HOUSTON – The 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is just around the corner, and there’s already a full stack of pre-rodeo events lined up!
One event that always sparks interest is the horse and wagon trail rides.
More than 2,000 trail riders from 11 different trail rides will embark on the journey this year, leading them to Houston for the rodeo.
This has been an annual tradition for the last 71 years to mark the start of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
The trail rides will meet at Memorial Park on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1, to participate in the Downtown Rodeo Parade.
Here’s how to track them:
Mission
- Years of participation: 34
- Established: 1991
- Location: Goliad, Texas
- Distance: 206 miles
- Number of Riders: 125-165 riders
- Number of Wagons: 10
Click here for the Mission Riders map
Northeastern
- Years of participation: 30
- Established: 1982
- Location: Cheeks, Texas
- Distance: 110 miles
- Number of Riders: 55 riders
- Number of Wagons: 5
Click here for the Northeastern Riders map
Prairie View
- Years of participation: 68
- Established: January 1957
- Location: Hempstead, Texas
- Distance: 80 miles
- Number of Riders: 300 riders
- Number of Wagons: 9
Click here for the Prairie View Riders map
Salt Grass
- Years of participation: 74
- Established: January 1952
- Location: Cat Spring, Texas
- Distance: 105 miles
- Number of Riders: 1,200 riders
- Number of Wagons: 22
Click here for the Salt Grass Riders map
Sam Houston
- Years of participation: 71
- Established: February 1955
- Location: Ransom’s Steakhouse Montgomery, Texas
- Distance: 70 miles
- Number of Riders: 50-75 riders
- Number of Wagons: 5
Click here for the Sam Houston Riders map
Southwest
- Years of participation: 32
- Established: January 1993
- Location: Rosenberg, Texas
- Distance: 120 miles
- Number of Riders: 294 riders
- Number of Wagons: 6
Click here for the Southwest Riders map
Southwestern
- Years of participation: 50
- Established: January 1973
- Location: West Columbia, Texas
- Distance: 97 miles
- Number of Riders: 250 riders
- Number of Wagons: 11 with 3 guest wagons
Click here for the Southwestern Riders map
Texas Cattlemen’s
- Years of participation: 37
- Established: January 1985
- Location: Henry’s Hideout Plantersville, Texas
- Distance: 60 miles
- Number of Riders: 35 riders
- Number of Wagons: 3
Click here for the Texas Cattlemen’s Riders map
Texas Independence
- Years of participation: 64
- Established: January 1961
- Location: Hitchcock, Texas
- Distance: 75 miles
- Number of Riders: 75-200 riders
- Number of Wagons: 14
Click here for the Texas Independence Riders map
The Spanish
- Years of participation: 65
- Established: January 1961
- Location: Shepherd, Texas
- Distance: 109 miles
- Number of Riders: 125 riders
- Number of Wagons: 9
Click here for The Spanish Riders map
Valley Lodge
- Years of participation: 66
- Established: January 1959
- Location: Brookshire, Texas
- Distance: 75 miles
- Number of Riders: 75 riders
- Number of Wagons: 4
Click here for the Valley Lodge Riders map
But what about the forecast?
Of course, the weather plays an important role in how the trail riders prepare for the occasion.
After nearly a week of being encapsulated by arctic air, spring is back for SE Texas as we head into the last day of February and kick off the first day of March! Temperatures will be in the 70s with little cloud cover.
Conditions will be perfect not only for the trail riders but also for observers who want to watch them ride into town!