tee involvement.

A native Houstonian and a graduate of Lamar HighSchool, Bean later received a graduate degree in account-ing from the University of Texas. He worked as a publicaccountant for eight years. In 1976, he joined PearceIndustries, an oilfield equipment firm, and now serves asthe company’s executive vice president and chieffinancial officer.

Bean began working on Livestock Show committeesthe year he returned to Houston after college graduation.He served on various Corral Club committees from 1968to 1980, then became a member of the World’sChampionship Bar-B-Que Committee, one of the com-mittees he now oversees in his position of vice president.

Other committees of which Bean serves as officer incharge include Committeemen’s Bar-B-Que, OutdoorAdvertising, Safety and Judging Contest Scoring.

Bean says he gets great personal satisfaction from hisRodeo work as well as his activities on behalf of his almamater, Lamar High School, where he helped establish afoundation that awards student scholarships and teachergrants. He also enjoys his charitable work through FirstUnited Methodist Church.

In whatever spare time he has left, Bean says he enjoysa “few hunting trips a year and a couple of roundsof golf.”

S

Stories by Middy

Randerson

C O M M I T T E E P R O F I L E S

C o m m i t t e e S p o t l i g h t

ike the U.S. mail carriers, notrain nor snow nor sleet nor hailwill stop a trail rider from mak-

ing the annual trek to Houston.The trail rides, which now symbol-ize fellowship, organization andtradition, originally began as a pub-licity tool to bring attention to theHouston Fat Stock Show.

According to former trail bossDude Parmley, the idea for a trail ridepreceding the rodeo began many

years ago when several friends werehaving lunch. One complained, afterbad flying weather, he would nevergo anywhere that he could not getback to Houston on horseback.Realizing the idea would be a greatpromotion to boost awareness of theShow, a celebrated tradition wasborn.

Supplied with a century-oldchuck wagon, the four original trailriders left Brenham, Texas, onJan. 30, 1952. They rode on horsesthrough the Texas elements, camped

out, ate out of the chuck wagon andfollowed a trail into Houston.

The following year, 50 hardysouls made the ride; in 1954, thetotal grew to 800 riders; in 1955,1,300 were on the trail ride rollcall. Today, approximately 6,000riders comprising 14 different trailrides that cover 1,800 miles partic-ipate in this annual ritual that kicksoff the Houston Livestock Showand Rodeo.

Because of the need to improvecommunication and to maintainorganization among the manyrides, the Trail Ride Committeewas formed in 1968. Members areresponsible for the safety and orga-nization of more than 6,000 riders,some of whom travel almost 400miles to join the downtown rodeoparade festivities.

The 75 members of this commit-tee coordinate all 14 trail rides,working closely with each of thetrail ride bosses to ensure compli-

ance with trail ride rules and regu-lations. Members also assist withactivities at individual campsites.

Planning and preparing on thepart of each of the members of theTrail Ride Committee are essentialto assure successful rides. Timingeach highway or long crossing tokeep traffic moving is one specificduty of this committee.

“Members of this group arepolicemen without a badge,” saidCharlie Roberts, committee chair-man. “They must earn the respectof each of the trail bosses and theriders. Safety is most important tous. After the ride, when we receivepositive feedback from the trailbosses, we know we’ve done ourjob well.”

Committee members also main-tain a relationship with theHouston City Parks and RecreationDepartment. Together, they coor-dinate the positioning of the trailrides in Memorial Park, as well asdirect traffic from the park to thedowntown rodeo parade route.

The Trail Ride Committee, headedup by officer in charge RobertMcAnelly, also presents awards totrail rides and individuals at theculmination of the journey inMemorial Park. Tuckered-out rid-ers and relieved committee mem-bers relax under the setting sunand share their experiences on thetrail. Some even teach their chil-dren to rope and sing cowboysongs around a camp fire.

But one element unites themall — the eager anticipation of thenext morning’s parade that sym-bolizes the start of the HoustonLivestock Show andRodeo.

Trail Ride Committee

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A committee member coordinates the safe flow of traffic on trail rides.

