Rodeo Ready To Stampede Into Allen

It certainly was a pleasant surprise last week when I passed through Allen Station Park and came upon a herd of Texas longhorn.

Only two weeks ago I was exploring the possibility of switching careers and becoming a cattle rancher. Now here I was face to face with a 1,500 lb. steer. I just had to know more.

The herd of thirty longhorns had been transported to Allen from northwest Oklahoma that afternoon. They were in town to promote the Tom Thumb Texas Stampede which comes to the Allen Event Center on November 11-13.

After a good night’s rest, the longhorns would be driven north through the park into the Village of Allen ending at the Allen Event Center. Considering the alternative, it would be fair to say that the longhorns had a pretty good deal going on.

The longhorns came from the Chain Ranch in Woodward, OK and according to Livestock Weekly Magazine, many of them were spared from a trip to the slaughterhouse.

The ranch owner Wes Sanders picked up 44 steers at an auction and thought he could use them to promote a local rodeo. He outbid a local packing house for every one of them and brought them back to his ranch. Several days later he drove the herd 10 miles into Woodward and got statewide news coverage. That was in 1997. Today the Chain Ranch loans longhorn herds of all sizes (and their cowboys) to movie companies and communities for promotional cattle drives across the southwest.

“Our purpose in holding the cattle drive was to celebrate the Texas Stampede’s move to Allen,” explains Scott Farace, the Stampede’s vice president for business development. “It’s also about bringing a bit of Texas history back to the area. These are real longhorns and real cowboys and I think people enjoy that experience.”

Logistics are certainly an important part of driving a cattle herd through a city, according to Randy Lewallyn, director of operations.

“It looks harder than it is because longhorns are basically docile creatures. They are used to the noise and sounds of parade routes and the steers usually just need a nudge from the cowboys or the sound of whip to stay in line.”

The cattle drive, of course, is only the appetizer for the upcoming Texas Stampede. The main event will include bareback, saddle bronc riding, calf roping, barrel racing and bull riding.
Eric Swenson, a professional bareback bronc rider who recently placed 20th in world competition, compares the rodeo circuit to NASCAR.

“The professionals travel across the country during the rodeo season gaining points as they go. The season ends with the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas each December.”
Attending a rodeo is so different than watching one on television, added Swenson. “It’s the sounds and the excitement of the crowd that can’t be experienced any other way.”

Allen has certainly opened its doors to the Texas Stampede, says John Wroten, executive director of the Stampede.

“We’ve been overwhelmed with the support from the city and the volunteers which means it will be a great event here in Allen.”

“The move to a smaller venue will actually help the Stampede,” added Wroten. Our costs compared to the American Airlines Center are much less and we have more flexibility to expand the event. For example, the western heritage festival on November 11-13 is a new addition to the Stampede.”
The free western heritage event will include a petting zoo, pony rides, goat roping and a western marketplace.

In addition to the festival and rodeo, the Stampede will host country stars Dierks Bentley on November 12 and Montgomery Gentry on November 13.
Profits from the Texas Stampede benefit charities in North Texas, particularly Children’s Medical Center.

For more information about the weekend events visit www.texasstampede.org or call the Allen Event Center.

In the meantime, dust off those boots and get ready to party western style till the cows (make that longhorns) come home.