PRCA
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Originated in 1936. Acts as union to protect
cowboys and livestock. Enforces humane
treatment of animals. Humane rules being used 7
years prior to Humane Society.
Over 1,100 members, sanctions over 70 rodeos
and awards over 1 million in prize money
annually.
Cowboys work all year for a shot at National
Finals in Dec. in Las Vegas.
Timed Events – Barrel Racing (contestants at
HLSR average 15-17 seconds), Steer Wrestling
(under 7 seconds), Calf Roping and Team Roping,
Judged Events – Saddle Bronc, Bull Riding and
Bare Back – 50% score for animal bucking and
50% rider performance. Must stay on 8 seconds.
Bell on rope under bull is for weight to pull rope
not to agitate bull
Livestock outnumber contestants 10-1. They only
work about 5 min. per year.
George Straight is a true singing cowboy –
accomplished Team Roper.
SWINE
Male: Barrow (neutered), Boar (adult, Female: Gilt, Sow
(after giving birth), Babies: Piglets
 Gestation: 114 days or 3 mos., 3 weeks & 3 days
 A sow will commonly produce 2.5 litters per year,
averaging 10 piglets per litter or “farrowing”.
 Farrowing House: prevents the sow from injuring
or lying on her piglets. Sow and piglets are housed
in this pen approx. 21 days.
 At birth piglets weigh approx 3 lbs. and have 8
needle-sharp teeth, which are clipped to prevent
injury to the sow, themselves or other piglets.
 Stay with the sow for 4-6 weeks then they are
weaned and taken from their mother.
 They have a monogastric stomach. Cannot digest
grasses like ruminants.
 Have no neck so they cannot look up. (Good place
for child interaction.)
 Do not sweat; only animal that can get sunburned.
 Most popular FFA project in Texas.
TOUR/SAFETY TIPS
RABBITS
Male: Buck, Female: Doe, Babies: Kittens
 Gestation: 32 days
 Newborns have no fur, are blind and helpless at
birth.
 The only 2 animals that can see behind it without
turning its head are the rabbit and the parrot
 Generally live between 4 and 24 years.
 Can be trained to use the litter box like a cat
 Skin and fur are called a pelt.
 Have 6 incisors (front teeth) – 4 on the top and 2
on the bottom.
 Long ears are most likely an adaptation for
detecting predators.
 Feed by grazing on grass, forbs and leafy weeds.
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Be interesting and entertaining.
Create an icebreaker such as “Howdy Ya’ll!!
Welcome to the Rodeo!”
Be natural, make eye contact, know your subject
matter and take ownership of your tour.
Animals are an important part of our AgVenture
Tour and can be a lot of fun but can also get
startled which can lead to dangerous situations.
Here are some safety tips to suggest while touring:
- Stay alert at all times. Animals are constantly
being moved about the grounds.
- Stay with group and pay attention to your
leaders.
- The animals you will be viewing are not pets.
Be calm and quiet around livestock
POULTRY
Chickens - Male: Rooster, Female: Hen, Babies:
Chicks, Broiler is 6-13 weeks old
 21 days to hatch
 can lay up to 285 eggs per year
 Heart rate is 250-350 beats per minute
 There are more chickens than people in the world.
 Roosters crow at any time of the day or night.
 Closest living relative to the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
 Top speed is 9 mph and longest recorded flight is
13 seconds.
Turkeys – Male: Tom, Female: Hen
 28 days to hatch
 Turkeys live in flocks
 Only the adult male turkey makes the gobbler,
gobble sound. The female or hen turkey makes a
gentle clucking or clicking sound.
 Big Bird, of Sesame Street fame, is actually
dressed in turkey feathers which have been dyed
bright yellow
BEEF CATTLE
Male: Bull (intact adult), Steer (Young Castrated), Female:
Cow (has had calves), Heifer (young, no calves), Babies:
Calf (until weaned), Yearlings (between 1 & 2 years)
 Gestation: about 9 months
 Nurse their calf until they are about 7 months old.
 Texas #1 beef producer in U.S. 15 million head
per year, 1/5 of all U.S. cattle are raised in Texas
 McDonald’s sell more beef than other retailers.
 Market weight of 1,150 lbs.
 Average consumer eats 67 lbs. Per year
 #1 selling grocery item
HONEY BEES
Male: Drone (mate with Queen then die, does not have a
stinger), Female: Queen (sole purpose is to lay eggs) &
Workers (gather nectar, protect& clean hive, feed larva)
 Slightly fewer than 20,000 known species of bee
in 9 recognized families.
 Have hair on their eyes.
 Fly 15 mph.
 Average hive temperature is 93.5 degrees.
