Prince Harry Makes Surprise Appearance at Texas Rodeo

Harry and Meghan Markle at a New York event in November.Getty

First Published: 12:56 PM PST, March 8, 2022

Prince Harry joked that he had planned to ride a bull, but the airline lost his rigging equipment, according to social media.

Prince Harry made another surprise visit to a public event, this time at a rodeo in Texas, where he wore a cowboy hat and joked that he had planned to join a bull-riding event, according to social media.

The 37-year-old Duke of Sussex showed up Saturday at the Stockyards Championship Rodeo in Fort Worth. He was not seen with his wife, Meghan Markle.

“Where was Prince Harry Saturday night?” wrote Cindy Reid, the secretary of the Stockyards Championship Rodeo on Twitter Monday night in a post and photo that has since been deleted. “Oooooh, just hanging out behind the bucking chutes at the Stockyards Championship Rodeo!! Loooove it!! Thank you for the visit!!”

Melton Bull Co., owned by bull-rider trainer Cory Melton, shared the same image but also deleted it. “Prince Harry hanging out at the rodeo this week … We get a lot of rodeo royalty but this is the first prince I’ve seen,” the caption read. “Said he was going to enter the bull riding but the airline lost his rigging bag."

The posters did not say why they deleted the images.

Not everyone was pleased by Harry's trip to the rodeo. The animal rights advocacy group PETA criticized Harry's attendance, saying bull riding is cruel.

“It’s extremely disappointing to see that Prince Harry made the misjudgment to attend a rodeo, a crude, old amusement for bored cowboys who view animals as nothing more than things,” said Catie Cryar, a PETA assistant manager, The San Jose Mercury News reported.

“In these events, participants use electric prods, flank straps, and spurs to burn, wound, terrorize, and provoke animals who are trying to flee for their lives,” Cryar said.

There was no immediate reaction from the royals to PETA's criticism.