16

★

Story by WhitneyHorton

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17

e’re one of the best keptsecrets of the HoustonLivestock Show and Rodeo,”

exclaimed Mickey Cooper. What takes place in a single room

on the last Saturday of the Show isthe Range and Pasture PlantIdentification Contest, a competi-tion that involves students fromaround the state of Texas. The par-ticipants, ages 9 to 19, have studiedmore than 100 plants in prepara-tion for the contest.

During the contest, the partici-pants must identify 50 plants andanswer any other questions abouttheir characteristics. “Sometimeswe cut the tops off the plants so thekids really have to know whatthey’re looking for,” said Cooper,committee chairman. “We haveways to make the test a little more

challenging, so everyone does notmake a perfect score.” The win-ning teams and individuals receivecash awards, belt buckles and tro-phies.

Under the leadership of its newofficer in charge, Jim Janke, theRange and Pasture PlantIdentification Contest Committee isnow in its 46th year. The commit-tee’s 89 volunteers organize andconduct the entire contest. Duringthe actual competition, some mem-bers attend to the facilities, othersarrange the specimens on the tablesfor the exam, while another groupmakes the certificates and plaquesthat are awarded to each contestant.During the year, members solicitdonations for food, money andprizes.

At the 1993 Show, 145 students

traveled to Houston to participatein the plant identification contest.That number is expected toincrease to 200 this year “if tele-phone calls of interest are any indi-cation,” said Cooper. “There’s a lotof interest in the contest. However,the students’ biggest challenge isfunds.” The committee lessens thatload by donating traveling moneyto each of the students’ coaches.

“The contest is a way for kidswho are not exhibiting livestock toparticipate in the HoustonLivestock Show. The kids are real-ly learning something, with valu-able application to their daily farm-ing and ranching activities,” saidCooper. “Anyone who even stud-ies for this competition has put in alot of effort, and they are allwinners.”

Story by Yahsmine

Catli-Cowan

Range & Pasture Plant Identification

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Events & Functions

Story by Beth

Johnson

hat do you do if it’s too coldat the lamb auction registra-tion or you need another

table at the calf scramble banquet?Look around...a member of theEvents and Functions Committeeis nearby to help with suchpredicaments.

Formed three years ago, the 15-member group serves as a behind-the-scenes liaison for event orga-nizers and the dozen Astrodomecontractors who provide every-thing from audio and electricalequipment to catering and flowers.

“One of the biggest challenges incoordinating a function at theShow is communication. There arejust so many people involved,” saidMike Jolley, founding chairman.“We are there to make sure nothingfalls through the cracks.”

For each of the 100-plus Show-related functions in the Astrodomecomplex, a committee member isassigned to ensure that the room isready to the client’s specifications.He or she then remains nearby tohandle any special requests orproblems.

“Committee members, most ofwhom are in the hospitality busi-ness, spend five or six days at theShow, working in four-, eight-, or12-hour shifts,” Jolley added.

Before the committee was estab-lished, Show Manager MikeDeMarco handled this monumen-tal task. “With the addition of theStockmen’s Club, the Ballroomand other meeting rooms, we werecoordinating many more events,”said DeMarco.

From something as simple as the

annual cowboy church to the lav-ish season box holders’ party, thegroup is there to help. “Whether afunction is for 20, 200 or 2,000 peo-ple, it is all a massive undertaking.Sometimes there is only 15 or 30minutes to transform a room forthe next meeting, and this group isthere to make sure everything is inplace,” said DeMarco.

When they arrive on a workshift, members receive a packet ofinformation about their assignedevents so they know the affair’srequirements. “Once the Show getsunderway, it’s like a big snowballrolling downhill,” Jolley said. “Wecan’t stop it, but we try to smoothout the road so it can keepgoing.”

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C O M M I T T E E P R O F I L E S

C o m m i t t e e S p o t l i g h t★

Story byCherylDorsett

n 1932, the Grand ChampionSteer at the Houston LivestockShow sold for $504. Last year,

the Grand Champion Steer waspurchased by LeRoy and LucileMelcher for an amazing $350,000.