 Each hive has approx. 40-45,000 bees
 The only insect that produce food for humans.
 Workers fan wings to cool hive and do dances to
tell the location of food: Round dance – food is
close, Waggle dance – food is farther away
 Visit about 2 million flowers to make 1 lb of
honey
 During honey production periods, a bee’s life span
is about 6 weeks.
 To produce 2 lbs of honey, bees travel a distance
equal to 4 times around the earth.
SHEEP
Male: Ram, Female: Ewe, Babies: Lamb
 Gestation: about 151 days.
 Ewes are usually bred in the fall and give birth in
the late winter and early spring.
 When a ewe gives birth it is called lambing.
 Usually give birth to 1 or 2 lambs but sometimes 3
or 4 and stay with their mothers for about 5
months.
 The smell of the ewe’s milk passing through the
lamb tells the mother which lamb is hers.
 At 6 mos. is full-grown and weighs between 110
and 120 lbs.
 Are shorn or sheared twice a year producing 6-12
lbs of wool per sheep.
 Horns curl in flat loops on sides of head.
 Is a ruminant (has 4 stomachs)
GOATS
Male: Billies or Bucks (intact), Wethers (castrated),
Female: Nannies or Does, Babies: Kids
 Gestation: about 5 months
 Common to have twins and sometimes triplets.
 Do not have tear ducts so they cannot cry.
 Horns grow straight up.
 #1 meat consumed worldwide.
 98% of all mohair is from Texas Angora.
 By-products: lanolin, gum, crayons, dice, piano
keys
 Environmentally friendly – no top front teeth leave
roots of plants; eat noxious weeds other animals
cannot.
DAIRY CATTLE
Male: Bull (intact adult), Steer (up to 4 mos. old &
castrated), Ox (over 4 mos. Old & castrated) Female:
Heifer (young, no calves), Springer (7 mos. Pregnant),
Cow (has had calves), Babies: Calf (until weaned),
Yearlings (between 1 & 2 years)
 Gestation: about 9 months.
 Weaned immediately after birth and fed the
mother’s milk with a large nursing bottle.
 In the United States, dairy cattle are divided into
six major breeds.. These are the: Holstein-Friesian,
Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Ayrshire, Jersey, and
Milking Shorthorn.
 Texas #6 milk producer in U.S.
 Texas #3 in ice cream due largely to Blue Bell.
 Ruminant digestive system (4 stomachs).
 Produce milk for 3-4 years.
 Abe Lincoln’s mother died when the family dairy
cow ate poisonous mushrooms and Ms. Lincoln
drank the milk.
 Studies have shown that classical music helps
cows produce more milk.
INSIDE EXHIBITS
(RELIANT CENTER)
Capital One Bank AgVenture
(See reverse for complete information)
Project: Show Pride Exhibit
Lobby of Reliant Center - Daily, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Go Texan Quilt Contest Winners Display
Hayloft Galleries (School Art Display)
AGVENTURE INFO
Barnyard Babies Birthing Center
Daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Cotton Ginning Demonstrations
Daily, 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., except 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Milking Demonstrations
Daily, 10 and 11 a.m., noon, and 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 p.m.
Petting Zoo
Daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Pony Rides
(Additional $5 fee per ride)
Daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Spinning and Weaving Demonstrations
Weekdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Weekends, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Texas Farm Bureau Beef and Wheat Exhibits
Daily, 9a.m. to 9p.m.
Texas Beef Council
Weekdays: Kids Cooking Demonstrations: 10 a.m. and 1
p.m.,
Burger Toss Game: 2-4 p.m.
SCHOLARSHIP INFO
Largest scholarship program in U.S.; 1st was awarded in
1957. Over $265 million in scholarships and endowments
has been awarded to date. Recipients must demonstrate
academic potential, citizenship/leadership, and financial
need and must attend a Texas college or university.
 4-H, FFA & FCCLA - $16,000 each to 70Texas 45 members, 70 Texas FFA members and 10
FCCLA members annually.
 Go Texan - 1 $3,000 one-year to each of the 60
Area Go Texan counties
 School Art - 15 four year $15,000 qualify through
their participation in the School Art Program
 Metropolitan - $15,000 to 200 students in public
school districts in Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend,
Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and
Waller counties.
 Opportunity - To students in public school districts
in Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston,
Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller counties
based on financial need, academics, leadership and
community involvement.
FARMING & CROPS
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There are 230,000 farms in Texas averaging 564
acres each.
John Deere developed the first American cast-steel
plow & Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in
1793 (it quickly and easily separates the cotton
fibers from the seedpods and sticky seeds).
Wheat for grain is one of the state’s most valuable
crops – first grown in Texas near Sherman in 1883
and around 4 million acres harvested each year.
