A beloved staple of the National Western Stock Show’s kick-off parade was missing Thursday after a winter storm and icy roads prevented dozens of longhorns from making the trip to Denver.
Road conditions near the ranch south of Monument where the cattle live were bad enough that wranglers canceled the trip, show spokesperson Karen Woods said. The parade was also delayed by an hour because of the snow.
“It was for the safety of the wranglers and their animals,” Woods said. “They were planning all along (to come), and the delay might have helped but the commute in was too difficult.”
The parade usually features 30 to 40 longhorns guided by a dozen horses and riders through downtown Denver, from Union Station to McGregor Square.
“They were definitely missed and it was a leaner parade than normal, but it was really fun and festive to be out there,” Woods said.
The longhorns have also been absent in years when the parade’s been canceled, most recently in 2022, Woods said. The stock show first started holding a kick-off parade in the late 1960s.
The National Western Stock Show starts Saturday and runs through Jan. 26.