World's largest rodeo show kicks off in Houston

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest of its kind in the world, kicked off at a downtown park in the U.S. city of Houston Tuesday, with the country's best breeds of livestock on display and an expected attendance of over 2 million visitors.

The annual rodeo tradition, which lasts for three weeks, officially started Tuesday morning at NRG park, a convention facility that houses a stadium and several other venues.

More than 30,000 entries of nearly all kinds of livestock will be put on the show. Exhibitors from all across the North America will vie for the best title.

Cindy Cunningham, who was prepping her heifer -- a six-month- old Charolais -- for Tuesday's contest, told Xinhua she has been waiting for the whole year to be back at the event.

"This probably is the Olympics for us farmers," the young cowgirl giggled.

The show's most eye-catching event, RodeoHouston, will involve more than 360 cowboys and cowgirls who will demonstrate their well- honed skills in roping cattle, wrestling steers and riding broncos. They will vie for more than 2 million U.S. dollars in purse.

The all-around show, however, is not all about competition. At the other end of the exhibition hall lies an educational pavilion for city slickers who may have scant knowledge of agriculture.

Lines of pupils led by teachers were seen waiting anxiously for a sight of newborn calves, lambs and piglets at a birthing center. Others were watching insect specimens and egg hatching.

The kids could either take a pony ride or pet rabbits, baby deers and lambs inside a hay-covered mini-zoo. Their happy and smiling faces brought a festive merriment to the show.

The comprehensive show also includes roller-coaster rides, wine- savoring events, and country-music concerts. It also features educational programs that pledge to hand out 24 million U.S. dollars in scholarships to Texas high school graduates.

The signature event has seen a steady attendance of over 2 million people in recent years. In 2013, more than 2.5 million people visited the rodeo, hitting a new record. More than 31,000 volunteers and 100 staff will put on the Houston Rodeo and Livestock this year.

The first Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was held in 1932, and has became the biggest event of the year in the fourth largest U.S. city since then.

Ranked consistently as the world's largest rodeo -- in events, entertainers and spectators -- and drawing top competitors searching for a piece of the world's largest regular season purse, the Houston Rodeo is like the Super Bowl, New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July all rolled into one. Endite