We caught up with Rikki Buckalew, Fort Worth Stock Show exhibitor who presented the 2010 Grand Champion Market Steer, War Admiral (a 1,309-pound European crossbred). That year, during the Sale of Champions, she set an all-time auction record when Larry B. White Jr. Investments purchased War Admiral for a record of $210,000. What makes her story that much more special is that she overcame health issues just to be able to compete during the Show. She has since gone on to Texas A&M and will graduate next fall.
Name: Rikki Buckalew
Hometown: Graham, TX
Livestock Events: I showed steers at all of the major livestock shows in Texas for eight years and goats for four years. I also showed heifers at major live stocks in Texas for two years.
Favorite Stock Show moment: My favorite stock show moment was my senior year of High School when I showed my steer, War Admiral, at the Fort Worth Livestock Show. The experience was special because I knew it was my last livestock show as an exhibitor and it was my last opportunity to see what all of mine and my family’s hard work had brought. It was also special because I did not even know if I was going to be able to participate in my last livestock show. But thankfully through the work of my family, close family friends, and doctors I was able to show and win the title of Grand Champion Steer.
What type of preparation does it take throughout the year to get ready for a Show the size of the FWSSR? Preparing for a livestock show the size of the FWSSR is no easy feat. It requires time, patience, and lots of hard work. It requires making the trek to the barn to feed and water your animal when it’s freezing cold or blistering hot. It requires spending hours working with your animal so that they are properly trained and show ring ready. You have to groom your animal, keep them cool during the horribly hot days of summer, and clean their pens every day.
How has your experience in the livestock arena benefited your immediate future and how do you expect it to benefit you long term? Being in the livestock arena has benefited me in so many ways. The biggest two lessons it has taught me to be is being cool and collected under pressure. It has also taught me to accept defeat and success both with grace and humility. These lessons will benefit me in so many ways in my future career, school, and even in daily life.
What is your favorite thing to do outside of the FWSSR when you visit Fort Worth?
I enjoy walking around Sundance Square and visiting all of the shops. I also enjoy watching performances at Bass Hall, touring the Kimbell Art Museum, and visiting the Stockyards. Fort Worth has so much to offer and there is always something new and exciting to do!
Besides food at the Stock Show, what is your favorite place to eat when you visit Fort Worth?
My favorite place to eat when I visit Fort Worth is Razoos in Sundance Square. I love the atmosphere and I have always had great service. Everything on the menu is delicious and their bread pudding is the best I’ve ever had.
Don't miss the premiere celebration of the West in the Stockyards National Historic District! Celebrate the 21st edition of the 'Best Gathering and Best Family Event' for Red Steagall's Cowboy Gathering and Western Swing Festival!
Live music includes Red Steagall himself, Don Edwards, Dan Roberts, Jean Prescott, the Quebe Sisters and The Burleson Family.
Don't miss this cowboy event fun for the whole family! For more information,
Click Here.
Weekend events include:
Wagon Train and Trail Ride from Jacksboro, Exciting Ranch Rodeo Action,
Chuck Wagon Camp and Competition, Horsemanship Clinics, Trappings Show,
Cowboy Poetry and Cowboy Music, Ranch Cutting Horse Assn. Rodeo Finals,
Youth Poetry Contest, Youth Fiddle Contest, Youth Chuck Wagon Cook-off, Texas Trail of Fame, Cowboy Church, Western Swing Dances
Fort Worth has become the third party in my relationship, and I mean that in the best possible way. Most of the most important moments in my relationship have happened in Fort Worth.
For our first date, Chase brought me to eat amazing food at Mercury Chophouse, then to Four Day Weekend for some laughs, and then over to Pete's Piano Bar for some musical entertainment.
Fort Worth is the home of my favorite restuarant, which he introduced me to. It is where Chase met my best friend and her husband, and where we have spent many nights with his friends as well. It is even where we were coming home from the first night he told me he loved me.
We have gone to museums, the zoo, the botanical gardens, we have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and just random Fridays in Fort Worth and I can't think of a better place to be "our place".
There are so many things that draw me to Fort Worth, from the culture to the restaurants and bars to music and the rodeo and everything in between. If there is going to be a third member to my relationship, I think Fort Worth is the right choice.
