Coleman Texas has about 5,500 residents, give or take. Like most other small towns there is not much to do around here. This town fits all the usual stereotypes. We roll up the sidewalks at sundown and the little old ladies just drive their cars to church on Sunday.
With that being said there is one thing that Coleman is known for and that we do really well. I'm talking rodeo. Not just any rodeo mind you, a real live PRCA rodeo just like the kind you see on RFD-TV and ESPN 8 (the ocho!) Since it is a PRCA event some of the top cowboys in the country come out of their way to find little old Coleman Texas. No it's not Houston and it's not Cheyenne or Las Vegas but "the cowboys are the toughest and the stock's the best there is" to borrow a line from Red Steagall.
The Coleman rodeo started in 1936 during the Texas Centennial. Some local citizens were looking for a fun way to commemorate Texas 100th birthday and what better way for a small town in West Central Texas to do that than to do what they know best? They came out and cowboyed!
The rodeo came from humble beginnings; using the local football field for an arena. It steadily grew and gained popularity throughout the region and it began to grow. They bought some land south of town and built an arena, grandstands and other things such as show barns, breeder-feeder buildings and a dance pavilion.
It seems like the rodeo kind of went through a lull for a few years where it just wasn't as good a show as it used to be. I don't have anything to base that on it is just one fans perception. Whatever the problem may have been they have come back with a vengeance the last few years. I know the prize money has been upped and the Stace Smith Contractors have provided excellent stock to show the cowboys off. The dances have also been much improved, I know over the last few years big Texas acts such as Kevin Fowler, Pauline Reese and one of my personal favorites Ricky Calmbach have all come through Coleman to play. Also in the last few years they have added the Bill Franklin Center and a new Expo center both of which have been huge improvements not just for the rodeo but for all the local events our town hosts.
What would a rodeo be without a parade? As usual the folks of Coleman did not disappoint. The parade was full of everything you would expect in a Norman Rockwell style town. We had homemade floats, local cheerleaders, various civic organizations, fire trucks, police cars and lots and lots of horses and cowboys to ride them. Of course you cant have a rodeo without your rodeo queen. My buddy Doug Burks and his band Barbwire also provided music and entertainment after the parade was over.
One other thing that the Coleman rodeo has that almost no one else does is an equestrian drill team. This team is made up of local cowgirls, they have no sponsors or endorsements, they do this all on their own. They are a really talented bunch of cowgirls, if you ever get the chance to attend a rodeo in Coleman they are worth the price of admission themselves. 
Well that about does it for this year. I attended the Friday night show. We had a great time, my oldest daughter wants to be a barrel racer (among other things). My youngest daughter thought seeing all those cows and horses was about the coolest thing around.
God and Texas,
Jason Watson
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