The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo #FWSSR

His first pair of blue jeans, cowboy boots, and his first rodeo.

Bucking broncos and bulls send cowboys flying, tough cowgirls whirl around barrels as their horses' hooves thunder back into a tunnel beneath the stands, and children scramble to catch their calves for prize money.

All of these things are reminiscent of the past, but the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo remind us city folks that the Wild West still lives right under our nose.

Every winter Jan. 17-Feb. 8, cowboys from as far as France and Australia move to Fort Worth for a few weeks to show us how it's done. They perform daring tasks actually practiced on ranches all over the world to show off their antiquated skills and win prize money.

And yes, these cowboys are the real deal. No show ponies here.

This long-lived North Texas tradition is one I recommend for everyone. I go at least twice every year.

Evening performances sell for $25 a ticket, and matinees $19. The event is held at the historic and beloved Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum in the heart of Fort Worth's cultural district.

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Click here to read my feature story in Fort Worth, Texas magazine on the lady behind the sparkling Palomino Flag Girls.

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