Prompted by the theme “My Magical Rodeo Garden”, Texas fourth graders got to work crafting whimsical essays and poetry.
They wrote about hats that transported people to magical places, dancing and singing bluebonnets, talking horses, and legendary bull rides.
They wove words into stories and poems with sentences like “The stars are cowgirls that sparkle in the night” and “My nose picked up a scent of dirt, mixed with the smell of dessert.”
These impressive literary works were just some of the entries submitted as part of the 2024 SPURS Writing Competition hosted by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and Rodeo Trailblazer Committee. This was the fourth year of the competition.
“This important literacy initiative continues to grow remarkably in both participation and talent each year,” said Wendy Lewis Armstrong, Officer in Charge of the Rodeo’s Trailblazer Committee in a news release. “We are honored and impressed by all of the entries and the enthusiasm of both students and educators alike.”
The competition, which was founded in 2021, is one of several Trailblazer Committee initiatives designed to promote early childhood literacy all year round.
Winners in each category of the SPURS Writing Competition received Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo belt buckles. The prizes were awarded for first, second, and third place, along with Trailblazer’s Choice -- which was selected by the Rodeo’s Trailblazer Committee.
The 2024 winners are listed below, along with their submissions.
Essay
- 1st place – Jordan Kinsler - Katy, Texas
- 2nd place – Blaire Andel - Boling, Texas
- 3rd place – Soham Joshi - Sugar Land, Texas
- Trailblazer’s Choice - Jaden Leihsing - Bulverde, Texas
Poetry
- 1st place – Kennedy Standridge - The Woodlands, Texas
- 2nd place – Lyndsay Crisp - Marion, Texas
- 3rd place – Eyan Hernandez - Houston, Texas
- Trailblazer’s Choice - Grady Foret - Warren, Texas
Entries were first judged by committee volunteers on criteria that included ideas, organization, sentence fluency, and presentation.
The top entries were then reviewed by a panel of celebrity judges. The judging panel included suspense/mystery novelist Kristen Bird, Blue Willow bookshop owner Valerie Koehler, singer-songwriter and CMA award-winning producer Trent Wilmon, and children’s book authors Cathey Nickell, April Lopez, and April M. Salazar.
The winning young writers will be honored at a reception on Saturday, March 9 at NRG Center.