Cottonseed production and processing employs
more than 440,000 in the U.S., Texas’ leading
cash crop, the seed from 1 bale will produce
enough oil to cook nearly 6,000 snack-sized bags
of potato chips.
Corn is our country’s #1 crop, there are more than
3,500 different uses, all ears produce an average of
16 rows of corn.
Rice is full of protein and vitamins, has no fat and
is non-allergenic, was first cultivated in the U.S. in
the 17th century, long grain is generally grown in
the southern states
HLS&R IS A CHARITY
OUTDOOR EXHIBITS
Since 1932, HLS&R has contributed over $200,000 to
benefiting the youth of Texas through
 Scholarships
 Research.
 Endowments
 Calf scramble participants.
 Junior show exhibitors.
 Rodeo Institute for Teacher Excellence.
 School Art participants
Fun on the Farm: Daily, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. & 3 p.m. to 9
p.m.
Stick Horse Rodeo
Weekdays, 1 p.m. and Weekends, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Kids Country Stage - Live entertainment celebrating our
western heritage! - Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Petting Zoo - Daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Pony Rides & Camel Rides - (Addt’l $5 fee per ride)
Daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Pig Races - Daily, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., and 12:30, 1:30,
2:30, 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.
McDonald’s Chuck Wagon Corral - East side of Reliant
Stadium - Weekdays, noon to 7 p.m.; Weekends, 10 a.m.
to 7 p.m.
HLS&R FACTS
JUNIOR MARKET AUCTION RECORDS
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Grand Champion Goat – 2007 - $115,000
Reserve Grand Champion Goat – 2007 - $130,000
Grand Champion Lamb -2008 - $185,000
Reserve Grand Champion Lamb – 2007 $125,000
Grand Champion Pen of Broilers – 2007 $201,000
Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Broilers – 2007 $140,000
Grand Champion Turkey – 2007 - $106,000
Reserve Grand Champion Goat – 2007 - $106,000
Grand Champion Barrow – 2008 - $162,000
Reserve Grand Champion Barrow – 2008 $112,000
Grand Champion Steer – 2002 - $600,001
Reserve Grand Champion Steer – 2005 $365,000
Grand Champion Work of Art – 2008 - $185,000
Reserve Champion Work of Art – 2008 - $150,000
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EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
HLS&R IMPACT ON HOUSTON
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Rodeo competitors, visitors, livestock show contestants,
vendors and others have direct expenditures in excess
of $220 million, annually. With economic multipliers,
the financial impact is over $475 million.
In 2010 HLS&R had 2,078 foreign visitors from 84
countries.
2010 HLS&R General attendance was 1,802,158.
HLS&R is the third larges fair or festival in the United
States.
In 2010, with 30,258 livestock competitions and horse
show entries, HLS&R was the largest in the world.
Each year, the mayor of Houston and the Harris County
judge present proclamations declaring “Go Texan
Days.”
HLS&R recycling efforts resulted in:
o 109,900 lbs. of recycled cardboard
o 13,169 lbs. of aluminum
1931 – 7 men establish Houston Fat Stock Show
1932 – 1st show had 2,000 entrees
1942 – marked the year a true star would entertain:
Gene Autry “The Singing Cowboy” & had the 1st calf
scramble
1961 – name changed to Houston Livestock Show &
Rodeo
1966 – HLS&R moved to Astrodome complex, donated
Astroarena to the people of Harris County and
introduced Howdy
2003 – Reliant Stadium and Center open to the 71st
HLS&R
HLS&R is truly “The Show With a Heart with over 20,
000 volunteers, 100 committees and a staff of 90 fulltime employees
The average committee volunteer:
o Donate 67.7 hours of service each year
o Is 43.29 years old.
o Has been a show volunteer for 7.19 years.
o Has lived in Houston 25.02 years
o Spends 16.94 hours year in show meetings.
o Every ZIP Code in Harris County has
committee members living in it
neighborhoods.
o Committee volunteer group is 41% Female
and 59% Male.
Area Go Texan committee members now spread
goodwill to over 60 counties around Houston.
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$1.5 million in Opportunity scholarships.
$2.1 million in FFA and 4-H scholarships.
$3.1 million for Metropolitan scholarships
$900,00 for Area Go Texan scholarships
$225,000 for School Art Programs scholarships
2,022 Students enrolled in 88 Texas colleges and
universities on HLS&R scholarships.
Since inception of scholarship program in 1957,
HLS&R has committed over $100 million.
Since the beginning of the Calf Scramble program
in 1942, 18,242 boys and girls have been awarded
over $10 million.
More than 300,000 students participate in the
School Arts Program.