Rodeo ran roughshod over records

Everything was bigger at the Houston Rodeo this year.

From crowd sizes to auction sales, attendees broke records again and again, said rodeo Chief Operating Officer Leroy Shafer.

"Every revenue stream I'm looking at is up," Shafer said. "We'd already broke the attendance record set in 2011 two days ago."

More than 2.4 million people poured unto the grounds for the carnival, exhibits, auctions, concerts and, of course, rodeo. Shafer anticipates falling just short of 2.5 million once the final day's numbers are added in - including the George Strait concert that pushed past 80,000 to set, not just a rodeo record, but a Reliant Stadium record.

The concerts helped set the pace, selling out the last 10 performances and beating the previous record of eight.

"That's a first," Shafer said. "We came very close to getting 11 with Mary J. Blige on our first Friday, but were just 700 or 800 tickets short."

For the first time in 81 years, the rodeo added an extra day to the schedule.

Although no rodeo events were scheduled Sunday, Houston native Bernard Ladet, a bullriding fan, brought his family anyway.

"It's all about the kids today," Lenard said, eating ribs alongside his two grandkids. "We'll be here until they drop."

Shafer said after the economic downturn in 2008, the rodeo has experienced a "good hangover" from people who made the event a tradition after realizing the value of a ticket.

But many of the records set this year must be attributed to the quick and solid growth of the Houston economy, he said.

"It's not typical at all for every auction total to go up," Shafer said. "When you have things based totally on benevolence, people have to have money in their pockets to do that. They have to feel good about their corporations and personal finances to come out here and set records."

Although the $360,000 paid for this year's Grand Champion Steer did not set a world record as many did in other livestock categories, Shafer was still impressed.

120 times its worth?

"It's a market steer. Castrated. A meat animal only," he said. "It's probably worth $3,000. That's all. But $75,000 went to that youngster and the remainder went to the scholarship program."

The record-crushing year kept Dana Glass busy.

In 15 years, the manager at McKinney's Food Service said she's never sold so many corn dogs, nachos and cups of fresh-squeezed lemonade.

"We could barely even look up," Glass said.

Jennifer Selz was among those pushing the numbers higher Sunday and enjoying the streak of good weather that undoubtedly helped draw record crowds.

"The weather's been awesome," said the 19-year-old Texas A&M student and intern for the Fun on the Farm event for children as she pointed to her suntan. "There's a lot to do and it's not too expensive."