Cowboy culture: 24 hours of behind-the-scenes photos from Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

James Hartley
·5 min read

The Fort Worth of the 1800s, a hub of livestock trading and a living monument to cowboy culture, hasn’t died.

While it may have faded and can be overshadowed by the urban sprawl that has expanded over much of North Texas, the city’s history and culture take center stage each year during the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Ranchers, farmers, horse trainers and livestock traders flock to the city where the west begins for 23 days of competitions, auctions and education.

They come from all across the country, from just down the road to driving for days from places like Oregon, Wisconsin, Montana and the Dakotas.

JANUARY 18, 2:10 p.m.

Megean Pretre of Paris, TX shears Sunshine, a Southdown breeding sheep, for her daughter, Sarea, 12.. The sheep are shorn once they arrive at the barns in order for the judges to see the anatomy of the sheep better.
Megean Pretre of Paris, TX shears Sunshine, a Southdown breeding sheep, for her daughter, Sarea, 12.. The sheep are shorn once they arrive at the barns in order for the judges to see the anatomy of the sheep better.

Junior Heifers

One building was filled with the almost deafening hum of high-power hair dryers and the occasional moo. A steady stream of trucks with trailers flowed into parking spots outside as parents and their teenage children unloaded cattle.

Among them, 17-year-old Kilye Winge and 18-year-old Kaylan Kiser were getting ready for the junior heifer competition. This would be the girls’ last years competing. Both brought Angus heifers they hoped would show off their ability to recognize sound structure, balance and stoutness.

For Winge and Kiser, who grew up with cattle and around livestock competitions, the best part of showing heifers is the community and friendships they’ve built.

JANUARY 18, 2:26 p.m.

Raelin Musgrove, 17, from Detroit, Texas, walks her Red Angus heifer Zuzu into the cattle barn. Musgrove owns her own cattle company after starting with two cows bought from her grandmother. “It’s a small little herd, but it’s a herd,” said Musgrove. She now has a herd of seven.
Raelin Musgrove, 17, from Detroit, Texas, walks her Red Angus heifer Zuzu into the cattle barn. Musgrove owns her own cattle company after starting with two cows bought from her grandmother. “It’s a small little herd, but it’s a herd,” said Musgrove. She now has a herd of seven.

Community and friendships also have played a big role in 17-year-old Braden Roehling’s time participating in junior heifer competitions. But more than that, he said he has learned skills he can use in his future career in agriculture.

Roehling has been involved in rodeos and livestock competitions since he was a young child. He started off with mutton busting, like so many others who found a place in this world. He tried team roping and even bull riding, but a few years back found himself interested in raising and showing junior longhorns.

“It started off as just an interest but I raise and sell cattle now,” Roehling said.

JANUARY 18, 2:49 p.m.

Ashlyn Leyva, 17, right, helps set up the pens for Aledo FFA at Cattle Barn 1 at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Leyva said that setting up usually takes a couple hours, but the real wait is in the trailer line. The group began the process at 6 a.m.
Ashlyn Leyva, 17, right, helps set up the pens for Aledo FFA at Cattle Barn 1 at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Leyva said that setting up usually takes a couple hours, but the real wait is in the trailer line. The group began the process at 6 a.m.

Like Winge and Kiser, 2024 would be his last year showing junior heifers at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. He brought his simmental, Karrie, with hopes of finishing his career in junior heifers proud of what he’s accomplished.

For Roehling, one of the best parts of competing at the stock show in Fort Worth is the ability to style Karrie’s hair. It’s not something that is commonly accepted in Texas competitions, but he said he enjoys adding another aspect.

Roehling came to Fort Worth from Hempstead, near Houston, with a blow dryer and a can of cattle hair spray. The goal is to highlight Karrie’s features that will hopefully impress the judges and even have an opportunity to lessen the impact of anything that might lower his score.

“It’s also just fun,” Roehling said.

JANUARY 18, 4:14 p.m.

