HEMPSTEAD, Texas – Travel is subjective. A five-hour drive for some is long and grueling.
For rodeo cowboys and cowgirls, that’s a day-trip. Most are accustomed to leaving Texas in early June and not returning until September. Twelve-hour, overnight drives are nothing new. It might mean competing one night in southern Oklahoma Plains and the next morning in the Colorado mountains.
The Waller County Fair Board understands the road-weariness that comes with competing in rodeo, which is why its volunteers take their contestant hospitality so seriously.
“We don’t really care if they’ve been on the road for months or just came down that day, we want the cowboys to know they’re appreciated,” said Paul Shollar, co-captain of the rodeo committee. “Life on the road isn’t easy, so we want to extend as much of our Southern hospitality as possible for our guests.”
It’s a staple of the Waller County Fair and Rodeo, set for Thursday, Sept. 24 -Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Waller County Fairgrounds in Hempstead. Contestants have learned that good things await them when they arrive.
“We’ve always taken pride in what we do around here,” Shollar said. “We’ve had some amazing sponsors that have helped us with hospitality, and there are some dedicated volunteers who really make it special. When it comes together like that year after year, it’s hard to beat.”
The fair board expanded on that three years ago during other upgrades to the facility. When the arena was covered in time for the 2023 exposition, the Cowboy & Cowgirl Facility was also developed. The 2,500-square-foot was donated by CRC – Barns, Arenas & Fencing and features plenty of room for dining, a walk-up bar, a restroom, storage and roll-up doors in a climate-controlled building with an HVAC system.
“We’ve got the cook shack on the outside, so it’s always pretty comfortable inside,” said Sherry Roesner, the facility coordinator. “It’s a state-of-the-art facility that upgrades our hospitality even more.”
Cowboys, cowgirls, volunteers, VIPs and rodeo personnel utilize the facility before, during and after the night’s events. During the PRCA rodeo, which begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1-Saturday, Oct. 3, the hospitality building offers respite for those that have spent the last few months on the rodeo trail.
“The best part of the building is that there is plenty of room to enjoy a good meal, whether you get it before or after the rodeo,” Roesner said. “You can enjoy the food, a drink and a chance to catch up with friends.
“We wanted to make it feel as much like home as possible. These people are a big part of our rodeo, and we want them to know just how much we appreciate them.”