PHIFER Photo by James Phifer/Rodeobum.com
The 2021 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo has been canceled. According to an October 9 announcement, the FWSSR executive committee voted unanimously on October 8 to cancel the show, previously scheduled from January 15 to February 6.
“This is a heartbreaking decision for our leadership and was not made lightly,” Stock Show President and General Manager Brad Barnes, says via press release. “We wanted to find a way to safely hold a show for our 1.2 million guests, exhibitors and competitors. Unfortunately, the challenges we face to create practical and enforceable protocols and procedures to comply with COVID-19 guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are extremely daunting. The uncertainty of the virus potential spread across Texas and the nation during the upcoming flu season was another major factor weighing on our decision.”
FWSSR annually exhibits more than 30,000 animals in 3,770 classes for horses, livestock, poultry, rabbits and ag mechanics, according to the press release. The event also includes a carnival, art contest, rodeos and much more. The only other time a Fort Worth stock show was cancelled was 1943, near the height of World War II.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price released an official statement this morning saying in part, “I join the countless number of fans of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo in their disappointment over this year’s cancellation…” The statement in its entirety can be read here.