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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The opening of the Montgomery County Fair and Rodeo |
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in Conroe on March 23 marks the 50th anniversary of this important |
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Southeast Texas event, and an impressive milestone for the |
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Montgomery County Fair Association; and |
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WHEREAS, This highly anticipated annual affair began half a |
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century ago when the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce held its |
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first "Field Day" at the Browder Brothers Dairy Farm east of Willis; |
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rotating between various ranches and farms, usually literally in |
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someone's open field, subsequent Field Days became more elaborate |
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as various events were added; and |
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WHEREAS, By the early 1960s, the Field Day began to resemble |
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the current county fair and was held at Candy Cane Park Pavilion; |
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the event's livestock show and auction sale had outgrown the |
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pavilion by 1965, and the auction sale came to be held at the Cow |
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Palace auction barn east of Conroe; by 1967 even the Cow Palace was |
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too small for the expanding Junior Livestock Show; the Montgomery |
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County Fairgrounds became the new site for the event in 1968; and |
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WHEREAS, During these years a number of new events were added |
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to the fair: the first grand champion steer was selected in 1964 and |
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sold for $661.30; rodeo performances began in 1973; Miss Lavina |
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Westbrook was crowned as the first Montgomery County Fair Queen in |
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1975; and seven teams competed in the first barbecue cook-off in |
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1976; and |
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WHEREAS, Officially incorporated as the Montgomery County |
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Fair in 1979, the event continues to thrive; the fair's offices were |
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moved to the fairground in 1985, and the fair association has added |
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an exhibit building and two livestock barns; in 2001 the fair's |
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rodeo was the first major event to be held at the new Lone Star Expo |
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Center; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the past 25 years, the livestock auction has |
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brought in $9,343,275 and since 1993 the fair's scholarship program |
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has disbursed over $927,000 to graduating seniors from six public |
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school districts in Montgomery County; and |
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WHEREAS, With an expected attendance of 80,000, about 1,000 |
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exhibitors will show at the fair this year and another 1,000 will |
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show in the Junior Non-Livestock Division; 120 teams will compete |
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in the barbecue cook-off championship; and |
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WHEREAS, Under the direction of President Pat Davis and the |
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hardworking members of the Montgomery County Fair Association, the |
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Montgomery County Fair and Rodeo is a classic Texas tradition that |
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looks toward an even brighter future, as it continues to provide the |
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citizens of Montgomery County with an annual festival that is |
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informative, rewarding, and entertaining; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the Montgomery County Fair |
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Association on the 50th anniversary of the Montgomery County Fair |
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and Rodeo and extend best wishes for the fair's continued success; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Montgomery County Fair Association as an |
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expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |
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Creighton |
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Eissler |
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Otto |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 876 was adopted by the House on April |
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5, 2007, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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