Globe Trekker

East Texas (15x6)

Air date: Apr 20, 2014

Presenter Zay Harding makes his way across the urban and rural landscapes of Eastern Texas and he encounters everything from rootin’ tootin’ cowboys, rodeos and oil, to prisons, guns and rockets, and discovers a dramatic and colourful history. Zay’s journey starts in ‘cow town’, Fort. Worth. Once a major cattle exchange, these days it is a showcase for the spirit of the Texan cowboy. Zay’s leaps right in, taking some roping lessons from a former rodeo star Pam Minnick and takes part in the evening’s whip-cracking rodeo show. But no cowboy would be complete without his trusty pistol and Ft. Worth is home to the longest running Gun Show in the State. Having little experience himself Zay explores the show and learns why Texans are so attached to their firearms but none of the answers are as shocking as his encounter with a tazer display! JFK assasination - DallasOnwards to Dallas, where Zay experiences a darker side to Texan history by visiting arguably the most famous spot in the city: the scene of President Kennedy’s assassination. Zay relives JFK’s final moments with the help of Pearce Allman, a local newsman, who witnessed the tragedy first hand. No story on East Texas would be complete without mention of that old ‘black gold‘ – Oil! Zay travels to Kilgore, the heart of the East Texas oil boom of the 1930‘s. This small town was once home to the richest acre in the world and helped to create the oil-rich reputation the state enjoys to this day. Texas also has a long-standing reputation for tough justice. Moving south, Zay stops at one of the most fearsome prisons in the State: Huntsville. Texas executes more people than any other State in the union and all of them occur in the Huntsville State Penitentiary.Texas state penitentiary Zay explores the sensitive subject by meeting a former warden from the prison’s death house and some newly-released prisoners. For the final leg of his journey Zay travels to Houston