FORT WORTH
STOCK SHOW PARADE 

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In Fort Worth, Texas. For over 100 years an event called the Stock Show & Rodeo takes place in Fort Worth's Cultural District. The Stock Show starts off with a parade in downtown Fort Worth. The Stock Show Parade is the biggest western themed parade in the world, and the biggest non-motorized parade in the world. By non-motorized it is meant that no manmade means of motion are allowed, all parade entries either walk, ride a horse, ride a cow, or ride a wagon pulled by a horse or a cow. On the day of this particular Stock Show Parade it was cold and windy, yet over 100,000 people turned out to watch. 

Fort Worth Stock Show’s “All Western Parade” is scheduled on Saturday, January 16 at 11 a.m.. The Stock Show Parade is held each year on the first Saturday of the Stock Show. Nearly 100,000 spectators line the streets of downtown Cowtown to watch this annual event. Plenty of horses and other livestock can be seen...but no motorized vehicles are allowed, except for the vehicular conveyance which brought you to the parade.

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Dallas had its Pegasus, a failed program to put flying horse statues all over town. Seattle had its Pigs, a successful program to put pigs all over town. Fort Worth has a Longhorn. It is not known if there is any plan to proliferate the town with these things. But it would seem like a good idea judging by the reaction to this one. 

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This cowgirl looks like she never gets the blues. 

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Parade watchers waiting a half hour before the start of the parade, by a topiary of a cowboy on a horse.

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This little kid on this little horse was bobbing up and down so fast on the trotting pony it created what may have been the funniest moment in the parade.

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One of many groups of Confederate forces, marching in their ragtag Rebel way.

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The Calvary from TCU, or was it Texas A & M? Keeping order between lines of Confederate troops.

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Another group of children of veterans of the War of Northern Aggression, making the turn onto Main Street in front of the Tarrant County Courthouse.

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The Confederate Cavalry in a mounted display of Rebel force.

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A stage coach passing by the reviewing stand at the center of Sundance Square.

ss11.jpg (37351 bytes)  Shouts of Viva la Mexico were heard when this entry was announced. 
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A roper, cowgirls from ages 8 to 40 riding longhorns, random shouts of yeehaw and the noise of marching bands. 

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It was way too cold and windy for this little Texan to be marching in her swimming suit. .

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The Stockyards entry into the Stock Show Parade--- advertising the Stockyard Wedding Chapel. And some available brides.

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Cowboys heading down Main Street towards the Convention Center.

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An interesting look at the old and the new in Fort Worth, cowboys riding down Main Street, with a glass skyscraper towering over them.

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Yet one more Texas town claiming to be the world capital of something.

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This longhorn riding cowboy was not doing rope tricks as he rode along, he was doing yo-yo tricks.

Taller than your average tall Texan.

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The Tall Texan making his way with his entourage down Main Street.

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A group, including the Tall Texan, making the turn by the Tarrant County Courthouse. Parade watchers arrive early to stake out a claim to a spot on the stairs of the courthouse, a prime viewing location as you can see all the way down Main Street, as well as see the point where the parade converges after it makes its circle through downtown and the incoming and outgoing pass each other for a block or two.

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Van Cliburn, one of the most well-known Fort Worthians, had this entry in his honor in the parade. Named Van Cli-Bull.

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A very colorful cowgirl contingent.

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Here we see some action in the convergence zone, where the incoming part of the parade meets the outgoing. Here we see a group of longhorns just beginning the parade while a group of horses pulling a stage coach is just ending the parade. At times fussy horses and fussy longhorns cause a bit of a standoff, quickly negotiated by trained cowboys riding guard at the convergence zone.

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A much clearer look at the closeness of the confrontations between the equine and bovine worlds in the parade's convergence zone.

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It is not known why this cowboy rode the entire parade backwards.

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It is assumed that these Fort Worthians are not claiming some sort of exclusivity in this realm, but it would seem that better manners might at least have the sign add 'and Dallas' to it, or 'and the Metroplex', or even better, 'and Texas', or best, how about 'the World'.

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A great view of the Tarrant County Courthouse.

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Seems so much weight for such little ponies.

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This Stock Show parade had a large amount of red, white and blue. This thumbnail takes you to some of the more interesting examples of patriotic Americana.

You don't have a parade in Texas without a lot of flags and usually some demonstrating Baptists. This particular example did not seem to advertise a particular denomination.

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Big Texas and his, well, pardner, resting after making it through the entire parade.

Now that the Stock Show Parade is out of the way, 
let's go to the Stock Show.  

Hope you enjoyed the Stock Show Parade

Visit our Eyes on Texas Blog to make a 
comment about the Stock Show Parade

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