() At the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Rickie Fanning is roping her way into the record books.

Fanning, a professional breakaway roper, is making her mark in a sport dominated by men.

“It doesn’t take a special person,” Fanning said. “But it takes determination and grit to do it.”

She told that she tends to lock in under the rodeo lights, drowning out the cheers of the crowd and the rest of the world.

“I’m going to be honest with you. Some of my best runs, I don’t remember,” Fanning said. “I mean, you don’t have any time to think.”

Fanning is part of a new wave of women competing in rodeo.

“Throughout the whole world, you’ll have moms reach out to you, or people reach out to you and just say thank you, my daughter looks up to you,” Fanning said.

In 2024, women accounted for 69% of rodeo entries, according to reports citing NextGen Rodeo.

“You’ve got the older generation, who has carved the way to get us here, and now being this next generation that gets to see it all play out,” Fanning said.

Outside of the dirt-filled arena, Denise Pullen works up a shine on attendees’ cowboy boots, like she has for decades.

Pullen, owner of Classic Shine, said she’s been shining shoes for 42 years.

“People gave me six months when I started doing this,” Pullen said. “And ever since I’ve shined that first shoe, I’ve never wanted to do anything else.”

The 2025 event is taking over Houston’s NRG Stadium for more than two weeks, through March 23. There are hundreds of events to choose from, including livestock shows, public exhibitions, food stalls and more.

According to the show’s official website, the event aims to promote agriculture by “hosting an annual, family-friendly experience that educates and entertains the public, supports Texas youth, showcases Western heritage and provides year-round educational support within the community.”