Saddle Up Raises More Than $324,000 Under the Texas Stars

State Fair Saddle Up, the Big Tex Champion Club's annual boot-scootin' benefit, raised more than $320,000 for Texas students, where event co-chairs Robert Walne and Grant and Courtney Pruitt delivered a magnificent evening of high-spirited fun under the Texas stars at The Rustic Dallas.

Guests were treated to a live performance by American Idol's Cash Byers and Big Valley, live and silent auctions full of State Fair-themed experiences, midway-style games, special activations from brands like Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott and McKinney Hat Company, and plenty of Texas hospitality — all shared among a community that believes in the future of the State Fair and the Texas students it supports. Spotted in the crowd: State Fair of Texas President Mitchell Glieber and his wife Lisa, FOX 4's Steve Noviello and Paige Ellenberger, Chris Khale and Austin Green, The Ticket’s Donovan Lewis, Kat Dunn, and New Country 96.3 FM's Michelle Rodriguez.

A one-of-a-kind celebration with a heart as big as Big Tex, this kick-off to the State Fair put 100% of every bid and every table to work for the Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction and Scholarship Programs, which have awarded more than $25.3 million in auction awards and college scholarships to thousands of students across the Lone Star State since 2018 alone.

Photos by Imani Black