2010 National Western Stock Show's Sweet Smell of Success

Denver -- I'm sitting in the Cattleman's Grill at the National Western Stock Show in Denver on opening day 2010, and it looks busier than ever. For an antidote to winter and also to the down economy, this is the place to be.

I've heard that registrations are up substantially and the barn is already pretty full. The stockyards don't usually fill for a few days, but they are also seeing lots of activity. And the entertainment, shopping, kids events and food are packed with the familiar and the new. Here's a preview of the 2010 stock show and what you should be checking out.

First of all, though the stock show is all about livestock, people tend to miss the business parts of the stock show. Check the stockyards behind (through the tunnel) and the auction hall there, and the judging and auctions in the Beef Palace area of the main building. If you head to the far end of the stockyard area, there's a small barn for judging which has some unusual and interesting unlisted things going on as well, hopefully with the breakfast wagon again this year.

The ongoing auctions are worth visiting just for the experience. They're fast, detailed and key to the business of the stockmen,

The fiddle contest is popular, all ages and levels of skill get involved. If they have last year's announcer again, be prepared for some country humor sprinkled in with the commentary.

Check out Cowboy Church, Tractor Races and other unique events on the Event Calendar.

Horsemanship over in the stock show event center brings in a wide variety of breeds and skill levels. There's arena seating on a come-and-go basis for many events while some are ticketed. To see these powerful animals up close, head down to the paddock area through the doors near the grounds exit.

The Hall of Education kids exhibits and small-animal displays show 4H and FFA activities, while youth are showing animals they raised in the big arenas as well, sometimes leading in an animal ten times their size.

Even without children, the Hall of Education's chickens, ducks, bunnies, guinea pigs, and educational exhibits for the kids are enjoyable and educational for us city dwellers and others that have gotten out of touch with the agricultural world.

The stock show has all kinds of food, from cafeteria to steak house, and also a lot of that fairground food that many folks miss in winter.

All around each building including the coliseum are stalls with arts, crafts, and a wide variety of small businesses I'd never find unless they took a stall here. In the past I found some inventors with a cool gadget to turn a pop can into a bottle, a lavender farm near Boulder, and a variety of small beef home delivery services run out of family farms, from ultra low fat blue cows to organic.

Rodeo! Pro, Mexican, stick or mutton, you've got your choice and you've never seen anything like it. I've heard a million-dollar Pro star from nearby Longmont will be appearing.

Don't forget the visitors themselves, an international crowd. All over the grounds, folk from around the globe are here to build and celebrate their agricultural businesses, often family-run. The stock show is entertainment and also a trade show. If you're from overseas, check out the reception area for international visitors. If you're from Colorado, welcome our visitors!

Check out www.nationalwestern.com, #nwss and @nationalwestern on Twitter, or their Facebook page. Definitely, time is not standing still at the 104 year old event.