Not Just Another Rodeo
This weekend is the 64th annual Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo in Rapid City. I am looking forward to attending along with over 330,000 others from across the country. I have gone to the Stock Show a dozen times, and it continues to be one of the best ways to hear from ranchers and producers in the state, catch up with old friends, and keep a pulse on South Dakota ag.
The Stock Show really is the event of the year. It all started in 1958 as the "Winter Show," and was much smaller, only showcasing three different breeds of cattle. Now, with more than 10 breeds of cattle sales, a 2-day horse sale, the Hutchison Western Stallion Row, rodeos, youth shows, and over 200 vendors and seminars to enjoy – there's something for everyone. Each year is bigger and better.
The Stock Show preserves the Western heritage and rural lifestyle as more people move from the countryside to cities. For those who didn't grow up on a ranch or around livestock, this is a small sample of that way of life – it's great exposure to the hard work that our nation's ranchers do every day.
Our cattle producers work hard – I'll continue to follow their lead throughout my work in the U.S. House. I'm looking forward to telling our producers about the wins South Dakota's congressional office brought home this year, from the Cattle Contract Library Act to the Butcher Block Act.
I am proud South Dakota is home to this event. Agriculture and the Western way of life is something I'm fighting to protect on the House Agriculture Committee in Washington, D.C. There aren't many members of congress who understand rural America – I'm proud to be one of them.
Johnson tours Rock Creek Livestock in Mitchell