By J. Noel Espinoza/RioGrandeInfo.com

Elizabeth Gallardo and Larissa Castillo arrived early Saturday night to the 30^th Annual Los Fresnos Rodeo to relish three decades in the making. Depicted as the biggest little rodeo in Texas, Castillo and Gallardo, both from Los Fresnos, didn’t want to miss another year full of excitement, fireworks, music, food, and fierce competition.

Usually, the rodeo starts with a bang of fireworks and impressive display of cowboys doing the classic saddle bull riding, climbing on the back of huge bulls, and showing an impressive physical prowess.

“I really enjoy watching when the little kids come out with the little sheep,” the 24-year-old Gallardo said. “That’s my favorite part of the show. I’ve been coming here for a long time to see this.”

Known as mutton busting, something similar to bull riding or bronc riding, many families bring their kids to watch the riding of sheep by kids as young as five to seven years old. The rodeo also gives the children the opportunity to participate in mutton busting where children have to weigh less than 55 pounds. Although many cry once they are thrown out of the back of the sheep, some can hold for a while which makes the crowds roar and yell like Gallardo.

Besides the rodeo, Castillo says she loves the concerts which this year featured Easton Corbin and David Lee Garza Y Los Musicales.

Becky Gonzalez, who was managing a food stand with a friend, says she’s been coming to the rodeo since she was a little kid and now she enjoys taking her son to the rodeo because they both like to see everything the rodeo offers.

“My mom used to bring me here when I was a kid,” Gonzalez said.  “What I like the most is that my son enjoys it. He’s out there having a good time.”

Gonzalez said a cousin also enters into the hog competition sponsored by the Cameron County Fair and Livestock show going on parallel to the rodeo. Like bull riding, women’s barrel racing, cattle roping, and steer wrestling are other rodeo features people enjoy during the weekend extravaganza.

Denis Brunette, an usher for the past six years from Quebec, Canada, loves to travel with the rodeo throughout the United States. Brunette said he also volunteers for air balloon shows in Canada.

“There are eight other people from Quebec here as ushers,” Brunette said. “We’re all volunteers. It’s nice to help other people and give us the opportunity to watch the show. Here, everything is also cheaper than in Florida.”

This year, the rodeo announcer Andy Stewart wanted to know whether anyone of rodeo fans were from another country besides the United States, Canada, or Mexico. A couple of people screamed they were from the Philippines.

Larry Cantu, a director of the rodeo, said everything began 30 years ago when some guys were having a barbecue and they started to talk about having something for the community.

“They thought, let’s have a rodeo,” Cantu said. “After that, they got the chamber of commerce involved in it. It has grown ever since.”

Cantu said the show is a success because they try to improve and improve every year.

“We have about 6,000 people just in the rodeo (tonight),” Cantu said. “Altogether, over the weekend, we have about 25,000 people.”