Stock Show’s ‘blue room’ popular with rodeo and ranch folks

A space where owners once brought their horses for portraits still sees its share of spurs and hooves.

“This is the blue room,” said Lois Conklin, whose Texas Equine Mercantile has, for eight of its 20 years at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, occupied a crossroads spot in the Burnett Building.

“This is the best spot for us, because we cater to rodeo and ranch people,” said Conklin, 71, of Springtown. “It used to be the photograph room. But it would get so congested that people couldn’t get by to get to the coliseum. So, they moved the photographer out, and we eventually moved in.”

It still common, however, for customers who stop at the shop to have a horse or two trailing behind them.

“This happens often,” Leigha Gilsdorf said as she chatted with James Milan, who dropped by with his pony, Cowboy, in tow. Milan, 56, of Fort Worth was on his way to his photo-on-a-pony booth in nearby Cattle Barn 1, where Cowboy is one of the favorites.

In the shop, which sells bridles, halters, curry brushes and other necessities, silk scarves called Wild Rags and knives made in Texas are favorites of the mostly ranch- and rodeo-oriented shoppers.

“Scarves keep your neck warm, and if it’s dusty you can pull it up on your face,” said Gilsdorf, 28, of Springtown. “And guys just like knives.”

But Conklin said a liniment developed by her son also gets a lot of interest.

“We call it Draw It Out,” Conklin said. The label says it’s a topical treatment for inflammation and sore muscles for horses and other animals. Like many products marketed for livestock, however, people tend to use it on themselves.

“You can work all day, then rub some on your feet and go out dancing,” Conklin said.

This story was originally published January 19, 2016 at 11:07 AM with the headline "Stock Show’s ‘blue room’ popular with rodeo and ranch folks."