Billy Bob's - The Worlds Biggest Honky Tonk (well, at least thats what the website claims)

This past Saturday we headed to a Country Bar for a special concert, drum roll......Dwight Yoakam!! I didn't know who he was either!

Looking the part!

Our Cavenders purchases, which took more than an hour to choose!

http://www.billybobstexas.com/

The tightest jeans in the bar.....on the old timer!

The bar.

The line-up. Dad you better come visit Texas for B.B.King! Then Mom can buy all the cowboy apparel she wants me to squeeze in a suitcase for her ; )

Dwight in action. Check out the rhinestones on the guy on the left and the guitarist on the right....getting passionate!

The only guy (doing the universal Captains pose in photo 1 and some leprechaun jig in photo 2) in the entire bar who insisted on tucking in his baggy jeans into his boots....you can see why though - probably the only male wearing pink cowboy boots in Texas!

Definitely would be my choice for my second pair of cowboys boots!

When I first saw this I was transfixed......it's an original western saddle they turned into a disco ball.

It is too fabulous. Apparently it was put up when the bar was first opened in the 80's!

"Three sisters", according to some stranger! Katy - our official tour guide for the evening and general giver of useful information ("don't believe anything Evan tells you"). Thanks Katy!

All the big country stars that have played at Billy's over the last 30 years

Love the South!

Long car ride home (Thanks Jennifer!!)

Downtown Dallas.

You can't go out in Dallas without brunch the next day: Another broken egg cafe......so yum!

Billy Bob prep: Cavenders Boot City

Off to Billy Bob's Honky Tonk bar for a Saturday night party.......Can't go without some cowboy boots. Cavenders was recommended by everyone we asked: The Real McCoy!

Where do we start??!

As always, embracing being a tourist!

Justine rocking the turquoise coral look! Divine!

Claudia's favourite (not): Ostrich skin.

The boring brown and black collection (our choice)

So bright!!!

Check out those toe caps!

Bling anyone?

If I could lug all these hats home I would!

Sure.

Only when I posted this did I realise it applies to me?!

The most random collection of T-shirts I have ever seen! The last on the right says: "Choot 'em".......words fail me.

Our very helpful boot assistants! She was shocked we went to the rodeo last Saturday boot-less. Sacrilege!

Fluffy purple "horse-stick" (my dream gift 20 years ago), comes with its own sounds (turn up volume)!

I walked out feeling like had taken one (well shod) step closer to being a Texan! Yeeeha!

Purchased boots to feature in next post.

Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo!!

This past Saturday Justine and I experienced a true cowboy event: The annual stock show and rodeo. Yeeeeeehah! Warning: Rodeo videos featured are not for animal lovers viewing.

'Nuff said.

The photo of the western saddles is for Andy!

Local stock show law enforcement

Local stock show fire fighters.....they were seriously busy. Not.

Stock on show. Someone told the breed of the cow on the left, but "camel-cow" stuck in my mind for some reason.

The International Suite. Friendly folk organised our rodeo tickets (separate to the stock show), when everything was sold out! Pays to be a foreigner in the South.

We got to pin our city, as there was so many Cape Town pins, we pinned Durb's for Justine's home town!

Very awesome name badges they gave us......made us look like prize ponies with that blue ribbon - loved it!! They also gave us horse pins with the American flag......I felt special!

I did not see a single person wearing anything other than cowboy boots.

Mom - I am definitely not bringing one of these home for you! It was rock solid - i.e. would not travel well! But so awesome : )

This was an auction. Turn the volume up when you watch it, as there isn't much to see, but boy did that guy speak fast!!!!!

Justine, myself and Alvin (senior partner at GT). Alvin was our tour guide for the event, taught us the rodeo rules, pointed out the cow crap we were about to stand in - we wouldn't have survived without him!

Warm caramel pecans!

Gallon size hats on pint size cowboys/girls! So cute!

Rodeo time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Grand entry"

"Saddle Bronc Riding", otherwise known as "how to destroy your back riding"

"Bareback Bronc Riding", otherwise known as "the most uncomfortable sport known to mankind"

"Steer wrestling", participants of this event are not to be angered, as you have seen what they can do to a steer.......eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

Kiss-Cam.

One of the funniest things I have ever seen: "Calf scramble". Teenager's let loose on a bunch of calves. Aim: to get the calf into the white block. As Justine would say: the result of loose parenting!

Belle's of the rodeo ball: The only women's event, "Barrel racing". These ladies are my heroes!

"Bull riding", otherwise known as "stupid". But the most exciting event & saved for last. Good thing my camera battery had all but run out, as the swearing (from Justine and I) on the video footage would have been excessive.......this is by far the craziest thing I have ever seen an individual do.

Stubborn bull. Had to be roped by two horses to get back into his pen. Those horses were the real stars. If I was a horse being commanded to drag a bull, I would have jumped into the crowds to get away from that chunk of mean-ass muscle!!

Photo of the day (by Justine).