Famous daytime talk show host and businesswoman Oprah Winfrey typically tapes her show in Chicago, but on Monday 4,000 people at the State Fair of Texas were able to see a live taping at the Fair’s Chevrolet Main Stage. And much to the delight of her Texan audience, Oprah wore a cowboy hat and cowboy boots.

Oprah fans lined up very early in hopes of getting close seats at the taping. On the stage was a giant banner that said “Oprah at the Biggest State Fair in America.” The episode of course had a great Texas theme, with Martina McBride as a musical guest and a performance from the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.  Other guests included Nate Berkus, an interior designer, and Ali Wentworth.

The show opened with 11 contestants competing in a food-judging contest, and two contestants wound up winning a washer and dryer, microwave, stove and refrigerator — Oprah and Gayle King, the judges, couldn’t pick just one chef. And since no State Fair of Texas visit would be complete without trying the  year’s fried dish, Oprah even tried out Fried Butter — and she liked it!

Oprah’s State Fair of Texas episode will air sometime soon, and we know lots of folks will be looking forward to seeing Texas highlighted on such a popular TV show.

The State Fair of Texas is still going on, but not for long: It ends on October 18.

The Cattlemen’s Ball is just a month away, and we’ve already told you about famous billionaire investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, donating a pair of signed cowboy boots to help raise money for cancer research. Other famous folks who have donated signed boots include Brad Paisley, Larry the Cable Guy and Dolly Parton. And now Microsoft’s Bill Gates is the latest to generously donate a pair of signed cowboy boots.

Bill Gates’ signed cowboy boots will be auctioned off online, and the money raised will go towards the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Eppley Cancer Center.

Gates signed in silver ink a pair of black Tony Lama cowboy boots. While Warren Buffett added “I love beef!” to his signed boots, we didn’t hear if Gates did anything like that to his pair.

The auction is going on right now and will come to a close on June 6, where the winners of the auctions will be announced at the Cattlemen’s Ball. In its eleventh year, the event’s theme this year is “Give cancer the boot.” The Cattlemen’s Ball aims to “promote beef in a healthy diet, to showcase rural Nebraska and to raise money for health care research.” Since its start in 1998, over $3 million has been raised.

Bill Gates’ pair of signed Tony Lama cowboy boots will hopefully bring in many bids and help raise money for this great cause.

Ever seen the 1979 movie The Electric Horseman, where Robert Redford plays a former rodeo champion? If you have, you probably vivdly remember the outfit Robert Redford wore in the opening montage — pink and purple sparkly cowboy boots with a rhinestone-studded suit adorned with embroidered golden eagles and blossoms. And now this famous suit is going to be at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

NewsOK.com recently published a story about the museum’s acquisition of the suit. They bought it at an auction in 2005 for around $9,000, and it cost $5,000 to make the special mannequin and a protective case for it. According to the article, the suit originally cost $10,000 to make in 1971 when a famous rodeo tailor created it.

The curator of cowboy collections, Don Reeves, explained that the Electric Horseman suit “tells the story, visually and otherwise, of the rhinestone cowboy/urban cowboy craze … of the 1970s and ’80s.” And this isn’t the first costume from Electric Horseman to be at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Back in the 1980s, the  museum borrowed Robert Redford’s lighted suit from the movie.

In the article, Reeves goes on to say it’s an iconic artifact that’s not only an “amazing piece on its own merit but also stands as a symbol of the height of … Western performer fashion.”

Without a doubt, it seems this famous cowboy costume will have a great home at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Western Wear at Allens Boots

You won’t find anything quite like Robert Redford’s Electric Horseman suit or cowboy boots at Allens Boots, but you will find some great Western wear and cowboy boots from Lucchese, Justin, Frye, Old Gringo and more. Stop by our Austin store, or shop online.