Bode Halamiek, 8, of Mason, right, tries to rope a toy steer while playing with Kaden Klepac, 5, of Fredericksburg, top left, and Hayden Hohertz, 6, of Zephyr at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
Bode Halamiek, 8, of Mason, right, tries to rope a toy steer while playing with Kaden Klepac, 5, of Fredericksburg, top left, and Hayden Hohertz, 6, of Zephyr at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

While he placed fourth of six in his class, Roehling isn’t ending his career with cattle there. He starts at Texas Tech in the fall, where he’ll be double majoring in agricultural business and agricultural economics. Roehling said his time raising heifers and showing them has left him with skills he knows will be useful not just in his future career but also in college. He’s had to learn confidence in public speaking and self discipline.

“The cows don’t care if it’s cold or hot or raining or anything, they need food and water and someone to make sure they’re safe and have what they need,” Roehling told the Star-Telegram. “You wake up early to take care of your cattle. You go to bed late after making sure they’re safe and have what they need. It teaches you a good work ethic.”

JANUARY 18, 5:03 p.m.

Participants in the Jr. Beef Heifer Show of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo walk their cows by the sheep barn after arriving to the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo for a weekend of competition.
Participants in the Jr. Beef Heifer Show of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo walk their cows by the sheep barn after arriving to the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo for a weekend of competition.

JANUARY 18, 6:20 p.m.

Marcelo Aguilar watches his daughter ride on the ‘Big Kahuna’ ride in the carnival midway area of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Marcelo Aguilar watches his daughter ride on the ‘Big Kahuna’ ride in the carnival midway area of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

Mustangs

Other competitors, like Jessica Flaherty, came to show off different skills. The 23-year-old drove from Maine with Waffles, a buckskin horse she bought in Oregon, for the mustang competition.

About four months ago, Waffles was a wild, untrained horse. By the time Flaherty showed up at the stock show, she was confident in the training she and the horse had been through together.

“You have to build a bond quickly,” Flaherty told the Star-Telegram. “You get 120 days to break and train the mustangs, and that’s not a lot of time. You have to get comfortable with each other. You have to learn how to train them, the best methods. You have to learn to trust these horses that have never been handled by a human, and show them they can trust you.”

JANUARY 18, 7:48 p.m.

Eliot Holtzman of Versatile Horsemanship takes care of his show horse Cuban over night in their stalls at the Burnett Building in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Holtzman and his wife Catie compete in the ‘Mustang Champions Freestyle’ competition where they impress the judges with tricks and creativity.
Eliot Holtzman of Versatile Horsemanship takes care of his show horse Cuban over night in their stalls at the Burnett Building in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Holtzman and his wife Catie compete in the ‘Mustang Champions Freestyle’ competition where they impress the judges with tricks and creativity.

JANUARY 18, 8:07 p.m.

Show horse Mocha Bay Latte gets ready to warm up for the “Mustang Magic Freestyle” competition held on Friday with his owner Chris Phillips in the Exercise Arena in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Show horse Mocha Bay Latte gets ready to warm up for the “Mustang Magic Freestyle” competition held on Friday with his owner Chris Phillips in the Exercise Arena in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

Flaherty first started training mustangs in 2015, but she’s been riding horses since she was 3 years old. She grew up around horses and has loved them her whole life. Wearing chaps and a brimmed hat, she stood in the stalls Jan. 18 brushing and tacking Waffles. The smell of dirt, hay and horse manure permeated the building. Waffles, patient and unbothered as onlookers walked around and stopped to gaze, nickered as another horse on the other side of the massive stalls whinnied.

Flaherty and Waffles didn’t win the mustang competitions — made up of the hands on, pattern riding, trail and for the top 10 finishes the freestyle classes. They placed fifth. But the hard work paid off. An auction that followed the competition saw Waffles go to a new owner for $14,000, the highest price of the night.

Chris Phillips won the competition. His mustang, WFR Mocha Bay Latte, sold for the second highest price. It was $3,500 less than Waffles sold for.

JANUARY 18, 9:32 p.m.

