The Woodstock of Livestock

Sure, the Miami-Dade County Fair & Expo begins a couple of days earlier and has farm animals and contests. But really, it can’t hold a steer to the Miami International Agriculture and Cattle Show at the Ronald Reagan Equestrian Center at Tropical Park . The show is like the major...

By Sebastian del MÃ¡rmol

March 10, 2011

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Sure, the Miami-Dade County Fair & Expo begins a couple of days earlier and has farm animals and contests. But really, it can’t hold a steer to the Miami International Agriculture and Cattle Show at the Ronald Reagan Equestrian Center at Tropical Park . The show is like the major leagues of livestock and agriculture. Everything else feels like minor-league rodeo. Miami-Dade Commissioner Javier Souto, famous for enjoying café cubano on the dais, thought the cattle show would draw attention to Florida’s second-largest industry — agriculture. And organizers say the event has already branded Miami as a player for cattlemen across the globe. But organizers also remember that the state’s first industry is tourism, so they made sure the festival is filled with more than cattle walking the catwalk. The show features horseplay of all kinds, such as dancing Andalusian horses, graceful and noble Paso Finos, and marksmen on horseback. Medieval Times of Orlando will also have a traveling show with knights and sword fights on horseback. There will be exotic flowers and plants on display and for sale, as well as live music and a fun zone for little cowboys and cowgirls.
March 19-20, 9 a.m., 2011

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