Name: Allison Shipley
City: Carrollton
State: texas
Voted the best bull riding in the world 9-times, the Tuff Hedeman Championship Challenge has the world’s best bull riders and the rankest bucking bulls. Fort Worth has the Best Rodeos in Texas!
On March 5, top Bull Riders, like World Champions JW Harris, Wesley Silcox, Bonner Bolton and Luke Kelly will ride for the title at the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth. Also be on the lookout for some of your favorite riders, like Clayton Williams, Cooper Kanngiesser and Steve Woolsey.
The next generation of bull riders will also have an opportunity to ride in the same arena as the world’s best in the Cripple Creek Jr. Bull Riding Championship. Six young champions from North Texas Jr. Bull Riding associations will compete.
The Casey Donahew Band will entertain in the arena following the bull riding. This is Fort Worth Nightlife at its best! Donahew grew up in nearby Burleson, Texas, and as a youngster was a rodeo competitor. His recent album "Movin' On" debuted in the top 30 of the Billboard Charts. He shares a friendship with Tuff and love of the bone-jarring sport of bull riding.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased thru Billy Bob’s Texas Box Office - 817-624-7117, and at Ticketmaster
www.ticketmaster.com.
What: Tuff Hedeman Championship Challenge Bull Riding
When: March 5, 2011 – 7:30 pm
Where: Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth, TX
Who: The Best Bull Riders and Bulls in the World
Enjoy Western Heritage throughout the Stockyards National Historic District. For more information on Fort Worth Tours visit
www.FortWorth.com/Visitors/Things-to-Do/Western-Experience.
If you're traveling to North Texas during Super Bowl XLV with children, Fort Worth is a great destination for family fun. You can find several Fort Worth Kids Events on the Calendar of Fort Worth Events but here are some of the options always available in the City of Cowboys and Culture.
For starters, there is the 115th championship year of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Held at Will Rogers Memorial Center, this annual event runs from January 14 through February 5 and features a fantastic lineup of fun: premier livestock and horse shows, kid-friendly exhibits, daily live music, the carnival midway, four acres of shopping and so much more.
Don't miss the Museum of Science & History, where bright violet, orange and yellow walls practically scream "Fun!" from a mile away. Entrance to this museum is included with your ticket to the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo! Inside, mom and dad will have as much fun as the kids, whether it's crawling around a massive sandbox, playing with air and light in hands-on activities or taking clipboard in hand to solve mysterious homicides in the high-tech, totally immersive and totally cool "CSI: The Experience" exhibit.
The Fort Worth Zoo offers families one of the nation's best zoos. Any kid can say she's seen lions, but how many can say they saw a komodo dragon?! With learning stations, a rock-climbing tower, carousel and miniature train, there's more to the Fort Worth Zoo than just looking, but the looking is good - especially at its new Museum of Living Art. Stop in to see frogs, lizards and other crawly things almost too colorful to be real.
Kids will love weekend rodeos and the daily Fort Worth Cattle Drive at the Stockyards National Historic District. Fort Worth has some of the Best Rodeos in Texas. And don't miss the chance show your family how gutsy women helped make America great with the fun audio/video exhibits at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame - where else can you find a theater with saddles as seats? Entrance to this Fort Worth Museum is also included with your ticket from the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
For more Family Friendly Ideas and Fort Worth Kids Events go to
www.FortWorth.com.
Only 12 miles down I-30 from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Fort Worth Entertainment during Superbowl 45 is legendary! Come enjoy the Nightlife in downtown Sundance Square, the Cultural District and Stockyards National Historic District in Fort Worth, TX! Here are a few suggestions:
January 14 - February 5, 2011
Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show & Rodeo
Experience one of Fort Worth's top events at Will Rogers Memorial Center in the Cultural District! Known as one of the Best Rodeos in Texas, it was established in 1896. This popular event attracts nearly one million people from around the world.
January 21 - February 20, 2011
Jubilee Theatre in Sundance Square
506 Main Street
Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery tells the story of a young black girl's coming of age in the South during the sixties. Daughter, the main character and narrator, shares with the audience how the women who raised her, some blood relatives and some not, prepared her for womanhood. Youngblood's poetic language brings Daughter's experience to life on the stage.
