News

American Royal shows draw nationally

The American Royal expected up to a couple thousand head of cattle, hogs, sheep and goats for livestock shows in Kansas City that began late this past week.

“And of course, that’s our heritage,” said Bob Petersen, CEO of the American Royal. “We were founded in 1899 as a livestock show here in the Stockyards District of Kansas City, so we’re carrying on that tradition today and right in the middle of it.”

Petersen was helping to serve a meal and was interacting with arriving American Royal livestock exhibitors last week.

“[The person who had traveled the greatest distance] that I met was from Kentucky, I also met several from North Dakota, several from Montana,” said Petersen, recalling some of the conversations he heard while serving the meal. “This is, we like to think, one of three of four premier livestock shows in the nation, so we do have a national draw.”

The American Royal begins with horse shows and draws tens of thousands for the barbeque competition. There’s a parade and a prestigious rodeo that are in addition to the livestock shows.

Since it began in 1899, the American Royal has become a cultural fixture for about three months each fall in Kansas City. Petersen says about $1.7 million dollars annually is donated from American Royal proceeds to youth, scholarships and education.

AUDIO: Bob Petersen (6 min. MP3)