Texas is the state that refuses to forget the spirit of the Old West. As years pass and times change, towns still come together to cheer on the sights of hooves, cowboys and cattle. Texas is the place where rodeos are not just an event, but a celebration of life.
An aeriel view of the Brazos Valley Fair and Rodeo at the Brazos County Expo in Bryan, Texas on Sunday, October 22, 2023. (Chris Swann/The Battalion)
(Photo by Chris Swann)
Within the fairgrounds, the pulse of the Brazos Valley Fair and Rodeo beats throughout the day. From 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., children and adults alike are flooded by a of rides, shows and petting zoos.
Fair and Rodeo Assistant Manager Avery Fisher said the shows have events both unique and familiar to fans of the rodeo:
“There are a lot of fun events that we have planned on our fairway,” Fisher said. “It’s not every day that you get to see sea lions in the Brazos Valley. We have a lumberjack show that’s new this year. Lumberjacks will cut wood and do all kinds of tricks and stuff in the water on wood. The [swifty swine] pig races have always been one of my favorites. Little piglets run around in circles trying to get the next Oreo.”
But after the sun sets, the traveling cowboys and cowgirls gather on the mud to perform the main shows of the event. The dangers of the dirt are made aware from silencing prayers across the athletes and audience.
Team roping came first, where a duo of cowboys fought a dance to gather the horns and hooves of a steer in the shortest time possible. The anticipation of the gates opening was felt by not only the cowboys, but the audience as well. Even the snorts of the horses could be heard as they waited for the bang.
Barrel racing took the spotlight next, a sport where the unspoken language between rider and horse unfolds. Tana Friar and her equine partner communicating effortlessly in the hustle of the arena.
Bronco riding followed and showed duels between a horse and the horseman. While one showed off the silent language that both understood so perfectly, the other exposed dissimilarity between the horse and the rider. For a perfect eight seconds, the horse did everything it could to dismount the rider upon it. While some riders heard the bell of completion within the chaos, others had their world filled with mud before that time.
As always, the main event was left for last. The anticipation continued to grow as bull riding was about to begin. Even as the crowd started to roar, the perils of the sport were in close reach. In the stands, eight seconds meant eight seconds, but behind the gates, the anxiety of eight seconds was felt from the riders to the animal.
Bull rider Cesar Carillo was one of the last to get on the bulls. The run of the ride felt exhilarating, he said. “It feels nice [to be at the rodeo], but when you ride the bull it feels better, I don’t know how to explain it.”
