I've had a small list of things I must do in Texas. I already attended a monster car rally and the rattlesnake round up, I've been to Galveston, Austin, Dallas and many towns in between. And last night, I crossed off one of the biggies on my list: attend a rodeo. Every year the rodeo comes to town, but this is the first time I've been able to go and my first rodeo ever. I had such a blast. It was very entertaining and way better than the monster car rally and rattlesnake roundup, which to me were one time events... just to say that I had done it.
I was pretty much out of my element, but I soon started making correlations. This is the zamboni guy. He cleans the ice- um I mean the dirt, before the game- competition? heats? whatever.
Andrea, here are the six white horses. I was excited to see them again and to my delight, they do more than march in front of parades. They were incredible. These ladies had the horses galopping around the ring doing all sorts of formations. Then there was the entrance of the referees (well, they were like refs. they heerded the horses and cattle between heets, threw flags for penalties and even climbed up a wall when the action got too close (a bull wanted to take one of them down). Some high school girls sang the anthem and there was a touching memorial for a deceased big wig in Abilene Rodeo. His wife and daughter rode on a carriage behind a rider and a lone horse with no rider. It got pretty spicy though when one of the horses started throwing a fit (and was still attached to the carriage and his horse partner). They eventually had to untie the horse and they asked if anyone has ever had a toddler throw a fit like that. Yep, only I didn't have a dozen cowboys to get him back under controle. That would be handy. 1-800-toddler-fit rescue team!
There was bareback bronco riding, team roping, single guy roping, bull riding, barrel racing, cowboys on itty bitty motorbikes racing, clowns... one bull even did the head down and scratch the dirt move while the clown sprayed him with silly string. There were plenty of adds, but they were done with awesome horses galloping in formations around the arena, and then a truck with people hucking t-shirts into the audience and Ivan and I caught a t-shirt (ok, retrieved it from the floor where it landed right at our feet)! We saw bulls getting rowdy in the pens. They didn't get the first gate open for a bull to go through and the second bull kept pushing the first bull and trying to climb over him. At one point, the first bull almost flipped upside down under the second bull who was pushing on him. The first bull's legs were all scrunched up and his hinney way in the air on top of the second bull's head. It was very dramatic and intense. Those beasts are huge and mean! The beautiful, sparkling rodeo queen in her sequined shirt and cowboy attire found Ivan and I and came to greet us. It was all great. At moments I could imagine life on a ranch- well at least the spectacular ranch moments.
The kids were pretty exhausted after all the excitement and both slept all the way through the night. When's the next rodeo???Have you ever been to a rodeo? What was your favorite part? What's on your list of things to do where you live that are cultural to your area?
3 comments:
I'm glad that you had a good time. It certainly is a show. Although I'll admit (but maybe I shouldn't because I do live in Calgary), I really do not like the rodeo. There are some events that I think are cool, but overall, not my favourite event.
If given a choice between attending an Economics lecture and a rodeo, I will opt for the lecture.
It's no hockey game.
nana- the clowns were so awesome, but totally insane! running in front of the bulls on purpose? I think they've lost their marbles!
Kim- a lecture? you've got to be kidding! you just earned points with those crazy clowns! and not just a lecture, an economics lecture? Oh, man, I think I'd even do the monster trucks again rather than sit through an economics lecture!
I've been to plenty of rodeos and even watched some of them from the infield and behind the chuttes...where all the real action is! But that is only because I used to date a steer wrestler....which is actually my favorite rodeo event! It's under rated...those cowboys are tough and strong to wrestle a steer to the ground....but mostly just crazy! It's true what they say about that cowboy mentality...stay away from it if you can!!! Since Harrison's rodeo debut this past summer, I must say I'm also a big fan of the sheep riding now too!!!
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