As the new year begins, the Texas Swing offers rodeo’s biggest winter opportunity
The start of a new calendar year doesn’t reset the rodeo season, but for many of the sport’s best, it marks the most important stretch of the year.
Known as the Texas Swing, this run of premier winter rodeos including the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo RodeoHouston, Austin Rodeo, and the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo has become one of the most decisive segments of the PRCA and WPRA calendar.
The Texas Swing offers the winter building rodeos with some of the largest payouts of the regular season.
Limited Entry
What separates the Texas Swing from most rodeos isn’t just the money, it’s access in as well.
Events like Fort Worth and Houston are highly limited-entry rodeos, with most competitors qualifying through world standings from the current or previous season. While some spots are earned through designated qualifiers or preliminary events held throughout the year, the majority of the field is reserved for the best of the best athletes already proven at the highest level.
That exclusivity makes every run matter. Simply getting into these bucket list rodeos is a marker of success. Advancing, and winning, often separates the field before the summer run.
Why Texas Matters
The timing of this swing matters, too.
After the year opens with early-season stops like the Sandhills Stock Show & Rodeo in Odessa, many competitors stay south to take advantage of Texas’ more favorable winter weather. Consistent conditions while athletes maintain rhythm during a crucial window in the year.
The schedule briefly shifts north for the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo in Denver, often considered a mid-winter interruption, before they return to Texas for the heart of the swing.
A Predictor of Champions
The importance of the Texas Swing has become increasingly clear in recent seasons. Several athletes who dominated these winter rodeos went on to claim world championships later that same year.
In 2025, Riley Webb, Rocker Steiner, Taylor Munsell, Tucker Allen, and Kassie Mowry all captured wins at the coveted RodeoHouston, before finishing the year with gold buckles.
That pattern is no coincidence.
Houston alone can pay more than many summer runs combined, and advancing through multiple rounds requires both horsepower, mental toughness, and unmatched consistency. Winning there often signals an athlete who is prepared for the grind of a full season on the road as well.
The formats also play a role. Many Texas Swing rodeos feature progressive, tournament-style advancement, rewarding that consistency across multiple rounds under pressure.
While the rodeo season officially runs from October 1 to September 30, the Texas Swing often defines it. A strong winter can dictate where competitors travel, how aggressively they enter rodeos, and how they manage their horsepower the rest of the year.
As the new year begins, the Texas Swing doesn’t just offer opportunity, but it demands excellence from the best. More often than not, it reveals who’s ready to chase a gold buckle long before summer ever arrives.
Texas Swing 2026 Schedule
Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo: Jan 16 - Feb 7
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo: Feb 12 - Mar 1
Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo: Mar 2-22
Rodeo Austin: Mar 13-28
San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo: April 4-20