RodeoHouston announces replacement for Kealia Ohai as parade grand marshal
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo announced new parade grand marshals for this year's kickoff parade Wednesday after an unexpected shake up.
Former Houston Dash star Kealia Ohai was originally set to lead the 2020 Downtown Rodeo Parade on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 10 a.m.
But, Ohai was traded earlier this month to the Chicago Red Stars.
"We were excited to have Kealia lead our 2020 Downtown Rodeo Parade and appreciated her willingness to be a part of our annual tradition," said Joel Cowley, Rodeo president and CEO. "Kealia has made a tremendous contribution to the Houston community, and we hope she can be involved in the Rodeo in the future. We wish her all the best in Chicago with her new team - she will certainly be missed in Houston."
RodeoHouston announced that rodeo scholars, both past and present, will now serve as the parade grand marshals.
"To celebrate our 19,000 scholarship recipients, a Rodeo scholar representing each decade will serve as grand marshal, including our very first scholarship recipient from 1957," said Joel Cowley, Rodeo president and CEO.
The grand marshals of the 2020 Downtown Rodeo Parade include:
- Ben Dickerson (1957)
- Bill Sarpalius (1969)
- Dr. Gregg Knape (1972)
- Misty Skaggs (1989)
- Ryan Levy (1993)
- Sarah Brubaker (2006)
- Yuselmy Garza (2010)
- Jordan Pemberton (2019)
The rodeo scholars will take over the gig that has been performed in the past by Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, among others.
The parade has been a tradition since 1938.
If you're interested in going to the parade, the route begins at Bagby and Walker streets, travels from Travis to Bell, and from Bell to Louisiana, before turning on Lamar and ending at Lamar and Bagby streets.
The 2020 Rodeo Run will be held before the parade.
Head to the rodeo's website for more information about the parade.
The video above is from a previous story.
Looking back at the Rodeo Parade's early days
MORE STORIES ON THE RODEO:
RodeoHouston releases concert genre lineup with a few surprises
RodeoHouston releases list of 'The Hideout' performers
