By: Caroline Burkhart//

When one of my best friends invited me to a rodeo in San Antonio for the Weekend, I knew I couldn’t say no. The rodeo sounded awesome in and of itself, but what really sealed the deal was that Sam Hunt was scheduled to perform.

I woke up on Saturday morning with the feeling I always get before a concert: a mix of being anxious and excited to get the show on the road. I got out of the Uber and walked into the AT&T Center. At first, I was blown away by all of the food options. Right before my very eyes were Whataburger, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut—just to name a few.

After exploring the venue (and the food options), it was time to take our seats. At the rodeo they do all of the events first, followed by the concert. We went to the afternoon showing so the rodeo started at 1pm. It was my first rodeo and I was honestly just so excited to experience it for myself and to see if it was anything like it’s portrayed in the movies.

I was completely mesmerized by all the events that took place, like barrel racing and calf roping. At this particular moment, life was going great. All of a sudden, I began to cough, sneeze and have a scratchy throat. I totally forgot about the time I went to a barn with my Girl Scout troop in elementary school and was covered in hives after riding the horses there. Oops!

I am not sure what exactly was in the air, but I was pretty close to miserable. However, I was enjoying the events so much that after awhile I didn’t even seem to notice my allergy anymore. After the events and award ceremony, it was time for the man of the hour, Sam Hunt!

I sat anxiously in my seat as they set up the stage and lighting for the performance. When Sam jumped up on stage (yes, he literally jumped) the crowd erupted in cheers and squeals. I knew this concert was definitely different than the ones I was used to going to.

The stage was set up on the dirt floor and rotated slowly in a circle, which was something I’d never experienced before, but I loved it because it ensured that everyone had a good view.  The energy of the audience was also different. Most people just sat in their seats and sang along to the music or just watched. I suppose many just came for the rodeo, but not me! I was out of my seat and singing at the top of my lungs when Sam performed my favorite songs.

Overall, the experience of witnessing live music at a rodeo was one I’ll never forget. Although the acoustics weren’t great at the venue and Sam was hard to hear at times, I still loved that this experience was different than what I was used to. I can’t wait until my next rodeo!