Southwestern International Livestock Show and Rodeo

In 1929 rodeo committees, the people who staged the events, formed the Rodeo Association of America to standardize rules, oversee judges and name world champions by points. The cowboys had no lasting group of their own until October 30, 1936, when sixty-one of them struck over the prize money at Boston and won a fairer share. They went on to form the Cowboys Turtle Association, a name some say mocked how slow they had been to unite. Reorganized at Houston in 1945 as the Rodeo Cowboys Association, it opened its national office in Fort Worth.

What the plaque says

Southwestern International Livestock Show and Rodeo Livestock shows and rodeos have a grand heritage in Texas. Drawing from traditions of Hispanic vaqueros and Western cattle drives, organized competitions in the state date from the 1880s, with the first documented El Paso rodeo occurring in 1896. The city hosted the Texas Livestock Association convention in 1902, and within a few years local stock shows and rodeos were common. In April 1929, the El Paso Commercial Club sponsored a Ranchmen's Reunion and Rodeo, which proved so popular another event was held in September. The Optimists, Kiwanis and other civic groups began hosting competitions that evolved into the Southwestern Baby Beef, Hog and Sheep Show. In 1934, the El Paso Chamber of Commerce became the sponsor of the growing event, then billed as the Southwestern Livestock Show, which included strong participation from 4-H clubs, the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and other groups. Rodeos sponsored by the El Paso Police Department and Sheriff's Posse debuted in the late 1930s, with a combined Southwestern Livestock Show and Rodeo taking shape in 1940. After being held at various locations, including Washington Park, the show has made the El Paso County Coliseum its permanent home since the facility opened in 1942. New activities, including horse shows and parades, were added as the event grew, and in 1964 the expanded festivities were renamed the Southwestern International Livestock Show and Rodeo. This citywide celebration provides support to young people and continues to recall the ranching tradition of the region, and important link between the state's rural and urban character. (2005)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Chamizal National Memorial — 0.7 mi
  A park on land the Rio Grande once put in dispute, where a century-old border quarrel between the United States and Mexico was settled by treaty and a new concrete channel.
• Magoffin Home State Historic Site — 2.1 mi
  A U-shaped adobe of the 1870s in central El Paso that joins Mexican building to an Anglo plan, closed for restoration through 2027 while its visitor center stays open.
• Ysleta Mission (Corpus Christi de la Ysleta del Sur) — 8.5 mi
  The Tigua mission church at Ysleta, rebuilt in 1908 around the walls, bell and Santo Entierro that came through fire, its interior painted with rain clouds and corn.
• Tigua Indian Cultural Center, Ysleta del Sur Pueblo — 9.3 mi
  The cultural center of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, the Tigua nation that has lived in the Mission Valley of El Paso since 1682 and keeps its own history here.

More markers nearby

• Franklin Canal — 0.2 mi
• Urbici Soler — 0.5 mi
• Victoriano Huerta — 0.5 mi
• Henry C. Trost — 0.5 mi