Denver ( CNN ) -- For 106 years , cowboys and cattlemen have been coming from around the West to Denver for the annual National Western Stock Show . It 's part state fair , part rodeo and all American . At night there is professional rodeo , but during the day hundreds of ranchers of all ages bring their best cows and bulls for judging . On the line is a blue ribbon and bragging rights . The sprawling backstage area in the bowels of the building echoes with the din of commercial-strength blow dryers as cow after cow is shuttled though the makeshift bovine beauty parlor before being led into the ring . Upstairs the cowboys and cowgirls mosey around vendors hawking boots , buckles and hats . They mingle with the fleece-clad Denverites and chat amongst themselves about grain prices , drought and yes , Tim Tebow and the Broncos . The show kicked off last weekend and runs through January 22 . Soon enough these cattle herders will be back on their ranches as winter bears down on the West . But for now it 's warm and dry at the stock show , where cows and cowboys alike are the stars of the show .
The National Western Stock Show has taken place in Denver for over a century . It 's part county fair , part circus . There are beauty contests for livestock , even chickens and ducks .