San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
Encyclopedia
The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is one of the largest livestock show
Livestock show
A livestock show is an event where livestock are exhibited and judged on certain phenotypical breed traits as specified by their respective breed standard. Species of livestock that may be shown include pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, llamas and alpacas. Poultry such as chickens, geese, ducks,...
s and rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
s in the country. Started in 1950, the annual event takes place over three weeks in February. The rodeo's permanent home was the Joe & Harry Freeman Coliseum
Freeman Coliseum
The Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum is a sports and concert venue in San Antonio, Texas, USA, built in 1949.It has been host to thousands of events including the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, concerts, trade shows, motor sports, circus, professional sports including professional bull riding,...
until 2003 when its primary events moved into the AT&T Center
AT&T Center
AT&T Center is an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It seats 18,581, for basketball , 13,800, for ice hockey and 19,000, for concerts or religious gatherings and contains 2,018 club seats, 50 luxury suites and 32 bathrooms .It was completed in 2002, as the SBC...
.
Since its inception the Stock Show & Rodeo has grown and developed over the years. In 1984 the Rodeo began a scholarship program for students interested in pursuing agricultural degrees. Since then the association has committed over $64 million dollars through scholarships, grants, endowments, cattle auctions and other means. In 2003, with the addition of the AT&T Center, the adjacent Freeman Coliseum became available to add on-site access for retailers to sell western wear, furniture and other items during the annual rodeo. The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is one of the top five Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is an organization whose members compete in rodeos throughout North America, primarily in the United States. The PRCA sanctions rodeo venues and events through the PRCA Circuit System. Its championship event is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo...
(PRCA) rodeos in the nation. In 2003 it received special recognition by the PRCA Pro-Rodeo Hall of Fame
ProRodeo Hall of Fame
The ProRodeo Hall of Fame is dedicated to the preservation of rodeo artifacts and continued interest in the sport. It is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and run by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's board. It claims to be the "only museum in the world devoted exclusively to the...
. Attendance at the 56th Annual (2005) Rodeo reached 1.1 million, about $500,000 in prizes are awarded to winning rodeo participants and the grand champion steer was auctioned off for over $110,000.
Production of the event requires over 4,000 volunteers and the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
and AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
Rampage
San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. They are the top affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the NHL. Their home arena is the AT&T Center.-History:...
to play an extended away game schedule.