Posted on Apr 16, 2024 in
COVER STORY,
NEWSWORTHY
The year is 1824. Texas is not yet Texas. Texas is part of Mexico and is called Coahuila y Tejas. Stephen Fuller Austin and his colonists, the Original 300, have been settled in Texas for just over a year now. And two of these settlers, Henry and Nancy Jones, found opportunity in this fertile land creating a legacy that remains a Texas icon today: The George Ranch.
This year, 2024, marks the 200th anniversary of a Texas legend, one of the oldest and largest ranches in Texas, older even than the state that it calls home. And to celebrate this milestone in Texas history, The George Ranch is going back to its roots hosting a year-long celebration featuring a traditional Texas-style rodeo May 3rd and 4th.
The George Ranch 200th CPRA Rodeo
The George Ranch 200th Anniversary Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) Rodeo will be held on the ranch, located at 10215 FM 762 in Richmond, Texas, on Friday, May 3rd and Saturday, May 4th at 7:30 PM. A CPRA sanctioned event produced by Byrne Rodeo Company, the rodeo will feature fan favorites: saddle bronc and bareback riding, tie down calf roping, team roping, bull riding, mutton bustin’, women’s barrel racing and break away calf roping, a performance by Charro Jerry Diaz and more! Best of all the audience can see the rodeo action up close and personal in the George Ranch Arena with tickets starting at just $10.
The rodeo will also feature a tribute to the long-standing residents of The George Ranch: Texas longhorns. Award-winning rodeo clown Chase Nolen will also be on hand to entertain the crowd.
Contestants interested in entering the Rodeo can do so at rodeosportsnetwork.com.
Director of Education and Operations for The George Ranch and Head Wrangler for The George Ranch 200th Anniversary CPRA Rodeo, Susan Vanderford has been with the Ranch for seven years. Vanderford comes to the Ranch with an extensive background in both education and ranching operations, and in her spare time, she rides her beloved horse Jamie.
More Than a Rodeo
On Friday, food trucks open at 6:30 PM, and Saturday’s event features a Midway opening at 4:30 PM complete with children’s games, a petting zoo, pony rides, longhorn photos, food trucks, living history displays and a Wine Bar presented by Japaniero’s.
“Bringing an affordable, family-friendly rodeo to the community is the perfect way to celebrate The George Ranch’s 200th anniversary,” said Susan Vanderford, Director of Education and Operations for The George Ranch. “Everyone at the ranch is excited to open our gates and host this exciting tribute to both The George Ranch and legacy of the sport of rodeo, which has also been around since 1864. The very origins of the rodeo are similar to the Ranch emerging from the early Spanish and Mexican cattle ranching practices blending horsemanship and livestock handling skills. These skills are still utilized today by The George Ranch cowboys.”
Get Your Tickets!
There’s not a bad seat in the house at the George Ranch Arena! Tickets to The George Ranch 200th Anniversary CPRA Rodeo range from $10 to $40, and VIP tickets are available for $100 each night. VIP tickets, for ages 21 and over only, include hors d’oeuvres, a private bar, two drink tickets, premium seating and access to Midway. To purchase advance tickets, visit https://www.georgeranch.org/event-calendar/200th-anniversary-rodeo. Tickets will be available at the gate each day prior to the Rodeo.
George Ranch cowboy and volunteer Charles “Smokey” Culver is the official Cowboy Poet Laureate of his hometown of Pasadena, Texas. Smokey has been at The George Ranch teaching living history and sharing cowboy poetry with students since 2016. Smokey writes and publishes his own original cowboy poetry, and he is a member of the Academy of Western Artists and the Western Music Association.
The Year-Long 200th Anniversary Celebration Continues
While the May 3rd and 4th rodeo is a main attraction for The George Ranch’s 200th Anniversary celebration, this fall brings more family fun to the Ranch dedicated to education.
The Great Pumpkin Round Up This October
The Great Pumpkin Round Up, a stunning display of fall favorites, begins on Saturday, October 12th and runs every Saturday through Thanksgiving.
The perfect backdrop for fall photos, The Great Pumpkin Round Up incorporates vintage pieces from the Ranch, including a hay wagon, training carriage and a giant sugar cane vat. The design is built using semi-truck loads of more than twenty types of gourds, pumpkins and squash along with popular varieties of mums and fall plants.
The display, created by local designer Lucas Chavez, climbs structures and cascades to the ground in elaborate designs creating “gourd-ous” backdrops for family photos.
Cody Kalinowksi has been a George Ranch cowboy for four years working on the ranch daily to manage the legendary herd of Longhorns and participate in demonstrations for student education. Chona, The George Ranch’s official mascot, came to the Ranch last fall. George Ranch cowboy Cody is teaching Chona the ropes and introducing him to the thousands of students who visit the ranch each year.
George Ranch Frontier Days in November
The 200th Anniversary Celebration continues with George Ranch Frontier Days happening Friday, November 15th and Saturday, November 16th.
A unique fall festival celebrating the heritage of The George Ranch, Frontier Days features cattle working demonstrations, historic home tours, battle re-enactments, games, vendors, food trucks, live music and entertainment, hands-on activities and more!
For tickets and more information about The George Ranch 200th Anniversary events, visit https://www.georgeranch.org/programs-events/200th-anniversary/
