National Western Stock Show

The National Western Stock Show is an annual tradition in Denver and features professional rodeos, the "Super Bowl" of livestock shows, horse shows, and the state's largest Western trade show. The resources listed below are available at our Stephen H. Hart Research Center.

Catalog

Search our online catalog for Subject headings "National Western Stock Show" or "Denver Stock Yards" for records of books, manuscript collections, maps, and serial titles.

Suggested Books and Articles

  • Hume, Sandy. Western Man: Photographs from the National Western Stock Show. Boulder: Johnson Publishing, 1980.

  • Noel, Thomas J. Riding High: Colorado Ranchers and 100 Years of the National Western Stock Show​. Golden, Colo.: Fulcrum, 2005.

  • Simms, Willard E. "National Western: A Brief History of the Stock Show." Colorado Heritage 1 (1981): 101-115.

  • -----. Ten Days Every January: A History of the National Western Stock Show. Denver: Western Stock Show Association, 1980.

Artifacts

The History Colorado Online Collection is the online portal for access to the cultural and heritage resources of Colorado. Search images and records of artifacts, photographs, and archival materials.

Photographs

Some photographs are available to view online at the History Colorado Online Collection and at Denver Public Library's Digital Collections.

Other resources include:

  • Photo Subject Collection

    • Headings: C-Denver-Exhibitions-National Western Livestock Show and Agriculture-Livestock-Cattle-Misc.

  • Photography collections may include images of the National Western Stock Show. Recommended collections include:

    • Postcard Collection

    • Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Company photographs collection

    • Denver Stockyards photographs collection (Ph.00123)

    • Neusteter's Department Store photographs collection (Ph.00294)

    • William A. Braiden family photographs collection (Ph.00043)

Newspapers

History Colorado holds the largest collection of Colorado newspapers available. Some newspapers, such as the Denver Daily Record Stockman, focus specifically on topics of interest to ranchers and farmers. Search the online catalog to find information on available newspapers.

The majority of our newspaper collection is only available on microfilm. A limited number of digitized newspapers are available online at the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. Digitized copies of the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, and selected additional titles are available onsite at the Stephen H. Hart Research Center.

Serials

Serial titles are included in the online catalog. Examples of serials pertaining to the National Western Stock Show include Colorado Rancher and Farmer, National Western News, and National Western Stock Show Programs.

Special Collections

CWA Index

Subject file: Livestock-stock yards

Place: Denver-Stock Show

Colorado Subject Collection

Subject: Organizations-National Western Stock Show