Dressed in felt hats, pink boots and checkered plaid shirts, 15 five- and six-year-olds sat tight-lipped as they eyed their competition Tuesday evening.
They squeezed side-by-side into a horse-drawn wagon that rolled them around the arena at NRG Stadium, waving to thousands of new fans. Oreo crumbs still clung to their cheeks. In a few short hours, they’d get to try their luck at mutton bustin’, among the most coveted and cherished of all rodeo traditions.
Between yeehaws and photo ops, the competitors grudgingly began to share their trade secrets.
Brooklyn Bailey, 6, pledged to stay on her sheep for 1,000 minutes, while 5-year-old Zachariah Ryan countered with infinity…