The DeSantis family rest on horseback at the Houston rodeo ahead of the governor’s speech

EXCLUSIVE: Casey DeSantis, wife of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and their two children smiled at the rodeo Friday before the governor’s speech in Houston.

The Governor spoke at the Harris County Lincoln Reagan Annual Dinner at the George R. Brown Convention Center Friday night. His team told Fox News Digital that the sold-out event was the highest-grossing and highest-attended dinner event ever.

According to reports, the event was met with limited outside protests from progressives opposed to DeSantis’ educational policies.

Prior to the performance, the Florida First Lady and her two children, 6-year-old Madison DeSantis and 4-year-old Mason DeSantis, spent the day at the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, billed as the largest livestock show in the world.

Casey DeSantis (center) and her two children, Madison and Mason, at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Team DeSantis)

Casey DeSantis and her two children, Madison and Mason, at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Team DeSantis)

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Photos, exclusive to Fox News Digital, show the family riding and feeding the horses at the rodeo, which began on Tuesday and runs through March 19.

According to the Governor’s team, Casey DeSantis is a three-time national equestrian champion.

Casey DeSantis and her two children, Madison and Mason, at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Team DeSantis)

Casey DeSantis and her two children, Madison and Mason, attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Team DeSantis)

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On Thursday, she unveiled the Cancer Connect Collaborative, which will “bring together a team of healthcare professionals to review and rethink Florida’s approach to fighting cancer,” according to a press release.

The new program is an extension of the Cancer Collect initiative launched by DeSantis in August 2022 to educate cancer patients and survivors about research, treatments, and initiatives.

“Thanks to Governor DeSantis, the government of Florida is working for the people in a practical and meaningful way,” he said. Casey DeSantis during Thursday’s roundtable. “Today it continues in the fight against cancer.

Casey DeSantis (center) and her two children, Madison and Mason, at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Team DeSantis)

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Ron DeSantis is considered one of the leading potential contenders for the 2024 presidential race, although he has yet to announce whether he will run.

DeSantises will host a fireside chat at the Dallas Republican Dinner on Saturday, and the governor will give a speech at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Sunday.

Aubrey Spady of Fox News contributed to this report.