For ticket information, visit www.jubileetheatre.org or call 817-338-4411. Box office hours are noon - 6 p.m., Tuesday - Friday. Grab a coupon at www.FortWorth.com/Visitors/Special-Offers.
January 28 - February 5, 2011
Billy Bob's Texas
Enjoy live entertainment at the "World's Largest Honky-Tonk" in the Stockyards National Historic District. Check out these entertainers:
Reserved General Admission
January 28- Josh Abbott $16 $12
January 29- Chris Cagle $20 $12
February 5- Clay Walker $35 $15
January 28 - January 30, 2011
Bass Performance Hall
Fort Worth Symphony presents "Irving Berlin Rags to Ritzes"Irving Berlin wrote music for the average American, which he saw as the soul of this country. "God Bless American" and "White Christmas"are two of his songs that are universally known and loved today. Celebrated vocalists join the FWSO for these concerts featuring the best of Berlin.
For additional Fort Worth Events during the first Super Bowl 2011 in North Texas go to www.FortWorth.com/Visitors/Calendar-of-Events.
On Monday, January 17, don’t miss the Cowboys of Color Rodeo at 2 p.m. This is one of the Best Rodeos in Texas.
Experience crowd-pleasing lineups such as traditional professional rodeo events, relay races, mutton bustin’ and more. Highlighting the rich diversity that various cultures bring to rodeo and the western way of life, this rodeo will also feature special presentations by Circle L5 Riding Club, La Guadalupana side saddle riding team and internationally acclaimed vaquero, Jerry Diaz. Presented by State Farm and Univision.
Tickets are $16 and include admission to the Stock Show, Midway, and more.
For more information visit
www.FortWorth.com/Visitors/Things-to-Do.
Come join the excitement in downtown Fort Worth's Sundance Square on January 15 and watch the legendary Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo All-Western Parade fill the streets of Historic Fort Worth.
This is Western Heritage at its best!
The Parade is one of many events during the "kickoff" weekend that continues to be an annual tradition for generations of local citizens. The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is one of the Best Rodeos in Texas beginning in 1896, the Parade accompanies the Stock Show & Rodeo and will assist in commemorating 115 years of legendary status.
For additional information on the "City of Cowboys and Culture" visit www.FortWorth.com
Want to see the one of the Best Rodeos in Texas? At midnight tonight in Dallas and Fort Worth, you can get half-off tickets to the Stock Show and Rodeo! Visit www.groupon.com for this awesome deal. Limited amount, get em while you can!
Visit www.FortWorth.com for more information Western Heritage in Fort Worth. Find Fort Worth Events there as well.
This dude is too cool to miss! Fort Worth historian Quentin McGown speaks Tues, Jan 18th 5:30 - 7:30 pm in the David L. Tandy Lecture Hall for Tuesday's at the Library. This guy knows everything there is to know about Fort Worth. Western Heritage...you got it! Fort Worth Tours....sure! Ask about the Fort Worth Cattle Drive or the Best Rodeos in Texas.
Texas Christian University may be celebrating their first visit to the Rose Bowl but for Fort Worth's own Pam Minick this isn't her first rodeo.
Even though the Best Rodeos in Texas, this trip to California excites us all! Yesterday you could hear Pam on a 3-1/2 hour live show "Tournament of Roses Equestfest". This was her 4th year to host this event. It is a showcase of all the equine groups in the Tournament of Roses Parade.
Saturday will be her 3rd year to be on the broadcast team of the Tournament of Roses Parade. The first 2 years Minick was right down on the street as the Equestrian expert.
This year she is co-hosting with Orion Samuelson who is celebrating his 50th year in broadcasting. He also hosts an agriculture show on RFD TV. Minick also hosts a weekly show on RFD TV is The American Rancher, airing on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Sundays.
She will also produce and host a "Pre Show" on Saturday morning at 9 am Central which is a behind the scenes look at the floats and how they are made. While the parade is spectacular, really the spectacle is all the flowers and preparation behind the scenes.
For more information on places to watch the game and other Fort Worth Entertainment visit
www.FortWorth.com.
Held during the Fort Worth Stock Show this new addition highlights the rich diversity that various cultures bring to rodeo and the western way of life. This rodeo will also feature special presentations by Circle L5 Riding Club, La Guadalupana side saddle riding team and internationally acclaimed vaquero, Jerry Diaz.
