One of the biggest and most anticipated events held annually in San Antonio is the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. This year’s event, also know as the “San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Inc. (S.A.L.E.),” is taking place on February 9-26 at AT&T Stadium. Based off of previous years, this event has been estimated to bring in over two million visitors to the grounds. While the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo dates back to 1949, it has become a San Antonio tradition that both locals and visitors look forward to each year.
Although the event is focused on fun and entertainment, its mission remains the same: “With a clear vision of the future, a successful past and continual dedication from over 6,000 volunteers, S.A.L.E. will continue to provide wholesome family entertainment and be a pillar of strength and support to the youth of Texas.” In addition, the organization has been able to donate more than $171.4 million to the youth of Texas through scholarships, grants, endowments, junior livestock auctions, youth western art auction, calf scramble program and show premiums.
It’s no surprise that this year’s show is estimated to be larger than ever, with nightly live entertainment, carnival rides, bull riding, BMX stunt shows, a petting zoo, pony rides, and much, much more.
Horse Show
One of the many events at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is the Horse Show, which includes auctions and sales, and competitions.
There will be two separate auctions and sales held throughout the event, including the San Antonio Select Sale, which is “an elite Quarter Horse and Paint Horse auction for buyers and sellers,” and the Ranch Gelding Stakes and Sale, in which “a select number of high-quality geldings will be judged and scored on their ability to perform several skills and maneuvers related to actual ranch work. This includes roping, opening gates, cutting, and handling ability.” Below is a list of the schedule of events:
- Select Horse Sale Exhibition – February 17, 2017 | 5:00pm | Expo Hall
- Select Horse Sale – February 18, 2017 | 11:00am | Auction Barn
- Ranch Gelding Stakes – February 19, 2017 | 7:00am | Expo Hall
- Ranch Gelding Sale – February 19, 2017 | 3:00pm | Auction Barn
In addition to the auctions and sales, there are a wide range of competitions. Horse Show competitions include the following events:
- NCHA Cutting
- Youth Rodeo
- Youth Horse Challenge
- Quarter Horse Show
- Paint Horse Show
- All Breed Horse Show
- Horse Skillathon
- Barrel Racing Events
- Ranch Sorting
Click here to find out more about all the Horse Show events.
Livestock Show
If you love animals, then you’ve come to the right place. Another large part of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is, of course, the Livestock Show. Pigs, chickens, goats, turkeys, cows, sheep…you name it and there’s a good chance you’ll find it. The Livestock Show is broken down into many different events and competitions, including junior breeding shows, junior market shows, junior contests, open shows, auction and sales, and the calf scramble.
The animal schedule for the livestock barns are listed below:
- Beef Cattle: Feb. 9-17, Feb. 20-24
- Dairy Cattle: Feb. 9-12
- Chickens & Turkeys: Feb. 22-23
- Goats: Feb. 8-10, Feb. 14-16
- Pigs: Feb. 8-11, Feb. 18-23
- Sheep: Feb. 11-16
For more information about the Livestock Show, be sure to visit the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo website—they provide multiple guides to help navigate the show, including a downloadable Live Stock Show Schedule, a list of different breeds of livestock, and a guide to livestock show terminology.
Carnival
Another favorite attraction at the annual event (particularly for younger cowboys and cowgirls) is the carnival. Carnival provider, Wade Shows, presents “a variety of rides from extreme to mild in order to satisfy rodeo patrons of all ages.” Entry to the carnival is included in visitors’ grounds admission, and be sure to take advantage of some of the pre-sale specials. Prices will increase on February 9.
- $50 Mega Pass unlimited rides, all day, every day, with skip the line gold access.
- $70 Mega Pass Plus Mega Pass plus Season’s Grounds Pass.
- $25 Wristband + Grounds Admission: unlimited rides for ONE (1) day and grounds admission.
- $20 Wristband: unlimited rides for ONE (1) day.
- $15 Carnival Ride Tickets: includes thirty (30) carnival tickets. Save 50% off gate price!
Aside from the usual carnival rides, games, and food vendors, this year’s carnival will also include The Ultimate BMX Stunt Show Experience, Little Buckaroo Farms, and a petting zoo.
Click here to find out more about all of this year’s carnival events.
Rodeo
Sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), the 2017 San Antonio Rodeo kicks off on February 9. San Antonio has a special tournament-style format for their rodeo that includes:
- Twenty rodeo performances
- Each performance lasts two (2) hours
- Ten contestants (or teams) in each event per performance
- Seven events: Bareback Riding, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Tie-Down Roping, Barrel Racing, and Bull Riding
Additionally, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo website explains how they form their tournament brackets and find their champion, stating the following:
- The first 15 rodeo performances make up our Brackets.
- Each Bracket is made up of 3 rounds or performances where contestants compete in a 3-head back-to-back-to-back series.
- The top 4 money winners in each event from each Bracket advance to the Semifinals.
- There are two Semifinals made up of 2 rounds each. Contestants compete in a 2-head back-to-back series.
- The top 5 money winners in each event from each Semifinal advance to the Finals.
- The contestant with the most money accumulated at the end of the Finals Round will be crowned Champion of the San Antonio Rodeo!
Click here download your own Rodeo bracket, or to find out more, visit the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo website.
Nightly Concerts
Finally, another very anticipated feature of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo are the nightly concerts. This year’s lineup features some large name stars who have made their mark on country music. As featured in San Antonio’s 2017 Upcoming Concerts List, here is the list of artists, including their individual dates and times for their performances:
- Cody Johnson (Feb. 9 at 7pm, Thursday)
- Little Big Town (Feb. 10 at 7:30pm, Friday)
- Sam Hunt (Feb. 11 at 1pm and 7:30pm, Saturday)
- Maddie & Tae (Feb. 12 at 1pm, Sunday)
- John Fogerty (Feb. 13 at 7pm, Monday)
- For King & Country (Feb. 14 at 7pm, Tuesday)
- Chris Young (Feb. 15 at 7pm, Wednesday)
- Willie Nelson & Family (Feb. 16 at 7pm, Thursday)
- The Band Perry (Feb. 17 at 7:30pm, Friday)
- Chris Janson (Feb. 18 at 1pm, Saturday)
- Chase Rice (Feb. 18 at 7:30pm, Saturday)
- Dan + Shay (Feb. 19 at 1pm, Sunday)
- Edwin Luna y La Trakalosa de Monterrey (Feb. 19 at 7:30pm, Sunday)
- Fifth Harmony (Feb. 20 at 7pm, Monday)
- Dierks Bentley (Feb. 21 at 7pm, Tuesday)
- Jack Owen (Feb. 22 at 7pm, Wednesday)
- Huey Lewis and the News (Feb. 23 at 7pm, Thursday)
- Rascal Flatts (Feb. 24 at 7pm, Friday)
- Aaron Watson (Feb. 25 at 1pm, Saturday)
- Josh Turner (Feb. 25 at 7:30pm, Saturday)