Between Saloons, Revolver Heroes and Rodeo

The US state of Texas lets all greenhorns immerse themselves in the wild life of a cowboy

Berkel en Rodenrijs – September 18, 2019 – The horse saddled, the boots on and both spurs polished – who didn´t want to be a Western hero as a child? The Lone Star State Texas – the home of the cowherds, lasso throwers and rodeo riders – lets its visitors immerse themselves in the cowboy culture, which is still clearly noticeable today. Whether a side trip to the saloon, an excursion on horseback or a visit to a livestock auction – the possibilities around the cowboy strongholds of Bandera, Fort Worth and Austin are endless and will make every heart beat faster.

Play the song of the cowherd to me: Bandera, the world capital of cowboys.

The city of Bandera is located about an hour’s drive west of San Antonio in the central south of Texas. Where Apaches, Comanches and Spanish conquistadors once met, the last big cattle drives passed through the area on their way north. Even today, the life of the inhabitants is marked by rodeos, cattle drives and the daily work on the ranch. The Dixie Dude Ranch is the oldest of the area and attracted passing drovers as early as 1937 – today visitors can stay overnight and go on horseback rides. On the annual National Day of the Cowboy every July, the best cowboys travel from near and far to Bandera to compete in rodeo and lasso throwing.

The Glorious Two: The country’s largest livestock auction and rodeo at Fort Worth.

Located 40 kilometres east of Dallas, Fort Worth was originally built as a military post and lies on the historic Chisholm Trail – a herd route for livestock that was once driven from the south to Abilene in Kansas, some 800 kilometres north. So the cowboys enjoyed playing before they drove the animals to the north. Nowadays, when you enjoy a cool beer in one of the old saloons, you really feel like a pioneer – especially when cattle are driven through the streets twice a day. So it’s no wonder that Fort Worth has the title “City of Cowboys and Culture”. Since 1896, the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show has also been the country’s largest livestock auction and rodeo, held annually from mid-January to early February – a must for every Texas visitor.

For a handful of dollars: Buy cowboy boots in Austin

The best souvenir from Texas is obvious: a pair of real cowboy boots. A popular address for this is Allen’s Boots in Austin. The shop is known beyond the country’s borders for its immense selection of boots, huts, belts and much more in Western style. There are thousands of different boots on the shelves, and if you can’t find the right pair, you can easily design your own.