The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo also has a Stock Show portion to go along with the Rodeo (hence the name). I wasn’t able to see much when I went to the Rodeo, but I went back to see what I could see. It was cold that day … and we almost didn’t go, but decked out with my sweater and scarf and jacket (and new digital camera) we braved whatever would be thrown our way.

In the first tent (which wasn’t a tent … but I don’t know what to call it … barn, building, venue, whatever) there were a bunch of trailers on display. At first I thought, “What? Are these all the new model trailers that all the farmers come to gawk and drool over?” But Jessica told me that these are trailers that people (clubs, High School classes) custom build from scratch to enter in design contests. Pretty cool I s’pose.

Jessica is a big John Deere fan and immediately regretted not wearing her John Deere hat (sometimes I forget she’s Texan). I had her get cozy with this vintage 1928 John Deere tractor that someone restored. There were about 4 other models. Perhaps there was a John Deere tractor restoration competition too.

The next tent (again, not a tent) had pens for animals. This particular one was pigs and they were kind of empty. I suppose the pig competitions were over (only 2 days left in the Stock Show) or perhaps they were off being judged right then. The next tent (that wasn’t a tent) had cows … and it was full of cows (and male cows … bulls? It was full of bull?)

Jessica found one she thought looked like me … I’m not sure how to take that.

After that was the tent (nope, not a tent, but soon there will be) that contained a handful of animals with species information so kids could walk around and learn all about the animals and how to care for them. There was this hairy goat thing that just baffled my mind. There were lambs, and chicks, and chickens, and pigs, and all that normal stuff too (I won’t mention Jessica dropping my camera … oops! There I go). There was a display that had trivia question on little hinges and the answers underneath them. One question, “What species of cattle has the largest horns?”

Jessica: “You know that one!”

David: “I don’t even know one type of cow species!”

Jessica: “Come on, think about it? Where are you?”

David: “The Stock Show …?”

Jessica: “No, where are you?”

David: “San Antonio … The San Antonio … Cow?”

Jessica: “No! What state are you in?”

David: “The Texas … Stock Show-er cow?”

Jessica: “No! Come on, think about it!”

David: “What?! Texas … horned cow … long horned … Oh! The Texas Longhorn!”

Yeah, I’m stupid.

Then we peeked into the auction tent (not tent), where kids were having their sheep auctioned off. I asked where the sheep go … the kind of question you probably shouldn’t ask at something like this, but the answer was mixed. As you can see in the picture, the kids get a good chuck of money for their animals, up to $1500 for the 3 auctions we stayed for. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to buy an animal for that much just to turn around and eat it. But seeing as how people go into these auctions with the mindset that their money is going to help this kid go through college or encourage him/her to continue to raise animals, what happens to the animal isn’t really the point. Some people turn around and donate it to a farm to be raised some more. Some send it to the slaughterhouse for meat. Some give it to the zoo. Any number of things. And the kid gets a chunk of change. I don’t know if it’s regulated so the money actually goes to something useful … or if the kids turn around and waste their money of toys like laptops, cameras, and Photoshop (hmm … wait …)

From there we wondered around a bit and ended up in the petting zoo (which was in a tent). After seeing the clean animals in the previous non-tents it was weird seeing these ones with their fur all matted at stuff. I guess if no one’s around to groom them for show that’s how they’d end up anyway. There was a goat that tried twice to eat the bottom edge of my sweater, a few ducks that avoided any and all contact, a llama that … chewed on something, and off in the corner behind a gate was a sheep that had just given birth (2 hours before we got there … and nothing had been cleaned up … ‘nuf said)

Next to that was the Budweiser (no link!) Clydesdales (tent). It really wasn’t that interesting, but I took some pictures, so it’s worth mentioning. The horses were huge. I wish it was easier to tell in my pics.

There were also a couple donkeys. There were made official members of the team back in 2004. If you can read the sign … seriously now, somehow I doubt the donkeys really cared.

Up next was the “Texas Experience” tent (in a tent). With a name like that, how could I skip out? It was a showcase of all the cool things that came out of Texas. During earlier hours, Jessica tells me there are people there to give you food to taste, but when we went through it was just a bunch of displays. One display, the honey display, was still open. The lady there was selling Texas honey of some sort. She also had this Plexiglas enclosure with bees swarming around on a few honeycomb sheets. It was cool. I forgot I had a camera.

On our way out I saw a man eating a huge drumstick. “I’m hungry” I thought. We went and got food. I got myself a turkey leg. It was good.

We ate our food inside the Coliseum where a ton of vendors were displaying their wares. Not very much looked interesting to me, but it was cool to see all kids of different things. People were selling statues, paintings, hats, purses, spurs, jewelry, leather anything, furniture, treats, and the traditional water purifiers and other gadgets. We stopped and talked with a sculptor for a little bit. He and Jessica talked about getting started as artists and he gave her tons of encouragement. She’s got this clay model she wants to get a mold cast for … but it’s tons of dough. I hope she can find a way to make that happen. I know it’s make her so happy.

Jessica spied someone with a candied apple and so we went searching for one. I search took us to the carnival where she acquired her apple and a bag of cotton candy. We retired to the nearby dance hall (in a tent) and found a place at a table right by the heater. Soon, Jesse Dayton got up a played a little number (at least that’s what the sign said). It was pretty cool. We had planned on dancing, but we would have been the only ones, it didn’t really seem like a dancing song … and I just wasn’t in the mood. I liked the heater.

After the night was over I wondered why I even contemplated not going. Yeah, it was cold, but it was so much fun. I’m really glad I got to see it before the rodeo packed up a left town.

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