2016 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ Proves Fourth Largest City is Rooted in Western Tradition

HOUSTON, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2016 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo entertained more than 2.46 million visitors in total attendance with an authentic celebration of Western heritage.   

"Thanks to more than 32,000 dedicated volunteers and 100-plus staff members, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is proud to present a first-class experience for its more than 2 million visitors," said Jack Lyons, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo chairman of the board. "Show spectators receive an up-close view of agriculture and Western heritage at this one-of-a-kind event."

2016 HIGHLIGHTS:

Attendance

• Total attendance for all activities on the grounds was 2,462,030.
  • The World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest entertained 247,491 people, Feb. 25 – 27.
• Paid Rodeo/concert attendance reached 1,345,983 fans, ranking third in paid rodeo/concert attendance.
  • Two of the 2016 RodeoHouston^® performances landed in the list of the Show's top 20 paid rodeo/concert attendance records.
    • first: March 13, 2016 – Banda Los Recoditos and Los Huracanes Del Norte – 75,508
    • 11th: March 10, 2016 – Luke Bryan – 75,082

RodeoHouston

• RodeoHouston committed $2,172,100 to its contestants in 2016, including the RodeoHouston Super Series and RodeoHouston Super Shootout^®, presented by Crown Royal, purses, plus appearance fees.
• The 2016 RodeoHouston Super Series invited the world's top rodeo athletes to compete in seven events, March 1 – 19.
  • Rodeo athletes competed for a share of $1.74 million in prize money. Each event champion walked away from NRG Stadium with $50,000, plus his or her winnings from the preliminary rounds.
  • 2016 RodeoHouston Super Series Champions, with total money earned, are:
    • Tie-Down Roping: Tyson Durfey – Weatherford, Texas – $55,750
    • Bareback Riding: Kaycee Feild – Spanish Fork, Utah – $56,750
      • four-time RodeoHouston Champion: 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016
    • Team Roping: Clay Tryan – Lipan, Texas, and Jade Corkill – Fallon, Nevada – $110,000 ($55,000 each)
      • Jade Corkill – 2008 RodeoHouston Champion
    • Saddle Bronc Riding: Clay Elliot – Nanton, Alberta, Canada – $55,500
    • Steer Wrestling: Dakota Eldridge – Elko, Nevada – $56,750
    • Barrel Racing: Mary Burger – Pauls Valley, Oklahoma – $54,750
      • 2009 RodeoHouston Champion
    • Bull Riding: Sage Kimzey  – Strong City, Oklahoma – $56,000
      • 2015 RodeoHouston Champion
• The RodeoHouston Super Shootout^®: North America's Champions, presented by Crown Royal, was held Sunday, March 20, 2016.
  • This one-day event featured champion athletes from eight of the best rodeos in the U.S. and Canada.
  • Contestants competed as individuals, and as part of a team consisting of event champions from each of the eight rodeos.
  • Contestants competed in bareback riding, barrel racing, bull riding, saddle bronc riding and steer wrestling.
  • With a total purse of $250,000, the Super Shootout is among the richest one-day rodeo events in the world. Each event champion earned $25,000.
  • 2016 champions, with the rodeos they represented, are:
    • Bareback Riding: Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Oregon – Team San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo
    • Barrel Racing: Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, South Dakota – Team Calgary Stampede
    • Bull Riding: Aaron Pass, Kaufman, Texas – Team Cheyenne Frontier Days
    • Saddle Bronc Riding: Cort Scheer, Elsmere, Nebraska – Team Calgary Stampede
    • Steer Wrestling: Nick Guy, Denver, Colorado – Team Cheyenne Frontier Days
    • Super Shootout Team Award: Calgary Stampede

Houston Livestock Show™

• This year's livestock competitions and horse shows boasted 30,911 entries.
• Six Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion junior market and school art auction lots set or matched world or Show records. The prices for the top winners were:
  •  Junior Market Barrow
    • Grand Champion Barrow: $209,000 (world record)
    • Reserve Grand Champion Barrow: $129,000 (world record)
  • Junior Market Pen of Broilers
    • Grand Champion Pen of Broilers: $135,000
    • Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Broilers: $100,000
  • Junior Market Goat
    • Grand Champion Goat: $171,000 (world record)
    • Reserve Grand Champion Goat: $147,000 (world record)
  • Junior Market Lamb
    • Grand Champion Lamb: $261,000 (world record)
    • Reserve Grand Champion Lamb: $135,000
  • Junior Market Steer
    • Grand Champion Steer: $375,000
    • Reserve Grand Champion Steer: $335,000
  • Junior Market Turkey
    • Grand Champion Turkey: $102,000
    • Reserve Grand Champion Turkey: $80,000
  • School Art
    • Grand Champion Work of Art: $185,000
    • Reserve Grand Champion Work of Art: $220,000 (Show record)
• Junior auction sales totaled a record $12,350,133.
• The junior auction totals (unaudited preliminary totals that do not include cash contributions and some purchase commitment amounts) were:
  • Barrow: $2,300,133
  • Lamb and Goat: $2,334,850
  • Poultry: $1,355,150
  • School Art: $1,960,000
  • Steer: $4,400,000
• The Junior Commercial Steer Sale totaled $674,815 (live auction of choice steers).
• The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Champion Wine Auction brought in $1,420,351. 
• The Ranching & Wildlife Auction totaled $372,835.
• Calf scramble and judging contest winners received 414 certificates, each worth $2,000, for a total of $828,000. Calf scramble exhibitors from 2015 who returned with their steer and heifer projects to compete at the 2016 Houston Livestock Show™ received more than $100,000 total in premiums and awards.

