Probably the two most well known rodeos in the world are the National Finals Rodeo, held in Las Vegas in December, and one that's considerably smaller, the Mesquite Championship Rodeo located just 15 minutes from downtown Dallas.
Contested every Friday and Saturday night from April to the first weekend in October, the Mesquite Championship Rodeo has been in operation since May 1958. It was started by Neal Gay, father of 8-time PRCA bull riding champion Donnie Gay, with the help of a few partners. Hard times chased off the partners, leaving Gay to fend for himself. He not only survived the lean years, but grew the rodeo in a major tourist attraction for visitors to the Dallas area.
Today, Gay no longer owns the rodeo, but he still manages the operation. Three years ago, Tom Hicks, owner of the NHL Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers baseball team, purchased the rodeo and began the process of making the Mesquite Championship Rodeo into the centerpiece of a major convention/tourist complex.
The first upgrade was to enclose and air condition the arena and then to ring the arena with 70 private viewing boxes. Next door to the arena is located a 160-room Hampton Inn & Suites, a 21,000-square foot convention center and a 35,000-square foot exhibition hall. A $500,000 lighting system brightens the arena, as Fox Sports Net SW televises the action to 8.3 million homes weekly.
Last year, attendance totaled 200,000. Of that number, many are tourists looking for a taste of cowboy culture. The action may not be NFR quality, but it's pure Texas rodeo, and that's always a good show.
For more information, visit mesquiterodeo.com or call 972/285-8777.
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