Friday, July 28, 2006
Yee haw! Rodeoin' this weekend!
Dr. ER is in Texas already. I'm headin' down in the morning to help with a missionary effort.
Bird and her Yankee Beau, who hails from Massachusetts and has never been to a rodeo, are going to the Boomtown Rodeo tomorrow night with me and Mr. Sister Dr. ER (that'd be Dr. ER's sister's husband) and my two niecelets, who likewise have never been, having been born in Texas but having lived most of their young lives in Ohio.
A fine time will be had by all, in Burkburnett, Texas. (Map). Named for rancher, oilman, banker Samuel Burk Burnett.
They got an event down there I've never seen or heard of: "Wild trailer loading." What a hoot. I've seen team pennin' done right and done wrong, but I've never seen 'em do anything of the sort with a trailer.
Y'all got any rodeo stories?
Mama ER says I charmed the crowd at a rodeo in Fort Smith, Ark., (map) as a lad by jumpin' up and hollering "Batman!" when one of the specialty acts involved a man in a cape. I was cute as a button, I'm sure.
What about y'all?
--ER
Bird and her Yankee Beau, who hails from Massachusetts and has never been to a rodeo, are going to the Boomtown Rodeo tomorrow night with me and Mr. Sister Dr. ER (that'd be Dr. ER's sister's husband) and my two niecelets, who likewise have never been, having been born in Texas but having lived most of their young lives in Ohio.
A fine time will be had by all, in Burkburnett, Texas. (Map). Named for rancher, oilman, banker Samuel Burk Burnett.
They got an event down there I've never seen or heard of: "Wild trailer loading." What a hoot. I've seen team pennin' done right and done wrong, but I've never seen 'em do anything of the sort with a trailer.
Y'all got any rodeo stories?
Mama ER says I charmed the crowd at a rodeo in Fort Smith, Ark., (map) as a lad by jumpin' up and hollering "Batman!" when one of the specialty acts involved a man in a cape. I was cute as a button, I'm sure.
What about y'all?
--ER
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I have some rodeo stories, but I sure ain't willing to put 'em on a blog!!!
The ER weekend adventure sounds fun; Keep those young ones cool tho (and the old farts too).
Ciao.
The ER weekend adventure sounds fun; Keep those young ones cool tho (and the old farts too).
Ciao.
# posted by 
: 10:51 AM
: 10:51 AM
Taking rodeo virgins to the show is quite fun--I'm sure y'all will have a blast.
A large proportion of the folks at my undergrad college were from cities, so a friend from St. Joseph, MO, and I arranged to take a van-load of our dorm neighbors to a small rodeo. Had so much fun, we stuck around for the dance afterwards. Am sure the locals didn't know quite what to think at the sight of a goth gal doing the two-step!
A large proportion of the folks at my undergrad college were from cities, so a friend from St. Joseph, MO, and I arranged to take a van-load of our dorm neighbors to a small rodeo. Had so much fun, we stuck around for the dance afterwards. Am sure the locals didn't know quite what to think at the sight of a goth gal doing the two-step!
Whoa. A goth two-stepper. The mind boggles! ;-) Was that *you,* Kiki, or one of your dorm pals?
There's a daince after this'un, too, but I'm pretty sure Mr. Sister Dr. ER wouldn't want his young'uns exposed to the usual kind of post-rodeo daincin'-and-drankin' behaviour that normally ensues.
(Not to besmirch this rodeo; I've never been to this one; might be all teetotalers for all I know.)
There's a daince after this'un, too, but I'm pretty sure Mr. Sister Dr. ER wouldn't want his young'uns exposed to the usual kind of post-rodeo daincin'-and-drankin' behaviour that normally ensues.
(Not to besmirch this rodeo; I've never been to this one; might be all teetotalers for all I know.)
Some fond childhood memories include the rodeo parade for the 101 Ranch Rodeo every August. My experience ended with a pony ride. There's photographic evidence of the terror this instilled in me at age 6 or 7. I also discovered I'm allergic to something that accompanies the parade and rodeo, so I can count on getting sick every.single.year.
Along with that memory come others -- powwows, fish fries, community dances with some of the neighbor elders who felt like extended family. Small town living in a diverse area is the best!