Landon, 10, and Faithlynn Ziegler, 8, exchange friendly competitive banter about who has won more competitions while shearing their sheep Minnie Mouse in the sheep stables at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. The Ziegler family comes from San Antonio where they are competing in the Dorper Sheep Show Youth Division. Although they have competed and won in multiple regional competitions, this is their first one competing on this large of a scale.

JANUARY 19, 12:17 a.m.

Nate Stoesser, 15, unloads his steer Charlene out of her trailer with the help of his mother Meredith in the Cattle 2 barn over night at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Nate Stoesser, 15, unloads his steer Charlene out of her trailer with the help of his mother Meredith in the Cattle 2 barn over night at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

JANUARY 19, 6:33 a.m.

Marisa Sutton, 12, rests with her heifer after a long day of unloading and setting up her pen at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
Marisa Sutton, 12, rests with her heifer after a long day of unloading and setting up her pen at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

JANUARY 19, 6:49 a.m.

James Milam, 64, prepares a bottle to feed kid goats at the the photo stand at the entrance of the Sheep Barn at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. The photo stand, operated by LBR Ranch for 39 years, offers photos with goat kids or ponies. Milam says he prefers then Nigerian goats with their pointy ears.
James Milam, 64, prepares a bottle to feed kid goats at the the photo stand at the entrance of the Sheep Barn at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. The photo stand, operated by LBR Ranch for 39 years, offers photos with goat kids or ponies. Milam says he prefers then Nigerian goats with their pointy ears.

JANUARY 19, 7:50 a.m.

The sun rises as participants in the Jr. Beef Heifer Show of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo bring in their cows from being tied up outside for the night.
The sun rises as participants in the Jr. Beef Heifer Show of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo bring in their cows from being tied up outside for the night.

JANUARY 19, 8:35 a.m.

Lauren Krenek, 15, feeds her short horn show cow Lulu in the morning at their stall at the Cattle 2 barn in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Lauren Krenek, 15, feeds her short horn show cow Lulu in the morning at their stall at the Cattle 2 barn in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

JANUARY 19, 10:41 a.m.

A baby piglet wake up from a morning nap in the FFA Children’s Barnyard area at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
A baby piglet wake up from a morning nap in the FFA Children’s Barnyard area at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

JANUARY 19, 11:13 a.m.

Cousins Tripp Jones, 8, and Riggin Purcell, 8, take their cow Goldilocks on a walk in the morning behind the Cattle 2 barn at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Cousins Tripp Jones, 8, and Riggin Purcell, 8, take their cow Goldilocks on a walk in the morning behind the Cattle 2 barn at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

JANUARY 19, 11:57 a.m.

Kayler Campbell, a mobile dairy classroom instructor, begins to milk Buttercup with a milking machine for a cow milking demonstration for elementary school students in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Kayler Campbell, a mobile dairy classroom instructor, begins to milk Buttercup with a milking machine for a cow milking demonstration for elementary school students in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Ally the cow walks into her stable to prepare for a cow milking demonstration for elementary school students in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Ally the cow walks into her stable to prepare for a cow milking demonstration for elementary school students in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

JANUARY 19, 12:31 p.m.

Abigail Leyland’s cow Tiana feeds her newborn twins in her pen in Cattle 2 at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Abigail Leyland’s cow Tiana feeds her newborn twins in her pen in Cattle 2 at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

JANUARY 19, 1:13 p.m.

The Ziegler family walk their competition sheep into the arena for ‘The Flock’ competition at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
The Ziegler family walk their competition sheep into the arena for ‘The Flock’ competition at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

JANUARY 19, 1:30 p.m.

Jevin Gonce left, and Abigail Neyland attempt to move one of the newborn twins into their outside pen in the Cattle 2 barn at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Jevin Gonce left, and Abigail Neyland attempt to move one of the newborn twins into their outside pen in the Cattle 2 barn at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

JANUARY 19, 2:15 p.m.

A show bull is auctioned off in the West Arena at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
A show bull is auctioned off in the West Arena at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.