91st Annual Texas Cowboy Reunion

My calendar has been day-to-day booked and leaves little wiggle room for serendipity to invite me into something fun and unexpected. However, I was fortunate enough to hop in my car to take some photos at the 91st Annual Texas Cowboy Reunion in my hometown this weekend.

Fun facts about the origin of this event are dated back to the Great Depression. Due to the hardships the United States faced back in the 1920s, Stamford was looking to lift the spirits of its community. After gathering several town members, they decided to host a rodeo that attracted 98 participants from Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Despite having no formal arena (The rodeo was hosted at a local ranch), the Texas Cowboy Reunion was a success and is the world’s largest amateur rodeo. Popular contests such as the cutting horse contest, wild cow milking, barrel racing, and the idea of sponsors all came from the Texas Cowboy Reunion. It’s also the origin of the “Grand Entry” that rodeos around the world have adopted.

Small towns can be little nuggets of history right under our noses. I love that I am a part of one of those treasures in Stamford, Texas. Here are a few of my favorite photos from last night.