DeSantis family unwinds on horseback at Houston Rodeo ahead of governor’s speech

EXCLUSIVE: Casey DeSantis, wife of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and their two children were all smiles at the rodeo on Friday ahead of the governor’s speech in Houston.

The governor spoke at the annual Harris County Lincoln Reagan Dinner at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Friday night. His team told Fox News Digital that the sold-out event was the highest raising, and most attended in the dinner’s history.

According to reports, the event was met with limited protests outside by progressives demonstrating against DeSantis’ education policies.

Before the speech, the Florida first lady and her two children, 6-year-old Madison DeSantis and 4-year-old Mason DeSantis, spent the afternoon at the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo — which bills itself as the largest livestock show in the world — meeting with rodeo officials and enjoying the animals.

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Photos exclusively provided to Fox News Digital showed the family riding and feeding the horses at the rodeo, which started Tuesday and continues until March 19.

Casey DeSantis is a three-time national champion equestrian, the governor’s team said.

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On Thursday, she unveiled the Cancer Connect Collaborative, an initiative that will “assemble a team of medical professionals to analyze and rethink Florida’s approach to combating cancer,” according to a press release.

The new program is an expansion of Cancer Collect, an initiative started by DeSantis in August 2022 that seeks to educate cancer patients and survivors on research, treatments, and initiatives.

“Thanks to Governor DeSantis, government in Florida is working for people in practical, meaningful ways,” said Casey DeSantis during a roundtable Thursday. “Today, that continues in the battle against cancer. 

Ron DeSantis is considered one of the leading potential contenders in the 2024 presidential race, though he has not yet announced whether he will run.

The DeSantises will hold a joint fireside chat at a Republican dinner in Dallas on Saturday, and the governor will give a speech at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California, on Sunday. 

Fox News’ Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.