Resistol Arena

The Mesquite Championship Rodeo in Resistol Arena showcases the nation’s best – members of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

You’ll see bareback riding, bull riding, barrel races, team roping, saddle bronc riding as well as a clown or two.  Plus, the children can get in on the act – there’s the calf scramble – The Dash for Cash - where children between 7 and 12 chase a calf who has ribbons tied to his back. The children try to remove the ribbons tied to the calf – and the ribbon winners get a prize.

And there’s Mutton Bustin’, children weighing 55 pounds and under test their riding skill and strength against a feisty mutton.  The children wear helmets for this event.  Eight children are chosen randomly for the mutton event.  Every chosen child wins a prize, but the one who hangs on the longest gets a really special one.

People from all over the world converge on Resistol Arena to see the rodeo on summer weekends.  Monaco's Prince Ranier and former presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush have watched the cowboys in Mesquite.

Not all the action is in the arena.  You can shop for western gear – very Texan – at Wild Bill’s Western Wear – great souvenirs to take home.  Or, at least get yourself your very own Stetson for the next time you’re riding the range.  There are the usual concessions – but chowing down on the barbecue from Sonny Bryan’s – some of the best in North Texas – is tender and delicious.  And, of course, there’s beer and a limited choice of mixed drinks – including margaritas.

HelloDallas tip: There is also rodeo every weekend all year in nearby Fort Worth - Stockyards Championship Rodeo at Cowtown Coliseum.

- by Constance Hannon, Dallas Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Constance Hannon

Connie Hannon is a freelance writer living in Dallas, Texas. She is a native Texan and has lived in Dallas and Washington, D.C. for the majority of her life. Connie graduated from Pitzer College in Claremont, California, and received her masters in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University. She was a staffer on Capitol Hill and worked in CNN’s Washington Bureau, and with most of the television stations in the Dallas market.