As I stepped out of the portable toilet by the cattle stalls, I was hit by yet another unpleasant smell, worse than what the plastic prison provided.
Noting my disgusted look, a rancher said, “Out of the frying pan and into the fire, right?”
Thankfully, the odor gave way as I trekked to explore the 2009 Austin Rodeo that featured everything from pig races to pizza on a stick and even Carlos Mencia.
It’s hard to believe that the relatively unimposing Travis County Expo Center is home to this 61-year-old Texas tradition, the sixth-largest indoor rodeo in the world.
The arena pales in comparison to Reliant Stadium where the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was held these past few weeks, but traversing the grounds proved size does not matter.
The livestock were present in the hundreds and featured award-winning horses, goats and Texas longhorns all under the same roof as Future Farmers of America members showed off their pigs to a surprisingly large crowd for a Monday afternoon. And just like the Houston Rodeo, belt buckles and leather boots were the most popular souvenir.
The Western theme materialized itself in an impromptu mock shoot-out between “cattle rustlers” and “the sheriff,” an old and scraggly yet spirited reenactor who donned the stereotypical silver star badge and revolver.
To ensure that children did not leave the show completely uneducated in the ways of firearm protection that were utilized in the Wild, Wild West, Tommy Worrell of the Diamond W Longhorn Ranch and his group of entertaining gun handlers held a gun-safety demonstration soon after the rustlers in the group had been dispatched by the trusty sheriff.
The carnival aspect isn’t as attractive as the merchandise or the educational gun handlers of Diamond W Longhorn Ranch. Cheap thrills can be found at every corner, including the “Disco Fever” fun house that, like many attractions, requires that the visitor only stand 3-feet tall. And, though I’m not surprised, the standard funnel cake and cotton candy combinations left me with a stomach ache.
The only carnival-like attraction that does not solely cater to 3-year-olds is a sling-shot-like device that catapults two passangers sitting in a small cage into the air, ensuring that they do not shoot out of the roof by utilizing two bungee chords attached to massive steel pillars. But the intensity of the ride was overshadowed by a price tag that can scare away the bravest of patrons, even those participating in the shoot out.
A few musical performances play after the rodeo every night. If you’re kicking yourself for missing the chance to see Jesse McCartney or Carlos Mencia at the rodeo, don’t worry; you can still hear Jack Ingram’s cover of Hinder’s “Lips of an Angel.”
And the smell? Well, that only made everything a little more palatable.
The Austin Rodeo runs through Saturday.
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