The Cowboy Way

Yes, that's a horse blocking traffic: Trail rides roll in and the Rodeo camplife fires up

The Southwestern Trail Ride made a 102-mile trip from Angelton.
Photo by Whitney Radley
The Mission Trail Ride, winners of the Division III award, made a 210-mile ridefrom San Antonio.
Photo by Whitney Radley
The Spanish Trail Ride arrived first.
Photo by Whitney Radley
A fajita lunch for Trail Ride Committee members was cooked up on a giganticskillet.
Photo by Whitney Radley
Horse trailers and recreational vehicles are lined up as far as the eye can see.
Photo by Whitney Radley
Each trail ride claims its own section of the makeshift campground at MemorialPark.
Photo by Whitney Radley

The traffic hold-ups all around the city and its suburbs over the past week have been for good cause: Today, the 12 trail rider groups have arrived at Memorial Park.

Over thousands of miles and sometimes up to three weeks, these trail riders have promoted the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and served as reminders of Texas' rich Western heritage.

"This originated in the 50s, when trail rides were better for getting the word out than advertising," explained Trail Ride Committee chairman Philip Martin, who appeared surprisingly collected in spite of the impending arrival of 4,000 rowdy riders and their livestock.

The idea of herding in so many trail riders may seem like an overwhelming one, but the structure of the operation assures that everything runs like clockwork.

Each year, the Trail Ride Committee helps to facilitate riders' treks from respective starting points, prepares the park for the temporary takeover of the riders and cleans up once the trail riders leave again.

"This originated in the 50s, when trail rides were better for getting the word out than advertising," Philip Martin said.

A subcommittee makes sure that all of the committee's 125 members are well-fed — and with an elaborate Southern dinner on Thursday, a breakfast feast and a delicious fajita lunch on Friday, it's difficult to imagine that they're anything but.

"The rule of thumb is, don't run out," Herbie Lapetina told CultureMap. Lapetina, vice chairman of the rodeo committee cook team, has prepared meals for the Trail Ride Committee for 15 years.

On Friday, the trail riders began to file in around noon. First was the Spanish Trail Ride, which made the 109-mile trip from Shepherd; the group signaled its arrival with loud music, prancing horses and lots of hollers.

Near the entrance of the makeshift campground at Memorial Park, Junior Rodeo Committee members stood by with clip boards and score sheets, counting points to determine the best trail rides.

Erin Okeson, a psychology student at Texas A&M University, has volunteered with RodeoHouston in different capacities over the past four years, and this year was her first as a judge.

Each rider must be rated on dress and spirit, and the full cavalcade on overall presentation, Okeson explained, and all infractions of the rules must be tallied. "I guess you have to be very observant," she laughed.

At a ceremony held on Friday evening, the trail rides who fit the bill were recognized. Spirit awards were given to to the Sam Houston Trail Ride and the Sam Houston Wagon Three.

Salt Grass Trail Ride, the longest-running group, took first for Best Trail Ride in Division I (awarded to a group with 145 or more participants). Prairie View Trail Ride took the title for Division II (50 to 144 participants) and the Mission Trail Ride won in Division III (49 or fewer participants).

The trail riders will file out of the park again on Saturday morning, riding along Memorial Drive and through the streets of downtown for the annual Downtown Rodeo Parade.

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toy story

Houston Toy Museum will shutter in the Heights after 4 years

Luke Skywalker action figure Houston Toy Museum

Photos via Houston Toy Museum

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Childhood whimsy took a mortal blow this week as the Houston Toy Museum announced it would be closing its storefront on 19th Street at the end of August.

"The truth is, we fell in love with the idea of being in a space that already held so much history and nostalgia for so many," wrote founders Matt and Sara Broussard in an Instagram post on Wednesday, July 22. "So we dreamed big, took a leap, and in some ways bit off more than we could chew. Even so, we are deeply proud of what we have built and have no regrets!"

The couple cited rising rent prices as the primary reason for the closure. The Greater Houston Partnership reports that gross office rent prices in the second quarter of 2026 had jumped to $31/square foot, up from a $28/square foot a year ago. For a 4,932 square foot building like the Houston Toy Museum at 321 W. 19th, such increases can compound into an untenable amount.

The Broussards assured their fans and supporters that the Houston Toy Museum was not disappearing completely. They plan to continue hosting events around the city, including pop-ups and LEGO builds. Their Instagram post ended with a hopeful promise that they will find another storefront location sometime in the future.

When the Houston Toy Museum first opened in 2022, it quickly became a one-of-a-kind hub of pop culture in the city. Built from donated toys and the Broussards' large personal collection, it housed an impressive array of everything from century-old dolls to the immense G.I. Joe playset the U.S.S . Flagg (which is 7.5 feet long) to modern video game systems. The museum hosted film screenings, community talks, and more on the history and importance of play. It also sold a lot of toys in the gift shop.

All of those items are headed to storage, but the Broussards remained upbeat and thankful for the four years they were able to entertain and delight Houston.

"What started as a daydream became a space filled with joy, nostalgia, creativity, connection, and community," said the statement. "We watched families make memories here, saw people reconnect with pieces of their childhood, hosted incredible events, and felt an outpouring of support that we will never forget.We owe so much to you, our community. You showed up for us again and again, and we cannot thank you enough for believing in what we created. Heights residents, and beyond, you helped spread the word about our little museum. Many of you have been our biggest cheerleaders from day one and we are forever grateful for that."

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