For more information on Western Heritage Events and the Best Rodeo in Texas visit www.FortWorth.com.
The 15th Annual Fort Worth Cowboys of Color Invitational Rodeo will take place on Monday, January 17, 2011, 2:00 p.m., at the historic Will Rogers Coliseum during the Fort Worth Stock Show, for the second year in a row!
A portion of the proceeds from this rodeo will be donated by the Stock Show to benefit the educational programming provided by National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum (NMWHM) to area youth. The museum offers free Cultural Heritage Youth Workshops that are held throughout the school year for students K-12. The museum's goal is to assist 1500 youth from across the city attend the Ft. Worth Cowboys of Color Rodeo on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday, after the parade, on Monday, January 17, 2011.
The day will include pre-rodeo activities for families such as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade held in downtown Ft. Worth, Grand Entry Parade at the rodeo, cultural entertainment between traditional rodeo events and an opportunity to obtain autographs from the rodeo contest winners. The $16.00 ticket price includes admission to grounds activities throughout the day (petting zoo, exhibits, midway, etc.).
Attached, please find a ticket order form and a flyer for the rodeo. Additional information is available upon your request. You may purchase tickets via mail, the museum's website www.cowboysofcolor.org, or by calling (817) 922-9999. On behalf of the youth you are assisting, thank you for your support!!
For more information on the Best Rodeos in Texas visit
www.FortWorth.com.
It is that time of year in Fort Worth to see the Best Rodeo in Texas! Come experience Western Heritage at its best in the "City of Cowboys and Culture."
January 14- February 5, 2011 at Will Rogers Memorial Center
Enjoy great rodeo action, world-class livestock shows, kid-friendly exhibits, daily live music, terrific food, the carnival midway, four acres of unique daily shopping and more.
From mid January through the first week of February, over 21,000 head of livestock, including goats, cows, llamas and pigeons, are displayed for prizes each year at this annual two week stock show and rodeo held in the Will Rogers Memorial Center.
Rodeo events draw cowboys from all over the South to compete for prizes. A dazzling midway with rides and games, a venue for cowboy poetry and a downtown parade are also included in the festivities.
Fort Worth Cowboys of Color Invitational Rodeo
One of the Best Rodeos in Texas!
Monday, January 17, 2011 at at 2:00 pm.
Where: Will Rogers Coliseum
Fort Worth Meeting Location
3401 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth, TX 76107
Tickets: $16 - and includes admission to Stock Show, Midway and Rodeo
To purchase tickets to the event, Click
HereFor more information on Things to Do in Fort Worth go to
www.FortWorth.com/Visitors/Things-to-Do
Head down to the Stockyards National Historic District October 22-24 for the Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering and Western Swing Festival. Voted “Best Cowboy Gathering” and “Best Family Event” by the readers of American Cowboy Magazine, the Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering has fun Fort Worth Kids Events!
Events include cowboy music, western swing dances, youth fiddle contest, cowboy trappings and trade show, cowboy poetry, Texas Trail of Fame induction Ceremony, Craig Cameron Horsemanship Clinics and more! And don’t miss the Ranch Rodeo and Ranch Cutting Horse National Finals.
Although Red Steagall is best known for his wonderful Texas Swing dance music and such songs as "Here We Go Again", "Party Dolls and Wine", "Freckles Brown", and "Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills Music", Red is beloved by Texas Cowboys for the quiet times they have spent with him around chuck wagon campfires.
As a native Texan, Red enjoyed a career in Agricultural Chemistry after graduating from West Texas State University with a degree in Animal Science and Agronomy. He then spent eight years as a music industry executive in Hollywood, California and has spent the last thirty years as a recording artist, songwriter, and television and motion picture personality. He currently offices outside of Fort Worth, Texas where in addition to his entertainment activities, he is currently involved in the production of motion pictures and television shows.
For more information on the Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering & Western Swing Festival, visit
www.redsteagallcowboygathering.com.
Discover more Texas Culture and Western Heritage in the "City of Cowboys and Culture" by visiting
www.FortWorth.com.
We locals know that Fort Worth, TX, the City of Cowboys and Culture is the perfect city in the United States to retire where the sun shines 242 days per year! It's no wonder Fort Worth was featured on 
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