Along with that memory come others -- powwows, fish fries, community dances with some of the neighbor elders who felt like extended family. Small town living in a diverse area is the best!
Seems I remember being at the Fort Smith Rodeo back in the late 60's or early 70's and some little kid kept yelling "BATMAN!!!!" when there obviously wasn't anything even remotely like batman happening in the arena.
I also remember asking my Mom what that goofy looking kid kept yelling about. She explained that it was a "special" little boy and we had to be very careful not to stare at people like him.
I also remember asking my Mom what that goofy looking kid kept yelling about. She explained that it was a "special" little boy and we had to be very careful not to stare at people like him.
# posted by : 3:09 PM
: 3:09 PM
I've got so many, I don't know where to start. But that's kinda my business, ain't it, me bein' a rodeo writer and all.
How about after the Woodward (Okla.) Elks Rodeo when I would've been the all-around champine multiple times, 'cause I did it all. At the age of 5, I could rope (Grandma's yard had one of those water spiggots where you lifted the handle, 'cept this water spiggot didn't work, so it made for a great ropin' horn), and I could ride barback horses (I think I actually broke the suitcase handle off when I was a little older -- 16 maybe :-) ), I could ride bulls (Mom'd have bruises on her sides from where I'd spur), I could rope calves (Grandma's neighbor's cat would never been the same), and I could wrestle steers (my older brother LOVED that one). I even ran barrels, until said older brother revealed it was an event for girls. I never rode barrels again.
There was drinkin' whisky and coke after the Elk City rodeo with the stock contractor. Not much coke. I only had one. But the arena announcer drank my "second" one. I gave him a ride home and helped him into his trailer ... which was about 50 feet away. :-)
How about after the Woodward (Okla.) Elks Rodeo when I would've been the all-around champine multiple times, 'cause I did it all. At the age of 5, I could rope (Grandma's yard had one of those water spiggots where you lifted the handle, 'cept this water spiggot didn't work, so it made for a great ropin' horn), and I could ride barback horses (I think I actually broke the suitcase handle off when I was a little older -- 16 maybe :-) ), I could ride bulls (Mom'd have bruises on her sides from where I'd spur), I could rope calves (Grandma's neighbor's cat would never been the same), and I could wrestle steers (my older brother LOVED that one). I even ran barrels, until said older brother revealed it was an event for girls. I never rode barrels again.
There was drinkin' whisky and coke after the Elk City rodeo with the stock contractor. Not much coke. I only had one. But the arena announcer drank my "second" one. I gave him a ride home and helped him into his trailer ... which was about 50 feet away. :-)
I figured you'd have a roper's bag full of tales, Teditor. :-)
I wanted to ride bulls, as a young man. But the window of ballsiness was about 1 ounce wide.
Three beers gave me the want-to, but the fourth one took away my able-to -- and I was too fast at it to actually lower myself into a chute!
I wanted to ride bulls, as a young man. But the window of ballsiness was about 1 ounce wide.
Three beers gave me the want-to, but the fourth one took away my able-to -- and I was too fast at it to actually lower myself into a chute!
i worked with a guy who did the mexican rodeo. this guy couldn't have been one-thirty soaking wet, and he rode bulls. the dood definitely walked it like he talked it.
KEvron
KEvron
Well, I'm too big to ride bulls. I still wish I'da done it once -- or tried -- so I could say I did.
I'da made a better bulldogger, probably, sizewise, I mean. Let my girth and gravity work for me.
I'da made a better bulldogger, probably, sizewise, I mean. Let my girth and gravity work for me.
I love bulldoggin'. Big ol' boys, like myself, rasslin' livestock is fun. But never quite understood the logic behind jumping off a perfectly good horse running 30 mph onto a steer running 25.
Another tale: Took a friend behind the chutes at the Dodge City (Kan.) Round-Up (head's up, in that SOME women ogle men's bodies as bad as men ogle women's). This would've been 1998, Ty Murray's last season in the PRCA. She had a major crush on Ty.
The announcer's stand was in the center above the centered outgate, with buckin' chutes on both sides and steps on each side, so you could actually cross there. We were coming down the steps, and Ty was gettin' ready for bronc riding, leaning over the chute situating his saddle.
