North Texas State Fair News

When Rudy Burns first got into the sport of rodeo, his aspirations were of fame, fortune and world championships as a bull rider. Almost 40 years later, he’s still in the rodeo arena almost every weekend, although his riding days are long since over.

Burns will return to the annual North Texas State Fair and Rodeo this weekend as a barrel clown, something that’s allowed him to remain active in the sport using his gifts as a comedian instead of a cowboy.

“I like the comedy part of rodeo,” Burns said. “I like to make people laugh. When I’m in the barrel, I get to be out there but don’t have to worry about saving cowboys or being hit by a bull.”

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Denton Record Chronicle - By Todd Jorgenson

Cattle competition a prelude to North Texas State Fair and Rodeo

The association’s longhorn show was one of the first shows held in conjunction with the North Texas State Fair and Rodeo, which officially begins Friday. The competition centers on showing off the breeding of the animal, and judges evaluate the animal’s coloring, the quality of its horns and its overall structure.

Carla Payne, a longhorn judge, declared 8-month-old Flash Point the grand champion at Saturday’s North Texas Longhorn Breeders Association’s open longhorn show.

“This is a kind of bull you’d like to use in your herd,” Payne told the sparse audience.

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Denton Record Chronicle – By Candace Carlisle

Fairgoers can feel the breeze on their favorite carnival ride, escape to a misting tent, duck into a cool exhibit hall, ice down with an old-fashioned fountain drink or slurp ice cream at least three ways — regular, beaded and fried.

The 2010 North Texas State Fair and Rodeo, which opens Friday and runs through Aug. 28 has lots of choices to stay cool, with 110,000 square feet of shade and cooling and misting areas.

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Denton Record Chronicle – Written By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe

With the photography contest, which is sponsored by the Denton Record Chronicle this year, becoming increasingly popular every year the North Texas State Fair decided to move it to Fair Hall this year. After more than 15 years of sharing space with other fair attractions in the Exhibition Hall, the photography contest now has its own space in Fair Hall. Wanda Esker, who has been overseeing the contest for 10 years, is very excited for the move and what it means for the contestants and fair attendees. Over the years the contest has grown from 150 entrees to about 850 and the old venue was becoming quite crowded. By moving to Fair Hall and having a space specifically dedicated to the contest, photos won’t look like they’re on top of each other each will be able to stand out and be properly and proudly displayed.

The photography contest is such an exciting event not only for fair attendees but also contestants. It’s a time for amateur photographers to share what they find moving with the public and for the public to see through other’s eyes and maybe become inspired to enter something the following year.

Many of the contestants have been entering for years and Ms. Esker enjoys seeing them return each year to see how they have grown in life and in art.  Contestants are made up by a wide range of people; from children who just received their first camera to someone driving down the road and saw something that caught their eye to 4H members whose organizations incorporated the contest into their programs. Either way all contestants have something to share.

Ms. Esker really appreciates being a part of something so special and personal.

“It is so wonderful to see the light in someone’s eyes as they view the photos and relive a memory, “stated Esker.

One of the highlights of the contest is the People Choice award. Each day viewers vote on their favorite photo and at the end of the fair the winner gets their own plaque and the picture is displayed on a special board for all to see.

“The committee and I always try to observe and guess whose photo will win each year but one can never tell what the public will think” says Esker.

Every year the contest proves to be a spectacular event and this year it will be even more exciting to see how everything turns out this year in its new home. This is one exhibit that should not be missed.

This year the fair is excited to have The Rhinestone Roper performing in the Fun Zone, sponsored by Syracuse Sauguge.  Dan Mink and Lucky Joe have performed at County and State fairs and festivals ranging from Washington state to Florida. The Rhinestone Roper Show is a completely self contained act that usually appears for the run of the event and performs 3 shows per day lasting 40 min. each.

The show begins with a musical number in which Dan sings while executing rope tricks and introduces his assistants. His show always attracts a crowd and then holds them with expert trick roping, bull whip cracking, six gun spinning, fast draw and Wheel of Death Knife Throwing.

Of course Lucky Joe steals the show with unbelievable tricks, most of which are performed “at liberty” and without fencing. Before the show is over, several kids and adults have taken the stage and learned either to spin a rope or to hold a bull whip target. The entire audience will be amazed, startled, amused and bewildered.

Be sure and stop by the Fun Zone sponsored by Syracuse Sauguge and see the Rhinestone Roper. Audiences are sure to be thoroughly entertained by his spectacular show.