‘The whole State of Texas is here!’: Abilene hosts thousands of visitors for CALF, THSRA Finals

ABILENE, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) – Abilene, Texas is home to more than 127,000 residents, and this week it’ll boast a few thousand more visitors for The Texas High School Rodeo Association Finals (THSRA Finals) and Children’s Art and Literacy Festival (CALF).

Last Thursday, lots of contestants flocked to the Taylor County Expo Center to compete in the THSRA Finals.

16-year-old Sadie Howell is competing at the finals for goat tying. She and her family traveled more than six hours from Alvin, Texas.

Above: Sadie Howell, 16, smiles with her parents and award as she competes in THSRA Finals at Taylor County Expo Center

It’s a long trip well worth it, Sadie told KTAB/KRBC, as one of the best parts of competing is doing so with kids she’s met from all over the state.

“Getting to see all my friends, and all my friends are in one place ’cause the whole state of Texas is here,” Sadie rattled off why she loves the rodeo scene.

Plus, it’s a family hobby passed down from a young age,” My dad rodeoed. He teamed roped, so he kind of always rode horses so I started riding horses.”

Similarly, 17-year-old Dillon Grote has also been roping since he was about nine years old. He drove in all the way from Oklahoma for his second year competing at the THSRA Finals.

Below: Dillon Grote, 17, accepts check from Tie Down Calf Roping Championship (courtesy of Candids by Callie )

“It feels so good to be able to rope for a good amount of titles,” said Dillon. “It’s not really about the money but the titles you earn and people you can meet.”

This is the second installment in a 3-year contract, and the 35th year the finals have been held in Abilene, according to the Expo Center. Rochelle Johnson, the Taylor County Expo Center’s executive vice president & general manager shared that the expo center wants to remodel and keep things up to date to make their facilities attractive to others wishing to hold events in Abilene.

“This drives about $2 million worth of revenue into our community on a yearly basis,” Johnson revealed.

The rodeo is also good for small business owners like Darren Stoner who is came in from Fairfield, selling at the expo center to gain access to the large crowds.

Above: Visitors flock in shopping alley at Taylor County Expo Center during THSRA Finals

“Texas is such a big state, obviously, but they (THSRA Finals) have a lot of kids, and we do the nationals, too, but Texas High School is nearly as big as the national,” answered Stoner on why the THSRA.

Lynn Barnett, chamber vice president for the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council (Abilene CAC), told KTAB/KRBC the CALF grows larger every single year, and organizers are already planning for next year’s festival.

“We expect about 5,500 to 6,000; and last year they came from 191 cities and 21 states,” Barnett spoke on the visitors expected for this year’s CALF.

CALF, which begins this Thursday, is a major driving force for downtown businesses like Texas Star and Trading Company. To prepare for all these new customers looking for novelty Texas and Abilene souvenirs, the shop is putting out all its best merchandise and making sure all hands are on deck.

Texas Star owner, Carol Dromgoole added how she’s making sure the shop is ready to rock and roll, “Try to make sure our store is fully stocked and just straight and ready to go; ready for the influx of customers that are this high. It’s the busiest weekend of the summer for sure.”

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