The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, a staple of the Texas experience, is also one of the state’s largest fundraisers of the year for education. Rodeo Houston has presented more than 22,000 scholarships valued at more than $305 million since 1932.
The person flagged to steer the upcoming rodeo is Rice alumnus Wesley Sinor ’97, who graduated with a master’s degree from the Jones School of Business.
“Earning my MBA at Rice influenced the trajectory of my future in immeasurable ways,” Sinor said. “It provided an esteemed business education, which I use daily in my personal, professional and philanthropic roles, and offered mentorship that has guided me as an evolving leader, especially throughout my time as a rodeo volunteer, executive committee member and now as chairman-elect.
“I’m forever grateful for the knowledge and guidance my academic experience at Rice continues to provide me.”
Sinor has been a volunteer at the rodeo for 22 years and served on several of the event’s 109 committees. He started on the gatekeepers committee in 2003 and served on several others, including the feed store, Houston General Go Texan, livestock, rodeo operations, grand entry and quarter horse committees.
He also served as a vice president from 2014-16 and was elected to the rodeo’s executive committee in spring 2017. On the executive committee, he chaired both the audit and budget standing committees.
Sinor said working with the rodeo provided a touchstone that holds immense value to him and the community.
“A big reason I got involved as a rodeo volunteer was to be part of something bigger than myself, something that made an impact in ways I truly believed in,” he said. “Not only does the event mean so much to the city of Houston, but it also brings millions of people together in a way you won’t find anywhere else in the world. The work we do as volunteers is meaningful because it directly impacts the youth of Texas through scholarships and memories that can’t be quantified. Beyond that, the dedication to sustaining the culture of rodeo speaks for itself, from offering a top-tier hospitality experience for athletes to hosting fierce arena competition with the largest payout in a regular-season rodeo. Being a catalyst for bridging urban life, Western heritage and agriculture was already a rhythm I lived by, so getting involved just felt like the perfect fit.”