They came by colt, filly, mare and gelding. And from points north, south, east, west and some from just down the freeway.

On Friday, the streets around Houston’s Memorial Park resembled something out of a John Wayne movie as 13 trail rides with some 4,000 riders converged on the city for Go Texan Day and the precursor to the start of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

As is tradition, all of the trail rides converge on Memorial Park before the rodeo parade, which starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

It’s an annual celebration of all things Texas that had its beginnings 56 years ago.

According to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, in January of 1952, several men formed the very first trail ride as a way to increase awareness of the show.

Though only four men made the first journey from Brenham, the attention they raised attracted more publicity than ever expected, as more than 80 men signed up the next year.

Now men, women, children and those young and old take part.

And the riders come from all over. The Los Vaqueros Rio Grande Trail Ride starts 386 miles away in Reynosa, Mexico and proceeds north to Houston.

The oldest trail ride, and the one from which the legend grew, is the Salt Grass Trail Ride, which travels 90 miles from Cat Springs.