Events & Organizations Nominees
ABOUT XIT RODEO
In the 1880s, XIT was the largest ranch in the world under the fence, sprawling across the Texas Panhandle up
from what is now Lubbock, northward to the Oklahoma Panhandle, thirty miles wide, running over 150,000 cattle at one time.
The ranch was so large it covered portions of ten counties: Dallam, Hartley, Oldham, Deaf Smith, Parmer, Castro, Bailey, Lamb, Cochran, and Hockley. As a result, some believed the brand ‘XIT’ stood for “Ten in Texas”. However, it was designed to thwart rustlers by Ab
Blocker, a South Texas trail driver, and B.H. (Barbeque) Campbell, first general manager of the ranch.
Since 1936, in Fort Worth, cowboys and their families who worked the XIT Ranch gathered at an annual reunion to reminisce about life on the ranch.
In 1937, these reunions moved to Dalhart, Texas where the addition of a rodeo and a free barbeque have been opened to the public. Today the event, triples the size of the town, and is one of the most exciting western celebrations in the world.
2024 will be their 88th annual reunion, normally feeding 11,000 lbs. of beef (from various donors), 9500 lbs. of pork chops (from JBS Pork) and 600 lbs. of watermelon (from 3B Farms) during their 3-day annual event in early August. Last year, they collected $16,800 for the local cancer charity, the ‘Twilight Fund’.