Traci stopped, put her hand out to stop me and said, as she stared at Ty's butt propped up for everyone to see, "Oh, dear God, I've just died and gone to heaven. That's the greatest ass I've ever seen" She glared at that cowboy's behind for what seemed like 10 minutes.
When we got back to her seats, she looked at her husband and said, "Honey, you're gettin' some tonight." Her husband said, "She must've seen Ty."
'Nuff said.
Another tale: Took a friend behind the chutes at the Dodge City (Kan.) Round-Up (head's up, in that SOME women ogle men's bodies as bad as men ogle women's). This would've been 1998, Ty Murray's last season in the PRCA. She had a major crush on Ty.
The announcer's stand was in the center above the centered outgate, with buckin' chutes on both sides and steps on each side, so you could actually cross there. We were coming down the steps, and Ty was gettin' ready for bronc riding, leaning over the chute situating his saddle.
Traci stopped, put her hand out to stop me and said, as she stared at Ty's butt propped up for everyone to see, "Oh, dear God, I've just died and gone to heaven. That's the greatest ass I've ever seen" She glared at that cowboy's behind for what seemed like 10 minutes.
When we got back to her seats, she looked at her husband and said, "Honey, you're gettin' some tonight." Her husband said, "She must've seen Ty."
'Nuff said.
Hoo hoo! Now that's a rodeo "tail"!
I was coverin' a rodeo once in Texas on a stormy night in June 1995. At one point, there were four or five tornados, but not real big ones, on the ground within three or four miles of the rodeo grounds -- and I swear I am not makin' this up.
County radios were wall-to-wall storm talk -- but right over the arena, it was calm.
The chairman of the rodeo committee was stompin' around with a county two-way in one hand and a rodeo two-way in the other, up in the announcer's booth, where I was stationed with a Radio Shack Trash 80 -- that'd be a p.o.s Radio Shack TRS-80 portable computer, with those cups you had to attach to each end of a telephone whatchacalit to transmit -- writin' results as the rodeo secretary took 'em down.
I was gettin' a little concerned 'cause I knew it was fixing to come up a badass storm.
Finally, the chairman looked at me and said, "ER, do you reckon we orta tell the crowd about them tornaders?"
I said, "If you don't, then thatll be the story in the paper tomorrow" and I knew and he knew that I wadn't bluffin'.
So he did and just about everybody left from the stands. The only event left was the bull riding, so the bull riders and the crew of the rodeo company and I waited out a wind storm and gully washer down below the announcers stand in its concrete-block ground level.
Some of us Tornado Alley natives had great fun spookin' this one bull rider from New Zealand, as I recall.
The storm passed and the bull riders rode their bulls with nobody but the drunks and diehards in the stands.
That is as true story, I am tellin y'all with my hand up.
The fact, from the Amarillo office of the weather service:
1995 Tornado Outbreak (including the Pampa tornado)
Over 70 tornadoes reported across the panhandles for the season, the most ever.
20 tornadoes reported on June 8th across the panhandles, the most ever reported in one day.
F4 tornado hit the industrial section of Pampa, destroying or damaging 200 homes and 50 businesses.
7 injuries, fortunately no deaths.
Pampa tornado resulted in $30 million in damage which is the costliest tornado on record.
Total tornado damage for June 8 exceeded $40 million, and for the entire season the total surpassed $60 million.
I was coverin' a rodeo once in Texas on a stormy night in June 1995. At one point, there were four or five tornados, but not real big ones, on the ground within three or four miles of the rodeo grounds -- and I swear I am not makin' this up.
County radios were wall-to-wall storm talk -- but right over the arena, it was calm.
The chairman of the rodeo committee was stompin' around with a county two-way in one hand and a rodeo two-way in the other, up in the announcer's booth, where I was stationed with a Radio Shack Trash 80 -- that'd be a p.o.s Radio Shack TRS-80 portable computer, with those cups you had to attach to each end of a telephone whatchacalit to transmit -- writin' results as the rodeo secretary took 'em down.
I was gettin' a little concerned 'cause I knew it was fixing to come up a badass storm.
Finally, the chairman looked at me and said, "ER, do you reckon we orta tell the crowd about them tornaders?"
