🔒A ‘great butt,’ Roy Rogers, and living, breathing rodeo: Houston photographer Geoff Winningham reflects on Houston Rodeo of 1971

HOUSTON – Photographer and Rice professor Geoff Winningham said his book about the Houston Rodeo in 1971 didn’t make a splash -- in fact, he told KPRC 2 recently, it didn’t really make much of an impact at all.

However, some photographs from that anniversary year of the rodeo have really withstood the passing of time: two women in tight pants, young conjoined twins on display in a carnival attraction, a horse rider carrying the Texas flag down the streets of Houston.

Winningham sat down with KPRC 2 to look back at his early career photography and revisit some of the memories he has of the Houston Rodeo in its 45th year -- when country acts like Roy Rogers and Hank Snow took top billing. Much has changed and much has stayed the same about rodeo -- and people -- no matter how long it’s been.

In this, the 90th year of the event, take a journey back in time with Winningham and hear his compelling stories of the great show that was and is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Watch the full video piece in the player above.

Editor’s note: Be sure to watch until the end. The best stories -- and quotes -- are always at the end.

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