A Short History of the
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Trail Ride Parade
(borrowed from an article by Betty T Chapman
for the Houston Business Journal, December, 1999)
No parade can equal that of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for Old West mystique. It started in 1938 as an additional activity to promote Houston as a livestock market.
The first parade headlined a few marching bands from area high schools and some local cowboys. It was so well received that it quickly became an annual event.
In 1942, Gene Autry was the first "superstar" to lead the rodeo parade. Autry continued to appear regularly, as did western stars Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.
The parade took on an additional dimension in the 1950s when Salt Grass Trail riders converged on Houston and rode into town to announce the opening of the Livestock Show and Rodeo. Other trail ride groups followed as did the Valley Lodge Trail Ride Association in 1959.
Since that time the parade has mushroomed in size to include thousands of participants - trail riders, wagons, bands and marching units - while thousands more line the curbs as they enthusiastically experience the Old West, if only for one day.
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