FEATURES
6
JANUARY 15, 2020
Stock Show brings cowboy culture to Denver By Brady Pieper bpieper3@msudenver.edu For the next two weeks, Denver is a cowboy town. There aren’t many times the cowboys and city dwellers can interact, but the 114th annual National Western Stock Show blends entertainment, education and tradespeople for all of Colorado to enjoy. Starting on Jan. 9 with a parade that mosied through Denver and continuing through Jan. 26, the stock show has become a staple in Colorado. With patrons coming from around the world to witness performances, eat tasty
Rick Bishop, owner of Western Tradition hat shop, molds a felt cowboy hat to shape at the NWSS in the Denver Coliseum on Jan. 11.
food and represent their history, cowboy culture will ride into the National Western Complex for another successful year. “I love Denver,” Nicolas Diaz, 16, said as he strode past the stables after his performance
Photos by Brady Pieper | bpieper3@msudenver.edu
Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza organizer Gerardo “Jerry” Diaz gives his thanks to the audience during the Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza at the NWSS on Jan. 12.
conservative and we’re more
aspect with the trade, rodeo and
patriotic than other cultures.”
breeding sections of the event.
White or tan? Straw or felt?
Owner of the Alberta-
The hat a cowboy bears is more
based Northline Reds cattle
in the 26th annual Mexican
performing everywhere I perform
two things that a charro needs:
than just an accessory — it’s a
farm, Howard Schneider,
Rodeo Extravaganza on Jan. 12.
with my father and my mother,
a hat and his horse. A charro’s
necessity, according to McDonnell.
has been attending the stock
“It’s a rush, you know, you’re
all together. And it is just an
horse takes a lot of work and
there to entertain people but
amazing feeling, you know, to be
dedication to train — horse
their hat, McDonnell would use
you’re also there to teach them
embraced by your culture and with
training being a career that Diaz
a steamer to mold the hat by
something. It’s really special
your family at the same time.”
said he would want to do if rodeo
hand and little by little the raw
ranching and raising cattle. Now, I
wasn’t his current occupation.
felt transformed into the iconic
have three daughters and two sons
high-crowned, wide-brimmed
and four out of my five kids are
shape of a cowboy hat.
raising cattle and bringing them
being able to represent my
Due to its grand pageantry,
“When we’re not traveling and
As customers would pick
show since 1982. His children followed close in toe. “My whole family grew up
culture, not only doing it by
the Mexican Rodeo has become
myself but with my family.”
a major part of the stock show.
we just settle down for a little bit,
For Diaz, the event is more than
my dad takes horses and he trains
Gerardo “Jerry,” and mother Staci,
just entertainment. There is
them for people. That’s something
gear was very important and
other son’s a comic book artist —
have performed since he was a
always an element dedicated to
that I would like to do,” Diaz said.
useful, because he was on a horse,
it’s kinda the exact opposite.”
child. At three-years-old, Diaz
educating people on the charro,
“It’s really cool to take a horse
and a horse can only travel so far
would wave from the back of his
or Mexican cowboy, culture.
from nothing, taking a wild animal,
with so much weight,” McDonnell
while his children reside in Texas,
and taming it down for your
said. “That made the lightweight
but all except for the artist made
benefit and for the world to enjoy.”
design of the cowboy hat useful.”
an appearance at the stock show
Diaz along with his father
father’s horse, Grano De Oro, to
“We show the Mexican charro
“Every piece of the cowboy
to shows,” Schneider said. “My
The cattleman lives in Canada
the crowds of observers. In 2020,
culture in its raw form. So,
the stock show proved to be an
what they really do in Mexico to
opportunity for the 16-year-old
brand cattle to rope them to do
horseback and a change doesn’t
felt hat he said helps absorb
and his mother to shine and their
different things,” Diaz said. “The
appear to be on the horizon. With
the sweat after a long day in
Denver. The show has people
unbreakable bond to be presented.
Mexican culture spans back many
performances in Fort Worth and
the sun, as opposed to a straw
from all over the world, not
centuries. A lot of the cowboys
Canada next on the Diaz’ agenda,
hat that is a little cheaper and
North America, come to look
training the horses, practicing
got their ideas of how to rope,
it is be time to saddle up again.
doesn’t last as long. But at the
at cow genetics,” he said. “It
together,” Diaz said. “We work
ride and how to train horses
end of the day, McDonnell says
really is a big industry.”
on a routine, and sometimes
from the Mexican people.”
“We work many hours at home
routines just don’t go how you’d
The stock show gives the
Diaz has spent his entire life on
Even without a horse, a
The hatmaker donned a black
charro or cowboy is more
that he doesn’t discriminate on
than a man in a hat.
the hat someone chooses.
“It’s not being afraid to be
As the stock show pushes
think they would because, well,
Diaz family an opportunity to
you’re riding an animal. We look
travel around North America
all by yourself in the middle of
on, it can be hard to miss the
at each other and we say ‘okay.’
to spread their culture and
nowhere,” said Western Tradition
families strolling through the
We know how to play it off and
the word of the charro.
hatmaker Jim McDonnell.
aisles. The stock show has
“Cowboy culture is a little more
always had a generational
look good but it’s very special
In iconic fashion, there are
Staci Diaz wears a blue and red dress as she performs on horseback during the Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza at the NWSS on Jan. 12.
for the same cow-related purpose. “There’s lots of history in
The stock show is bringing the tradespeople, charros and country folk to the big city and it is here to stay.
Miguel Garcia wrestles a cow during the RAM Invitational Freestyle Reigning at the NWSS at the Denver Coliseum on Jan. 11.