Rodeo round-up

Overall I had a great time at the rodeo; it was a humbling experience, but one I will definitely remember fondly in years to come. There are a few things that stuck with me from the event that did not make it into the column, a scenario I've found myself in when writing all of my bucket list stories.

So, on the day my column runs in the New Era, I'll be posting additional tidbits here in the blog.

I'm in the green shirt, trying to act like I've done this before.

I cannot emphasize how weird it was for me to feel my horse Rob Roy inhaling and exhaling: the expansion and shrinking of the rib cage creates a really odd feeling of not being in control, for me anyway. I can generally pick things up pretty quickly, but I had a tough time really feeling comfortable with the horse and the subtle ques needed to come to a mutual understanding. Vanessa Madison, one of the rodeo orchestrators and my guide for the night, told me the more I relaxed I was on the horse, the more the horse would relax and the easier it would be for both of us. Apparently I had a tough time relaxing, because neither of us really seemed all that comfortable.

Apart from my lack of control, it was particularly humbling to see little kids riding by on massive horses. Some of these kids could not have been older than 8 or 9 years old, their legs jutting out at extreme angles because they were too short to fold around the horse's side. And yet they trotted by on their steads with easy, obviously happy as a clam. I've never been in a situation where little kids were able to do something better than me; this could be one of the first signs that I'm starting to get old.

Other tidbits that stood out to me:

• Some of the cowboys used lassos that didn't appear to be made of rope or the typical dusty brown color expected, but rather a cord-material sometimes made with loud colors, including neon green, yellow and pink. New Era photographer Dana Long and I decided maybe the colorful lassos could be easier to see after the cowboy makes his or her throw. 
• Thanks to Dana Long for photographing the event, coming through with awesome rodeo art, including the photo in this post. 
• The smell of a rodeo is immediately evident and similar to that of a barn, but it faded away pretty quickly. 
• One of the rodeo judges, Jeff, told me he'd been involved with rodeos for 16 or 17 years. He said although it's fun, it can get a little repetitive. He used to ride in the events, but preferred the guaranteed paycheck that came with being a judge.
• Mike Gibbs, the cowboy who helped me during my ride, competed in the team calf roping event. He said he belonged to the International Professional Rodeo Association, as did most of the other participants. The organization keeps a calendar of rodeos, and riders need to sign up with the local rodeo organizers in order to participate. 

Thanks for your continued interest in the column, please let me know if you have any ideas, questions or criticism. Feel free to post your comments on this site, and click on the info box on the home page of the blog to subscribe to future posts.