I have been blessed to live in Colorado for over 26 years. I have enjoyed many Colorado traditions throughout the years, however, this is the first time I have been to The Western National Stock Show...which is actually hard to believe since it is such a huge event.
This weekend Chris and I headed down to enjoy all The Stock Show had to offer. It took us a little over an hour to get to the event location at The Denver Coliseum. The drive down from Fort Collins was quick and easy.
When we arrived at the event center we were surprised to see a parking sign that said $50….we said no…and proceeded to drive a few blocks further down the road where we found a lot that was free. At the free parking lot there was also a free shuttle bus to take people to the entrance. One could also easily walk or take a Bike Taxi. We took our first ever Bike Taxi for $20…it was efficient and fun! The driver took us right to the front gate.
The Stock Show has been a Colorado tradition since 1906. The National Western Stock Show has become the largest in the world. The focus of the event is on ranching, education, breeding, and innovations in the field. Once inside we went to buy our tickets to the matinee rodeo. For the two of us our tickets were $78 total. Our rodeo tickets included our entrance fee into the rest of The National Western Stock Show.
As we proceeded through the entrance we walk through many of the booths…there is a little bit of everything. However, the focus is on Western Wear, Farming, and Ranching items.
We made our way towards one of the arenas where various horse competitions take place. The horse shows are some of the largest in the world. There are numerous horse events to watch throughout the weeks of The National Stock Show which include Reining Competitions to Draft Horse Shows. We happened to be there during an English Jumping Competition. We sat down to enjoy the event for quite awhile. The horses were beautiful and the riders were amazing. I was surprised that our entrance fee included being able to watch this event. This in and of itself was worth the entrance fee.
Next, we headed to look at the livestock area. The animals were so well taken care of and pride of ownership was very apparent. We spent a lot of time walking around this section of The National Western Stock Show. I found this area to be extremely interesting. I also learned that I know nothing about the world of ranching and raising ranching animals. I can truly appreciate all of their hard work!
After a lot of walking it was time to get some lunch before heading into the rodeo. There were many options for lunch and we chose Mexican food. There were so many choices that it was actually a bit hard to choose. Most of the food options were typical food one will find at the local fairs from BBQ to Funnel Cake…it was hard for me to not pick a Corn Dog since that is my typical fair food.
Following lunch it was time for us to make our way to the coliseum for the rodeo. I have been to a few different rodeo’s and this one did not disappoint…the best of the best come to participate in The Western Stock Show Rodeo. I love watching all of the different events from Bareback Riding to Barrel Racing to Bull Riding…the animals are beautiful and the riders are quite brave! The rodeo lasted a little over two hours. The show was high quality and entertaining. We had a great time at the event.
We had an absolutely wonderful day. I truly recommend going to The National Western Stock Show. It is a great way spend the day with the family or on a date. This is an event that all can enjoy.
We will go again!!!
Thank you for reading my Northern Colorado Lifestyle Blog
by Tamara Suppes,Northern Colorado Real Estate Agent
Northern Colorado Homes for Sale | Fort Collins Realtor with The Group Inc.
