Foreign visitors welcomed at rodeo room
Otto Garza wore garb historically tied to the rodeo — a black cowboy hat, vest, blue plaid shirt and jeans.
Arms behind his back, he scanned the crowd, thick with guests from all sectors of society. The self-appointed gatekeeper and subchair for registration of the International Committee was ready to greet visitors on the busy thoroughfare on the grounds of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.
Youngsters on school trips scampered into teacher-directed lines. Couples pushed toddlers in strollers. Teens and older folks, clad in Western wear, sauntered down the crowded lane, heavy with the aroma of roasted treats.
He didn’t waver at the Northwest corner of Cattle Barn 1 when four visitors from Canada approached him. He welcomed Arnold and Gloria Hoglander, along with Arnold’s brother, Dwayne, and sister-in-law, Cheryle, on their one-day visit to the rodeo.
They’re the latest visitors from other countries to stop at the International Room, where foreign guests can rest, conduct business and ask questions. In past years, guests have included international students, foreign military members and tourists from New Zealand, Singapore, China, Mongolia and England.
The Hoglanders had traveled 1,557 miles from Melita, Manitoba, to the San Antonio area.
“What brought you all the way south from Canada?” Garza asked.
“A Dodge,” Arnold Hoglander said with a chuckle.
“Canadian humor!” Garza said. “I love it! Welcome!”
It was the Hoglanders’ first visit to the rodeo in five years — they call themselves “winter Texans.” For the past 15 years, the couple wintered and explored the area during threemonth stays.
Gloria Hoglander said she’s even learned the Texas drawl.
The rodeo is high on their to-do list.
“We have a lot of good memories here,” she said. “We’re country music and rodeo fans. We’re country people.”
The room is only open to non-united States citizens visiting from outside the country — volunteers vet everyone who stops at the venue.
They offer guests a warm reception from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the first day of the rodeo to the last Saturday. Tours of the grounds are available to groups of 10 or more. The outings offer details of Texas agriculture and interactive areas, including wildlife exhibits and the Dairy Center.
Guests register by scanning a QR code on their smartphone or entering their information on a digital tablet. The data is uploaded to a digital world map, topped with the greeting — “Welcome International Guests.”
Once each visitor is registered, volunteers welcome them with souvenirs from the rodeo: an international-stenciled bandana and a blue metallic pin.
Garza said visitors with questions about farming can talk to representatives on subcommittees connected to the Texas Department of Agriculture. after handing out gifts, volunteers guide guests to the private hospitality room.
Each day, a hot lunch is offered from noon to 2 p.m. Garza said the room is financially independent of the rodeo, supported by restaurant sponsorships or donations that offset costs.
“It’s here to enjoy what we have to offer as far as Texas hospitality,” Garza said.
The room’s origin is linked to the late Mary Nan West, the first woman to chair the rodeo and livestock show. The International Committee first formed in 1968 as Mexico Day in honor of close ties to livestock buyers from Mexico. The day also honored men who drove herds of cattle across the Southwest.
“Without the vaqueros of that time, the Mexican cowboys, we probably wouldn’t have a rodeo,” Garza said. “It’s because of them, who rode in on trail rides and their horses that make the rodeo what it is today.”
Over the years, the day evolved. In 1990, West changed the name to the International/ Mexico Day Committee. Five years later, she split the committee into the International and Go Rodeo committees.
Garza and his wife were involved with educating children in schools for 47 years, something he said trickled into volunteering on the International Committee.
Before the pandemic, the volunteers hosted around 2,000 guests from more than 100 countries. So far this year, they’ve welcomed more than 500 visitors.
Garza handed the Canadians from rural Manitoba meal tickets for a complimentary lunch of mashed potatoes, green beans and meatloaf. He walked with them to the dining area, where lifetime committee members Jennifer Berridge and Cathy Rubiola served the foursome. As the group sat down to eat lunch, Garza said goodbye and wished them well — he had to return to his post.