The U.S. Consumer Price Indexhas increased by 931 percent inthose 62 years, while the Houston

Livestock Show’s grand championsteer auction price has increasedalmost 70,000 percent. This phe-nomenal success has been accom-plished by one of the finest mar-keting programs in the world, theHouston Livestock Show andRodeo Steer Auction Committee.

Established 48 years ago, theSteer Auction Committee is pri-marily responsible for selling all

winning steers at a floor priceabove current market prices on theday of the sale. Each member isrequired to sell a minimum of$10,000 in steers.

“In 1993, the committee’s top 10members recorded $750,000 inpresales alone,” said Ken Caldwell,committee chairman. “Last year’s

leader had an individual sales totalof $150,000.”

Under the leadership of GeorgeDeMontrond, Show vice presi-dent, the group organizes andhosts the annual Hide Party, atwhich the buyers of the top 90steers from the previous year’sShow are honored. The commit-tee also hosts a buyers’ breakfastthe morning of the auction. And

on the last Saturday of the Show,the committee facilitates theentire operation of the juniormarket steer auction, hawkingbids and assisting exhibitors aswell as buyers.

Marked by their signature com-mittee badge, a large gold star, com-mittee members also can gain status

as members of “The BigBoys,” by totaling $30,000or more in presales.Throughout the years, the

Steer Auction Committeehas orchestrated the largestdollar volume junior steerauction in the world.During the past twodecades, the committee’sannual sales haveincreased from $330,000 tomore than $2 million.In 1993, $611,000 was

placed directly into theShow’s educational fundas a result of the auction.The committee’s cashdonations alone totaledapproximately $200,000.When a family buys one

of the minimum pricedpresale steers that isbutchered, wrapped intochoice steaks and roasts fora price less than $3 per

pound, they are getting pamperedTexas beef that has been fed,groomed and exercised daily byone of the finest FFA or 4-H young-sters in Texas.

The youngster who brings hisor her steer to the HoustonLivestock Show has spent a yearof preparation to compete in thelargest market steer auctionin the country.

Steer Auction Committee

The Show’s junior market steer auction attracts a great deal of media attention.

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he ideals inherentto the HoustonLivestock Show

and Rodeo and a sense of the trueTexas spirit have always been amainstream of Tommie Vaughn’slife. He was born in Brownwood,Texas, in 1918 and was raised on acattle and sheep ranch founded byhis great grandfather in 1874. Itwas there that Vaughn learnedearly to appreciate the ranchingway of life as well as to understandthe hard work and dedicationwhich are required to succeed inany venture. Vaughn attendedTexas A&M University on a foot-ball scholarship and had the honorof playing on the 1939 Texas A&MNational Championship team.

After serving as a Cadet Major inthe Texas A&M Corps of Cadets,Vaughn entered the Army follow-ing graduation and later became apilot in the Air Corps. In June of1946 he and his wife, Helen, whomhe had met on a Texas A&M stu-dent football trip, opened their firstFord car dealership in Granbury,Texas. In 1956, they opened theTommie Vaughn Ford dealershipin Houston. He is justifiably proudof having been a Ford dealer for 37years—throughout the many busi-ness cycles in Houston. He attrib-utes his staying power to thoseearly qualities he developed whileranching and at school.

Still an ardent Texas Aggie sup-porter, Vaughn believes that heowes the university many greatdebts—for his education, for hissense of spirit and leadership, forthe ability to participate in sportsin a meaningful way and, certainlynot least, for the opportunity tomeet his wife.

Fortunately, Vaughn was willingto share his leadership qualitieswith the Show when his friend andneighbor, Stuart Lang, encouraged

him to become a part of the young,growing institution. Vaughn’s firsttasks with the Show were quite dif-ferent from those which might beexpected today. He was first askedto help the Parade Committee withthe 1957 parade by “stopping theSalt Grass Trail and putting theBrenham High School band infront of the trail riders”—not aneasy task for anyone to accomplish.After that parade he was told toappear at the Show at 6 p.m.for the first meeting of whatevolved into the Corral ClubCommittee, of which Vaughn wasone of the six charter members.

