Criminal Justice Division Disabilities Com. Rodeo The Texas Legislature named the rodeo the official sport of Texas in 1997. Modern-day rodeos are organized events often featuring bronco riding, calf roping, livestock shows, dances and country western entertainment.
Rodeo is the Spanish word for roundup .
The original rodeo was a roundup of longhorn cattle on the open prairie during settlement days. Cowboys began to perform fancy tricks during roundups as a form of entertainment. When barbed-wire fences appeared on Texas ranches to divide land, the need for open range roundups ceased. Communities began to stage celebrations featuring steer roping, tournament riding contests and a big dance or hoe- down. Today many Texas cities such as Fort Worth rodeo and livestock shows each year.