I said, "If you don't, then thatll be the story in the paper tomorrow" and I knew and he knew that I wadn't bluffin'.
So he did and just about everybody left from the stands. The only event left was the bull riding, so the bull riders and the crew of the rodeo company and I waited out a wind storm and gully washer down below the announcers stand in its concrete-block ground level.
Some of us Tornado Alley natives had great fun spookin' this one bull rider from New Zealand, as I recall.
The storm passed and the bull riders rode their bulls with nobody but the drunks and diehards in the stands.
That is as true story, I am tellin y'all with my hand up.
The fact, from the Amarillo office of the weather service:
1995 Tornado Outbreak (including the Pampa tornado)
Over 70 tornadoes reported across the panhandles for the season, the most ever.
20 tornadoes reported on June 8th across the panhandles, the most ever reported in one day.
F4 tornado hit the industrial section of Pampa, destroying or damaging 200 homes and 50 businesses.
7 injuries, fortunately no deaths.
Pampa tornado resulted in $30 million in damage which is the costliest tornado on record.
Total tornado damage for June 8 exceeded $40 million, and for the entire season the total surpassed $60 million.
ENID, Okla. (spring 2001) -- Near the end of the rodeo, with bull ridin' going on.
One bull rider is thrown off, and one of the bullfighters steps in to save the cowboy from bein' stomped on. The bull "hooks" at the bullfighter, lifting him up in the air what seemed like 10 feet. the bullfighter landed on the back of his neck and is pretty well knocked out.
The bullfighter is hauled out of the arena, on his own two feet, though. Meanwhile, bull riding continues, with one bullfighter and the barrelman there to protect the bull riders.
So one of those fighting bulls is let out in the arena, and he plows over the remaining bullfighter. The stock contractor, Bennie Beutler, whose high-pitched voice gets even higher when he gets all excited, makes sounds only dogs can hear.
Fortunately, Bennie'd hired some dogs for chute-gatemen, so his pleas of "Let the bull out before he kills every damn one of them" were heard, and the bull exited the arena.
The bullfighter that was plowed limped a little, but he remained in the arena in order to finish the bull riding. The other bullfighter actually came right back in the arena to finish out the remaining bull rides.
He had just a slight concussion and a very sore neck.
And anyone who has ever met Bennie Beutler can attest to his screems. Ain't that right, ER?
One bull rider is thrown off, and one of the bullfighters steps in to save the cowboy from bein' stomped on. The bull "hooks" at the bullfighter, lifting him up in the air what seemed like 10 feet. the bullfighter landed on the back of his neck and is pretty well knocked out.
The bullfighter is hauled out of the arena, on his own two feet, though. Meanwhile, bull riding continues, with one bullfighter and the barrelman there to protect the bull riders.
So one of those fighting bulls is let out in the arena, and he plows over the remaining bullfighter. The stock contractor, Bennie Beutler, whose high-pitched voice gets even higher when he gets all excited, makes sounds only dogs can hear.
Fortunately, Bennie'd hired some dogs for chute-gatemen, so his pleas of "Let the bull out before he kills every damn one of them" were heard, and the bull exited the arena.
The bullfighter that was plowed limped a little, but he remained in the arena in order to finish the bull riding. The other bullfighter actually came right back in the arena to finish out the remaining bull rides.
He had just a slight concussion and a very sore neck.
And anyone who has ever met Bennie Beutler can attest to his screems. Ain't that right, ER?
I have seen his face go red, his voice hit high decibels and his kerchief grow tight when things don't go just as he wanted 'em to in the arena.
My favorite Bennie quote, which can be heard multiple times a year still, is when a bull rider is taking too long getting ready in the chute.
That squeal comes from one place, typicially in front of the chute, as he urges the bull rider to begin the ride:
"Nod your damn head, boy. This ain't the gaw-damned PBR." I've even heard him say it at a PBR event, where one kindly cowboy reminded him, "Well, yes, Bennie, it is the PBR."
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That squeal comes from one place, typicially in front of the chute, as he urges the bull rider to begin the ride:
"Nod your damn head, boy. This ain't the gaw-damned PBR." I've even heard him say it at a PBR event, where one kindly cowboy reminded him, "Well, yes, Bennie, it is the PBR."
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