Scholarship and Education

• The Show committed more than $25.8 million in 2016.
  • $12,981,000 in scholarships to be awarded this summer
  • $7,463,250 for 2016 junior market show and School Art Auction exhibitors, and calf scramble participants
  • $4,888,610 in educational program grants
  • $525,400 in graduate assistantships

More Facts and Figures

AGventure

• More than 61,000 people participated in a scheduled school tour or field trip.
• Approximately 18,000 little cowboys and cowgirls rode the pony rides.
• More than 640 eggs hatched in the Poultry Exhibit.
• Twenty-one lambs, 21 calves and 56 piglets were born in the Birthing Center.
• More than 56,000 people planted a sunflower seed in the Soil Exhibit.

Kids Country

• Fun on the Farm hosted more than 109,000 little farmers.
• Approximately 19,000 people rode camels.
• More than 3,000 children participated in mutton bustin' in Kids Country.
• Approximately 1,900 kids competed in the tractor pull.

Food

• Visitors consumed
  • 146,000 pounds of potatoes;
  • 115,000 barbecue sandwiches;
  • 69,000 turkey legs;
  • 53,000 funnel cakes;
  • 45,000 corn dogs;
  • 44,000 sausages on-a-stick;
  • 22,000 fried Oreos;
  • 18,000 cinnamon rolls;
  • 18,000 ears of roasted corn;
  • 14,000 servings of dipped-and-deep-fried cookie dough on-a-stick;
  • and 7,000 pierogies (Polish dumplings).

Information Technology

• Approximately 500 computers, laptops and kiosks were set up throughout the grounds.
• The Show ran 32,000 feet of copper and fiber network cable throughout NRG Park.

RodeoHouston TV

• Live television broadcast was aired on FOX Sports Southwest throughout the U.S. and Canada, March 16 – 20.
• The Show produced four live streams of Rodeo action and various Show activities each day at rodeohouston.com.
• FoxSports.com/Southwest also provided a live stream of Rodeo action.

Show Merchandise

• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and entertainer merchandise sales reached nearly $2 million.
• More than 100,000 Show-branded items were purchased, including 12,000 lapel pins, 10,000 caps, 10,000 reusable shopping bags and 30,000 T-shirts.

Social Media

• There were 240,808 public posts on the Internet regarding the Show.
• Show messaging reached more than 192 million people, worldwide.
• Original content by the Show received more than 120 million shares and retweets by Show fans worldwide.
• For the first time, the Show utilized Facebook LIVE videos, surprising fans with meet-and-greet passes, and produced two 360-degree videos.
• The #RODEOHOUSTON Unplugged series garnered 1.34 million views: facebook.com/RODEOHOUSTON/videos.

Transportation

• More than 655,000 visitors utilized the Rodeo Express and METRO Park & Ride locations, and more than 370,000 rode METRORail.

Carnival

• 250,000 smoked turkey legs were eaten.
• 10,000 stuffed Minions and 8,000 plush doughnuts were taken home, making them the top two toys won by visitors.
• 76 semitrailers full of toys were used as prizes at the carnival games.
• 5 acres of corn were roasted.
• 4 semitrailer loads of Oreos were battered and fried.
• The top five rides were Sky Ride, Coaster, Rave Wave, La Grande Ferris Wheel and G Force.
• The top three games were Mini Basketball, One Ball and Bank a Ball.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a Section 501(c)(3) charity that benefits youth, supports education, and facilitates better agricultural practices through exhibitions and presentation. Since its beginning in 1932, the Show has committed more than $400 million to the youth of Texas. Heritage Partners are NRG, Ford, Miller Lite, Coca-Cola and Mattress Firm. For more information, visit rodeohouston.com and connect with #RODEOHOUSTON online via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for all of the latest news. The 2017 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is scheduled for March 7 — 26.

SOURCE Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo