100 head of cattle and horses paraded down the streets of Chowchilla Friday morning in preparation for the Chowchilla Western Stampede annual roping event.
Kids lined the street to watch the 10:00 a.m. cattle drive as they made their way down Robertson Blvd. to the fairgrounds.
The event is an annual tradition that has taken place for the past 56 years.
The people putting on the event say cattle drives like the one in Chowchilla were common to kick off rodeos but now Chowchilla is only one of three in the entire country.
Ropers and riders will compete at the indoor arena for the prized belt buckle and cash prizes.
The roping completion kicks off Friday night at 6:00 p.m. and at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.