The livestock barns and show arena at Will Rogers Memorial Center have undergone major renovations, NBC 5’s Noelle Walker reports its just in time for the 2025 Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
At the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo grounds Tuesday morning, there was a gathering of cowboy hats and boots; too early for the stock show, but just in time to reveal improvements to the goat, sheep, and swine barns for the upcoming Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
"Sometimes you could hardly see the end of the barn for the dust," longtime FWSSR Sheep Superintendent John Menzies said. "There would be enough humidity coming up off the livestock in the barn that it would actually rain in the building and everybody would get wet!"
Now the forecast inside is clear and dry, thanks to improved ventilation.
"Much different! More environmentally friendly," FWSSR Swine Superintendent Gary Rosenbusch said. "I mean if it's not broke don't fix it, but if it is, it's time to improve!"
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The improvements include new pens in the goat, sheep and swine barns. There is also new lighting and a new multi-purpose arena.
"It has come a long way," Menzies said. "We were in a parking lot and it was a DIRT parking lot it, wasn't paved."
"The thing that's so neat about this deal is you walk up to the outside of the buildings, and it's still got the exact same look and the feel of what's been around for tradition," Weatherford College Ag/Communications Department Chair Vance Christie said. "It's gonna increase the desire for people on the national level to make this a destination."
The FWSSR says the $40-million renovation was finished on time and under budget. The improvements are phase 3 of a 4-phase project that's a public/private partnership between the FWSSR and the City of Fort Worth.
The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo starts January 17 and runs through February 8.
