86R5716 ST-D
 
  By: Bailes H.C.R. No. 47
 
 
 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, For more than 50 years, the Texas Prison Rodeo stood
  as a beloved institution known throughout the Lone Star State and
  beyond; and
         WHEREAS, Established in 1931, the Texas Prison Rodeo took
  place annually at the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, with
  the event traditionally being held on each Sunday in October; the
  rodeo was created by state prison system general manager Marshall
  Lee Simmons to serve as a source of income for the penitentiary and
  to provide entertainment for prisoners, employees, and their
  families, but its popularity immediately exceeded all
  expectations; the competition soon grew to become one of the
  largest sporting events in Texas and helped reveal rodeo's
  widespread appeal among the general public; and
         WHEREAS, "The Wildest Show Behind Bars" was held on the
  baseball field outside the "Walls" Unit during its early years; in
  1950, a $1 million open-air arena with a capacity of over 20,000 was
  constructed; the new venue was able to accommodate more people, and
  attendance continued to surge, totaling close to 100,000 during
  peak years; the profits from ticket sales helped fund education,
  recreation, and medical programs for inmates across Texas; and
         WHEREAS, In the early 1950s, the rodeo began featuring
  celebrity entertainers during intermission; a host of legendary
  stars took the stage through the decades, including Johnny Cash,
  Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and George Strait; in
  addition, many inmates demonstrated their dancing and musical
  talents for the thousands of spectators who filled the venue; and
         WHEREAS, Above all else, the prison rodeo highlighted the
  exceptional riding and ranching skills possessed by numerous
  individuals in the corrections system; vying for the "Top Hand"
  award, inmates from various units in Texas participated in tryouts,
  and between 50 and 100 of the best contestants got the chance to
  show their abilities in Huntsville each year; they took part in
  standard rodeo events, such as bull riding, horse racing, and
  bareback bronc riding, as well as in a number of novelty
  competitions; these included wild cow milking, bull dogging, and
  the perennial favorite, "Hard Money," in which participants tried
  to snatch a tobacco sack filled with cash from between the horns of
  a rampaging bull; the winners of these challenges were regarded
  with great esteem, and those who didn't qualify had other
  opportunities to get involved by serving as staff members or
  assisting in making the uniforms worn by the competitors; and
         WHEREAS, The end of the rodeo came in the mid-1980s, after the
  arena was deemed structurally unsafe and it was decided that
  repairs were too costly to undertake; the final Texas Prison Rodeo
  took place on October 26, 1986, and the facility then remained empty
  and unused for a quarter century until being demolished in 2012; and
         WHEREAS, From the time of its establishment during the Great
  Depression to its conclusion five and a half decades later, the
  Texas Prison Rodeo was an unforgettable chapter in the saga of the
  Lone Star State, and this fascinating event is indeed deserving of
  special recognition; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas
  hereby pay tribute to the history of the Texas Prison Rodeo.