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Cal and Judy Larson, Ripon, and six of their finest Clydesdale horses are in Texas for ten days of competition at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The largest rodeo in the U.S., is held in the Houston
Astrodome from Feb. 25 to March 16.
The annual show offers big-name musical entertainment, drawing crowds up to nearly 75,000 each night after the rodeo has subsided.
Some of the performers
scheduled this year include George Strait, ZZ Top, Lee Ann Womack, Martina McBride, Brooks & Dunn, Julio Iglesias, and Bon Jovi.
The Larson's were invited to compete at the Houston rodeo while
performing at the Wisconsin State Fair, and were there from Feb 27 to March 2.
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The Larson's' horses were in competition with about a dozen other six horse hitch teams from across the nation.
In preparation, Judy and Cal have had to jump through many hoops.
"To get
to this point is something." Larson said, noting that one example was fooling the horses into thinking it was spring time so they would shed their hair at a time when normally their hair is growing longer for
the frigid Wisconsin winter.
"The horses were each covered with three quilted blankets to be kept nice and warm as if it were summertime," Larson said. "We also set timers so lighting came on and made
it appear that daylight was lasting longer than it actually was."
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Larson's also had to spend $700 for special virus shots, pay a $750 entry fee, and hire four professionals to help handle and care for the horses en route and at Houston.
Their decorative stalls
were in green and gold with a Packers theme - the same colors as their other show equipment.
The two-day driving trip was quite a journey. To haul the horses, they have new trucks and trailers -
all total, two 40 ft. - long trailers pulled by a custom-built 550-diesel truck and a 350 diesel.
Pinewood shavings, rather than straw, are taken along for bedding.
Even with obstacles, the
Larson's are thrilled to be on their way to Houston.
"The rodeo is to Houston like the Green Bay Packers are to Wisconsin," Larson said.
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