Vaughn continued active andextensive involvement with bothcommittees with which he was ini-tially involved. He chaired theParade Committee for seven years,and many of the aspects of theevent today bear his mark. He alsoco-chaired the Corral ClubCommittee.

In May, 1972, Vaughn becamethe 10th president of the Show.Under his leadership, the Showunderwent a building expansionprogram. Show administrativeoffices were moved, new meetingrooms were added and the SuperSale Salon—the site of all Showauctions—was constructed.

While continuing to lead hisFord dealership and dedicate histime and effort to the Show,Vaughn has devoted himself tonumerous other charitable causes,including the Houston Zoo andTexas A&M University.

Always a rancher, Vaughnowns a cattle ranch outsideHouston. However, his weekendsfrequently include a trip to hishome in Lakeway, Texas, or timespent with his two daughters andhis grandchildren.

Vaughn sees the Show and itsspirit growing stronger in the

future because of the “group of ter-rific people who give their time,effort and money.” He pointed outthe lifetime effect of the Show onsome people, such as Don Jordan,who first experienced the Show asa calf scramble winner and now ispresident of the Show.

“Adults will continue to work toraise money for the Show’s schol-arships for children,” Vaughn said.“Because through the Show chil-dren can set goals, meet adults whobecome examples for them andfind something tangible and con-stant in this world ofchange.”

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E x e c u t i v e C o m m i t t e e P o r t r a i t

TStory by

AnnJacobs

The 10th president, Tommie Vaughn.

Sam

Pie

rson

Tommie Vaughn

F E A T U R E

K e e p i n g a n E y e o n R o d e o

he action wit-nessed in profes-sional rodeo is

nothing less than exhilarating.Ferocious bulls, wild horses, invin-cible cowboys and racing cowgirlsmake for an exciting show.

But amidst the showcase ofthrills and chills on the Astrodomefloor lies the element of seriouscompetition for rodeo cowboysand cowgirls. Like any other pro-fessional sport, rodeo is markedwith its own set of regulations,guidelines, penalties and methodsof scoring.

It takes a quick eye to catchpenalties in most rough stock andtimed events, as many penaltiesoccur at the outset of the event. Sohere are a few rodeo spectator tipsto keep you up to speed whenHouston’s world championshiprodeo action starts!

CALF ROPING

Success in this event depends onroper and horse working together,and some would say the highlytrained horse is the more importantmember of the team. The horsemust quickly catch up to the calf,

position the cowboy to rope it,then maintain tension on the ropeas the cowboy dismounts, throwsthe calf and ties any three of its legs(usually two hind and one front).The tie must remain secure for sixseconds after the roper remountsand permits the horse to slackenthe rope.

The roper must remain behind abarrier until the calf has a headstart. If the cowboy “breaks thebarrier,” 10 seconds is added to histime. If the calf becomes untiedbefore six seconds is up, the roperis disqualified. This event is socompetitive, that often tenths of asecond divide the winners, whilegood times are usually in the 10-second range.

BAREBACK RIDING

A good bareback rider is generallyin better control of the ride than hiswide-open style might indicate.But in this flamboyant event, it’swild that wins. The trick is to timethe spurring motion with thehorse’s bucking action. When thehorse leaves the ground, the cow-boy jerks his knees and his spursslide up the horse’s shoulders. Hisfeet fly up, out and away

from the horse and must be back tothe shoulders and against the neckwhen the horse’s front feet comeback to the ground.

The cowboy must have his spursover the point of the horse’s shoul-ders until the first jump out of thechute is completed. He can’t touchthe horse, himself or his equip-ment with his free hand, and hemust ride the bronc for eight sec-onds.

But hanging on for eight secondsis not just the key during the ride,as judges closely watch the posi-tion of the rider’s spurs from thevery beginning.

TEAM ROPING

While the experts make team rop-ing look easy, with five entitiesinvolved, nothing is simple. Thefirst roper, the header, rides afterthe steer and ropes the horns orhead, takes a dally (wraps the rope)around his saddle horn and turnshis horse away, leading the steer.

A second roper, the heeler, ridesin, ropes the hind legs and takeshis dally. In an instant, the horsesface the steer, the ropes come snug and a judge signals time. If but oneleg is caught, a five-second penaltyis added to the time.

