Rodeo As Religion

Ask any West Texas cowboy where the world’s first rodeo was held, and you’ll get the same answer: “Pecos” (probably adding under his breath, “you dummy”). In the late 1800s, Pecos was a bustling supply town, positioned right where the Chisholm Trail, Goodnight-Loving Trail, and Butterfield Overland mail route crossed on the dusty Trans-Pecos plains—roughly 100 miles southwest of Midland. The story goes that a couple of cowpokes met for a drink at Red Newell’s saloon. They decided to organize a friendly competition to show off their steer roping skills. Local ranchers put up $40 in prize money, and so, on July 4, 1883, what would become known as the West of the Pecos Rodeo was born.

At least that’s how you’ll hear it told around West Texas. But other cities have