Due To COVID-19 Rodeo Houston 2021 Is Canceled
Because of the ongoing pandemic, Rodeo President and CEO Chris Boleman announced this morning (Feb 3rd) that RODEOHOUSTON 2021 is being canceled.
Rodeo Competitions, The Carnival, Concerts and Entertainment, Trail Ride activities, The Downtown Rodeo Parade, the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, and other events and activities are all canceled for 2021. After rescheduling the rodeo events from their usual dates in March, everything was going to run May 4th - 23rd.
The announcement stated that the Junior Livestock Show and Horse Show Competitions will still be held in March but as private events, upholding the Rodeo’s mission of promoting agriculture and supporting Texas youth. The Junior Market Auctions and Champion Wine Auction will also still be held in May as private events.
Ann Criswell and the birth of the Houston rodeo cook-off
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Chronicle Food Editor Ann Criswell at the inaugural rodeo cook-off in 1974 said that the barbecue was all right, considering that men had cooked it.Nance Redding / Houston Chronicle
For many Houstonians, the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (aka cook-off) has been part of our early spring calendars for as long as we can remember.
The rodeo and livestock show debuted in 1932, but the first cook-off occurred in 1974. The beginnings were humble; only 17 teams participated. Fortunately, the judging team provided some much-needed star-power for the inaugural event. In addition to the obligatory local celebrities, a real-deal Hollywood star, Ben Johnson, was a judge. A veteran of many classic Western movies, Johnson had recently won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his part in the film “The Last Picture Show.”