K-Rodeo Delights in its 53rd Year

Let’s Go! Let’s Show! Let’s Rodeo! These proverbial words kick off Fort Worth Country Day’s Kindergarten Rodeo each and every year, and 2022 was no different. Kindergarten cowboys and cowgirls showed their stuff in the 53rd FWCD K-Rodeo, as it is affectionately known, on Wednesday, April 27, with a special showing for the 93-member Class of 2022, followed by a parent viewing on Thursday, April 28. View the slideshow.

This time-honored tradition allows FWCD’s kindergarteners — 82 of them this year — to show their leadership skills as they dress up in their western gear to perform a reenactment of the Fort Worth Rodeo. Riding stick horses; dressing up as colorful rodeo clowns; and cavorting as cows, calves and steers, the kindergarteners took over the Sid W. Richardson Round Gym for their performances. 

Over the years, the K-Rodeo has evolved to be more and more authentic. It is not only a beloved tradition for the students but also for the kindergarten teachers, students of all ages and alumni. Sharing this performance with the seniors completes their circle of life at Fort Worth Country Day. It is a sweet remembrance as they begin to look ahead to life outside the gates of FWCD. Read more at The History of the Kindergarten Rodeo. 

The event is elaborate, beginning with a Grand Entry performance and the “Star-Spangled Banner.” During the nearly 40-minute production, students show their skills in traditional rodeo events, such as bareback bronc riding, the calf scramble, bull riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing, and more. 

Dan Bloch H’06, former Middle School Science Teacher, returned to campus for only the second time since retiring to play the banjo — a role he embraced at the very first Kindergarten Rodeo in 1969 when he began as an FWCD teacher. “It was the banjo that got me involved with the Kindergarten Rodeo all those years ago,” Bloch said. “Melinda Miller [former FWCD teacher] saw me playing for my class one day and asked if I would accompany the kindergarten for ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas’ for that first rodeo. 

This year, Bloch played banjo during the Rodeo events, and the students sang "Deep in the Heart of Texas" acapella and showed off their line-dancing skills to a recording of "Achy Breaky Heart." 

“Who knew in 1969 that the students would be performing in the Kindergarten Rodeo 53 years later?” he continued. “Mrs. Miller’s idea has become a unique and treasured part of Country Day life.” On its 45th anniversary, the Kindergarten Rodeo was recognized for its ingenuity and longevity by the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show. To commemorate the K-Rodeo’s 50-year milestone, FWCD and the rodeo were presented with a proclamation in 2019 from the Fort Worth Mayor’s Office. 

For all students, the roles played in the rodeo have significant meaning. In some cases, the roles are a family legacy, as many FWCD parents who are alumni have kindergarteners who perform the very same role that their parents did all those years ago. For new families, K-Rodeo is the just start of their memorable School journey. Together, all the students discover that in Kindergarten Rodeo, they become part of an unforgettable tradition that is uniquely Fort Worth Country Day.