Story by Kevin Beaty, Lauren Antonoff Hart and Mateo Schimpf
Michael Gayle grew up coming to 17th Street to see the annual National Western Stock Show parade, so he was confused when one of the event's major draws never materialized.
"I kept looking out the window. Like, did I miss it?" he asked, wearing his best bolo tie.
A herd of longhorns usually leads the fanfare. This time, it turns out, they got stuck in traffic.
"I-25 was slammed. There was no movement," Doug Jones, chairman of the Western Stock Show Association board, told us from his perch on a stagecoach. "I love longhorns, but weather we can't change."
He added they were coming from somewhere south of Castle Rock when they hit the snag. The metro area saw blustery, windy weather with some snow on Thursday.
"The road conditions were too hazardous for the haul and the ranchers made the decision to turn around for the safety of the animals," Karen Woods, Stock Show spokesperson told us in an email. "They were very disappointed they could not make the parade today but will be on site this weekend and at the Wild West Shows."
Conditions were even worse on the Eastern Plains, where many stock show participants began their days.
"It's horrible out there. It took me an hour to get from [the town of] Bennett to Tower Road," said Jamie Hawkins, who drove in with her horse, Rusty. "Four-foot drifts and 50-mile-an-hour winds."
The crowd noticed, but people still had fun.
Cammie Tharp traveled 1,000 miles to see the longhorns. Yes, she'd left Chicago to see her daughter, but she was also expecting to hear some moos.
"I came all the way out here because I saw the video on Instagram and I wanted to see the cattle so bad," she said. "I'm disappointed for that. But the rest was worth it."
Hayley Wolf was also displeased.
"Nooooo! Thats the only reason why we came," she said when she learned the news, joking: "I'm leaving."
But there were others, many who'd never seen anything like this, who were unphased.
Gavin Williams' accent revealed he was visiting from Australia. The horses were good enough for him.
"I just want to see the cowboys," he said, clearly enjoying this unusual vacation stop. "It's not something you see every day."
There were still plenty of horses, plus at least two chickens in a cage in a wagon, to look at.
"We're still having fun," Keisha Cruz, who came to watch with her family, said. "We didn't know what to expect, but it's great!"
Cruz's family moved to Denver from Guam about two years ago. Longhorns or not, she said this was an important step in their initiation as Denverites.
Michael Gayle, the Denver lifer with the bolo, agreed. This is part of what it means to live here.
"It's about the energy and bringing it back home to how Colorado was, and should be," he said. "I always live up to our traditions here in Colorado."
This story has been updated with comment from Karen Woods.
Miles the Broncos mascot makes the rounds during the National Western Stock Show parade. Jan. 9, 2025. Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Mayor Mike Johnston presides over the annual National Western Stock Show parade downtown. Jan. 9, 2025. Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Nicolas Morales and Diamante Negro the horse ride in the National Western Stock Show parade downtown. Jan. 9, 2025. Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Doug Jones, chairman of the Western Stock Show Association, drives a coach during the National Western Stock Show parade. Jan. 9, 2025. Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
