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If you’re new to Houston, you can’t let a year go by without visiting the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo since everyone will expect you to have been after you’ve settled in and started to call Houston “home.” So what’s so great about the rodeo, you might ask? Well, apart from the fact that it’s been a heartbeat of the city for almost 80 years, it also plays a role in enhancing the lives of thousands of young Texans through scholarships and other grants and outreach programs and in 2011 that commitment will total in excess of 12 million.In addition, the following items make the rodeo event special:

• Only the top cowboys and cowgirls are invited to compete, and in 2010, nearly 400 athletes were invited to ride and rope.
• In 2010, more than 1.5 million in prize money was awarded to the cowboys and cowgirls.
• With a record paid attendance of 1,264,074 in 2010, the event is the world’s largest rodeo.
• The show and rodeo features seven events: bareback riding, barrel racing, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down roping.

The rodeo is slated for March 1 March 20 in 2011 and will no doubt have some incredible entertainment lined up (to be announced in the coming months). In years past, entertainment included such aacts as: Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Jimmy Buffet, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rod Stewart, and ZZ Top.And if you’re into livestock as much as entertainment, you’ll see breeds of cattle like Angus, Beefmaster, Red Poll and Texas Longhorn as well as rabbits, dairy goats, sheep, swine, and llamas.It’s a never ending experience that should definitely not be missed, especially when you consider that last year alone over 2 million attendees passed through the event’s gates. So make sure if you’re a newbie to the region that you reserve at least one full day (or more) to attend the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo so you can personally commemorate yet another milestone for this incredible event.