rodeo's record-breaking wine

Rap mogul 50 Cent and big-spending Houstonians lasso record-setting night at Rodeo Uncorked! wine competition

2023 Rodeo wine auction 50 cent curtis jackson

50 Cent purchased the Reserve Grand Champion wine.

Courtesy of RodeoHouston

Hip-hop superstar 50 Cent (née, Curtis Jackson) loves the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Uncorked! Champion Wine Auction. Not only did the Houston-based musician and entrepreneur emerge as one of the top bidders at the event, which took place Sunday, February 26, he also produced the top winner in the Rodeo’s Uncorked! International Wine Competition.

As CultureMap has previously reported, the hip-hop mogul produced the competition’s Grand Champion Best of Show, Le Chemin du Roi Brut, Champagne AOC, NV. Seven Houstonians — Julie and Alan Kent, Randa and Ray Gilliam, Andrea and Bruce Bryant, and John M. Cotterell — spent a rodeo record $325,000 to purchase the award-winning bottle.

2023 Rodeo wine auction 50 cent curtis jackson The winner bidders spent a Rodeo record $325,000.Courtesy of RodeoHouston

This year’s win built on the winery’s Chemin Du Roi Brut, Champagne AOC, Nevada, that took home the Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show prize in 2021.

In addition to taking the top winning wine, 50 Cent also purchased the 2023 Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show, Bernhardt Winery Antiquity Chardonnay Reserve, Danube Plain, 2020, for $165,000. Last year, the performer purchased the 2022 Top Texas Wine, a 2017 Hye Meadow Winery Boooom Red (Texas High Plains).

Overall, the 2023 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition included 3,071 entries from 18 countries, including Argentina, Bulgaria, France, Israel, Italy, South Africa and Spain. Texas wineries contributed 531 of those entries, and Australia, this year’s featured region, produced 160 entries.

Less wealthy rodeo attendees can still taste more than 75 of the award-winning wines at the Champion Wine Garden. Open daily throughout the rodeo’s run of February 28 - March 19, wine lovers may make reservations from a table for two up to a tent for 150.

wine celebrities fundraisers rodeohouston

a new record

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo commits over $30 million to education

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo cattle exhibition

Courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

The money supports studies in fields such as animal husbandry.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo continues its annual tradition of breaking its own record when it comes to educational endowments. On Giving Tuesday, the organization pledged to disburse $30,353,380 in 2026 in the form of scholarships, grants, and other funding.

“This milestone moment of reaching $30 million in a single year highlights the Rodeo’s unwavering dedication to Texas youth and education,” HLSR president and CEO Chris Boleman said in a statement. “Thanks to our loyal donors, sponsors, more than 36,000 volunteers and dedicated attendees, 2026 will reach historic heights in supporting the next generation of leaders, agricultural professionals and organizations that share the Rodeo’s mission.”

This brings the total of education funding provided by the Rodeo since 1932 up to $660 million. Last year's $28 million commitment also set a new record.

One innovation this year is the establishment of the Area Go Texan Vocational Scholarship, a program that expands on the relationship with 68 Texas counties through the Area Go Texan affiliate program. One student from each county will receive $6,000 toward a degree or certificate in a vocational field at a Texas nonprofit college or university. Another $500,000 in vocational scholarships will awarded to 10 schools in 2026. Guidelines for applying can be found at this link.

In total, the Rodeo will hand out $15,126,000 in scholarships, $11,273,500 to junior exhibitors, $3,430,880 in grants, and $523,000 in graduate assistantships. Grants will be awarded to 82 Texas institutions and organizations, such as Arts for Rural Texas, BridgeYear, The Bryan Museum, Diversity in the Arts and Entertainment, Greater Houston Partnership Foundation, Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (MECA), Space Center Houston, Texas State University Development Foundation, and University of St. Thomas at Houston.

Money for the annual endowment is raised through the annual auctions, sales of livestock and art, and through charitable donations. The goal of the endowment program is to promote study and research in agriculture, animal husbandry, and other fields that directly benefit the Rodeo.

The Rodeo is scheduled to run from March 2 – 22, 2026. More information on performers, attractions, and vendors can be found at RodeoHouston.com. Scholarship applications are open through February 2, with funds being awarded in summer 2026.

rodeohouston houston livestock show and rodeo