Wes Allison first attended the National Western Stock Show with his family when his father was a county extension agent in the Texas Panhandle, returned as a 4-H member and then participated as an extension agent himself.
Now, Allison is president and CEO of the event that’s often called the “Super Bowl of stock shows.” He succeeds Paul Andrews, who announced his retirement in 2024 after 15 years in the saddle. , which kicks off Jan. 10, will be Allison’s inaugural stint as head of the show.
But it will be far from his first rodeo. Allison joins the National Western after 23 years as president and CEO of the in Waco, Texas. Before that, he oversaw livestock exhibits at the Houston Livestock Show.
Allison’s hometown is Stratford, Texas. He attended Texas A&M University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree of science in agricultural economics and a master’s of science in agriculture.
“Denver is one of the big four as far as when we talk in the stock show world of those that mean a lot, that have history, have tradition,” Allison said.
The others Allison considers the top shows are Fort Worth, Houston and Calgary, Alberta. He took charge of Heart O’ Texas when the event, which hosts activities year-round, was growing. During his tenure, the youth scholarship program grew from about $10,000 annually to roughly $500,000. The facilities were expanded.
“We went from about 20 weeks of equestrian events to about 46 weeks,” Allison said.
Leaving Waco was tough.
“But I think there’s always a time when doors get opened and you have to be willing to look for opportunities,” Allison said. “To even be considered to come here was such an honor for me.”
The National Western board of directors announced its choice of Allison in May.
“Wes is a proven, innovative leader in the livestock industry and his deep roots in agriculture – coupled with his commitment to youth scholarships and vast experience in event development – make him the perfect fit to lead National Western into the future,” board chairman Douglas Jones said in a statement.
Allison takes over at the National Western as the 250-acre complex on city-owned property in north Denver continues to make progress on a makeover of at least $1 billion in projects. Denver voters approved a measure in 2015 to permanently extend taxes on hotels and car rentals to support the National Western Center.
The show’s historic “yards” — mazes of wooden pens — have been replaced by metal and wood pens that can be removed when the stock show is over. Each pen has six power outlets and access to hot and cold water. The nearby 48,000-square-foot Stockyard Events Center has two arenas.
The 125,000-square-foot, four-story , the National Western’s new headquarters, will make its debut when the stock show starts in January. The building, paid for through private funds, will house the National Western’s permanent art collection in the Katherine and J. Robert Wilson Art Gallery; the Wold Family Heritage Center, which showcases, ranching, farming and the stock show; a conference center; and the Legacy Saloon.
Also brand new this year is the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center, which features a 3,700-seat arena, a 150,000-square-foot exposition hall, a 10,000-square-foot junior market barn and enough room for 1,600 head of cattle.
Allison believes the new facilities are generating a lot of excitement about the upcoming stock show and rodeo.
“We’ve seen to date about a 17% increase in ticket sales. We’ve seen about a 40% increase in livestock show entries,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of excitement around the stock show and there’s a lot of excitement for people to come see the new facilities.”
The National Western has one of the country’s top 10 rodeos, Allison added. Livestock producers from all lower 48 states and several different countries typically participate in the stock show and are expected to this year as well. In 2024, the overall attendance was 671,467, down from 702,697 in 2023.
Upcoming changes for the grounds include a new equestrian center, hotel, new housing and a parking garage to be financed in a private-public partnership. Allison said an overhaul of the Expo Hall and the Hall of Education, home to a large trade show and other activities, is in the early planning stages.
The nonprofit manages the site and programs the events. The goal is to make the site a year-round facility.
Colorado State University’s Spur campus near the Legacy Building is another part of the site’s revitalization. The Colorado General Assembly provided $200 million for the three Spur buildings, completed in 2023.
The Vida building, Spanish for “life,” highlights CSU’s nationally renowned veterinary program and equine sports medicine; Hydro, Greek for “water,” chronicles Colorado’s status as a headwaters state; and Terra, Latin for “earth,” focuses on agriculture.
“One of the things that sets this campus apart is the partnership with CSU and the fact that we have a tier-one research institution right here on our grounds to partner with to bring education to people and connect rural to urban,” Allison said. “One of the priorities from a board standpoint is how is the stock show relevant the other 349 days of the year. How do we use this building and partnership with CSU and the city to further our mission of really trying to be impactful and educate an urban population about agriculture, the importance of it?”
No matter what people choose to put on their plates, he added, a farmer or rancher somewhere produced it. Allison said farmers and ranchers have stories to tell about their products, their efforts to be good stewards and to produce more food from less land.
“All of those things are the kind of stories that as a rancher or a farmer concern you and keep you up at night,” Allison said.