T

20

Photos byFrankMartin

Bareback Riding

Barrel Racing

Bull Riding

STEER WRESTLING

When the animal is let out of thebarrier and crosses a designatedline, the dogger (steer wrestler)races forward to pass the steer. Atabout the time their horses reachthe tail of the hard-running steer,the hazer (a mounted helper) keepsthe steer moving straight while thesteer wrestler, from the oppositeside, begins transferring his weightfrom his horse to the steer. Hishorse runs on past, carrying thecowboy up to the horns and takinghis feet out in front of the steer, inposition for the cowboy to slow thesteer, turn it and take it to theground.

“Breaking the barrier” (leavingthe box before the calf is given ahead start) adds 10 seconds to thecowboy’s time. Also, the steermust be on its feet and stoppedbefore it is thrown down or thetime doesn’t count.

Winning times at the HoustonRodeo are usually less than sixseconds.

SADDLE BRONC RIDING

Cited as the classic rodeo event,this is one of the oldest rodeoevents. The rider holds a six-foot-

long, inch and a half thick rein thatis fastened to the horse’s halter.

Ideally, the cowboy falls into astylish rhythm with the horse, feetthrust full forward and toes turnedout in the stirrups, as the bronc’sfront feet touch the ground. As thehorse jumps high, the rider crookshis knees, drawing his feet back,toes still turned out, along thesides until his spurs strike the backof the saddle. The feet go forwardagain as the bronc descends.

The rider must have his spursover the animal’s shoulder pointsuntil the first jump out of the chuteis completed, or the ride is a “noscore.” The cowboy cannot touchhimself, the animal or the equip-ment with his free hand, lose a stir-rup or hit the ground before theeight-second buzzer.

WOMEN’SBARREL RACING

This fast, exciting and intenselycompetitive event provides color-ful contrast to the rugged actioncharacterized by most rodeo con-tests. As in other events, horse andrider cooperation is vital to suc-cess. The three barrels are “run” ina cloverleaf pattern, requiringquick turns at high speed to win.Times are so fast and close thatthey are measured in hundredths

of a second.The three-barrel, cloverleaf pat-

tern may be run to the left or right,but if the horse breaks it in anyother way, the rider is disqualified.Knocking over barrels adds fiveseconds per barrel to the rider’stime. Winning Houston Rodeotimes are generally in the 16-17second range.

BULL RIDING

Bull riders use just a flat-braided“loose” rope pulled tight (not tied)around the animal and held fast bythe riding hand. Although thecowboy isn’t required to spur, youwill see many of them movingtheir feet, scrambling to keep con-tact with the bull.

The cowboy must stay on thebull for eight seconds, using onlyone hand. The cowboy cannottouch himself or the bull with hisfree hand during the ride, and hecannot hit the ground before theeight-second buzzer or he is disquali-fied.

If a cowboy is still up in the air andis touching some part of therope when the buzzer sounds,he still qualifies on his ride.

21

Team Roping Calf Roping

Steer Wrestling

Bulk RateU.S. Postage

PaidHouston, TX

Permit No. 9791Houston Livestock Show and RodeoP.O. Box 20070Houston, Texas 77225-0070

1-Livestock and horse show activities allday; 7pm rodeo performance featuringGeorge Strait

2-Livestock and horse show activities allday; 7pm rodeo performance featuringTanya Tucker and John MichaelMontgomery

3-Livestock and horse show activities allday; 7pm rodeo performance featuringDoug Stone and Tracy Lawrence

4-Livestock and horse show activities allday; 7pm rodeo performance featuringMark Chesnutt, Tracy Byrd and DougSupernaw

5-Livestock and horse show activities allday; 11 am rodeo performance featuringTrisha Yearwood and Billy Dean; 7pmrodeo performance featuring Vince Gill

6-Livestock and horse show activities allday; rodeo finals; 4pm rodeo perfor-mance featuring Brooks & Dunn

1-Spring Break; Show offices closed4-Spring Break; Show offices closed

24-Annual Meeting at 4pm; Show MeetingRooms - series 200

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