Behind Mutton Bustin’, a Favorite RodeoHouston Event

I’m not sure who came up with the idea of seating a five-year-old child atop a sheep and then releasing that sheep to run wild, akin to bull riding. But whoever did so was on to something. 

Now, 11 years after the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo first introduced this event in 2009, it has become a fan-favorite for parents and children alike. Called “Mutton Bustin’” the event is no easy feat to pull off. Behind the scenes, a committee of more than 400 volunteers helps run two teams of sheep each night of the rodeo, with one team inside NRG Stadium for the official event and a second one in The Junction, a kid-focused area in NRG Park where kids can participate on a first-come, first-serve basis. Hundreds of children enter to participate in the official event each year, and a lottery system determines which kids make the cut. 

“I didn’t realize how fast and organized it is,” said Wyatt McCulloch, who is serving his second year on the Mutton Bustin’ Committee. “Everything is scheduled down to the minute.” 

Lexi McCulloch is following in her sister’s footsteps, participating in Mutton Bustin’ this year. 

Wyatt’s daughter Lexi is thrilled to be among the roughly 320 children participating in the event this year. Ever since Lexi saw her older sister Lyla ride in 2018, she knew she wanted to participate, too. To prepare for her ride on March 21, Lexi has been practicing by sitting on her dad’s back while he pretends to be a sheep and tries to buck her off. She’s learning to hold on tight to the sheep’s fur. 

In the end, though, Wyatt says the winner – determined by which child manages to stay atop the sheep for the longest amount of time while it runs towards a barricade – is more a reflection of the sheep than the rider. 

“It’s really just luck of the draw on the animal you get and how they behave,” says Wyatt. “I remember Lyla got lucky because her sheep just took off like a rocket and she held on till the very end.” Lyla ended up winning the day that she participated. Winners from each night of the rodeo are then invited back to compete in the championship Mutton Bustin’ competition on the final rodeo night. On that day, Wyatt remembers, Lyla’s sheep simply refused to move. 

In 2018, Lyla McCulloch (at left) participated in Mutton Bustin. She’s pictured here with her dad Wyatt McCulloch, who now serves on the committee. 

“On her original ride she got the best sheep, and on her last ride she got the worst sheep,” he said. 

Mutton Bustin’ participants must be between the ages of 5 and 6 as of March 3, 2020, and their weight cannot exceed 55 pounds. Children who participated in 2018 and 2019 are not eligible to participate in 2020. 

Other Buzz-area participants this year include five-year-old Wyatt Eggleston, whose mom Elizabeth Eggleston also used to serve on the Mutton Bustin’ committee. 

“I was on the committee for seven years and absolutely loved it,” said Elizabeth. “I was either in the pen with the kids getting their vests and helmets on and talking to them about tips, or I was the clown in the middle of the dirt who would get the kids when they fall off the sheep.” 

Ford Johnson is participating in Mutton Bustin’ on March 5. 

Wyatt is excited to ride on March 12, the same night one of his good friends Tucker Knight is riding. Mom Elizabeth says Wyatt is most excited about the tip he got during Mutton Bustin’ orientation: to eat cotton candy before riding - the sugar would boost the rider’s energy. “That’s the thing he’s held onto the most from orientation,” Elizabeth said with a laugh. 

Callie Johnson entered her son, Ford, this year as well. Callie used to barrel race when she was growing up in Mt. Vernon, TX, so she is happy to expose Ford to rodeo events. She’s helping Ford practice by wearing a furry vest, and then telling Ford to hold on tight. Ford rides on March 5, and his extended family is coming to watch him. 

Rylee Marshall is the first in her family to participate in Mutton Bustin’. Her older twin sisters Aubree and Kaylee will be in the stands watching her. 

Though some kids get nervous about the competition aspect, the event is, ultimately, about kids having fun. That’s what mom Kara Marshall is telling her daughter Rylee, who is participating on March 21 this year. 

“We’re just telling her, you’re just going to go out there and do your best,” Kara said. 

Editor’s Note: See this month’s Buzz Baby by Annie Blaylock McQueen for more on kids and the rodeo, plus tips for taking little ones to RodeoHouston. Also, for more Buzz residents passionate about rodeo season, see Rodeo Keepsakes by Jennifer Oakley and All Rodeo by Michelle Groogan.