AROUND THE NABERHOOD: Ready for the rodeo season to begin

Posted 5/19/15

For those of you who haven’t met me in person yet, or seen my satelite dish-size trophy buckles from a distance, it’s pretty obvious rodeo is what I live for. I’ve never walked taller than after a successful bronc ride, and although I’ve …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

AROUND THE NABERHOOD: Ready for the rodeo season to begin

Posted

I was going to write about how exciting it is to have to the nightly Cody rodeos begin on June 1, but like any good opinion piece I had to do my research first — and during that research I found the infamous anti-rodeo Tribune column from a couple of years ago.

For those of you who haven’t met me in person yet, or seen my satelite dish-size trophy buckles from a distance, it’s pretty obvious rodeo is what I live for. I’ve never walked taller than after a successful bronc ride, and although I’ve only buckled twice for saddle bronc, getting into rodeo had a big impact on my life and shaped who I am as a person.

Life is full of obstacles that seem impossible, but everything is less intimidating after lasting 8 seconds — and doing it better than everyone else for that night, or series, is just icing on the cake. Plus it’s the only sport I know where the trophy is worn instead of just leaving it on the shelf in the living room.

It’s also the only sport I’ve ever participated in, or know of, where everyone cheers for each other and the animals are just as celebrated as their riders.

It’s like going to a football game where players cheer for touchdowns made by the opposing team. Sure, some sports clap politely for each other and sportsmanship is the norm across the board — but I’ve yet to see any sport where rivals help each other prepare for their round, hang off the railing and shout enthusiastic words of encouragement and help their disoriented “rival” figure out which way is up after leaving the arena.

And at the professional level, the roughstock have a fan-base. Go to any rodeo and you’ll likely run into at least a few people with a Bushwacker shirt.

Even the state logo features a famous bucking bronc, Steamboat.

Now for the “cruelty to animals” view some may hold against rodeo. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I’d encourage it to be an informed opinion.

My old spurs and hand-me-down gear didn’t meet modern regulations that were established in the name of making rodeo humane. I’d used them many times before in practice with no negative impacts, but rodeo standards are particularly high since the animals get used multiple times in front of a large crowd.

The roughstock and calves are essentially useless to their owners if they are unable to be used for multiple rodeos, so ensuring proper treatment for ongoing rodeos is a no-brainer. Cody has nightly rodeos, there can’t possibly be enough calves, broncs, or bulls around to keep that going if rodeo were inhumane.

Ropers need calves to run and the broncs and bulls are expected to buck — none of that is going to happen if they’re beaten down.

Rodeos have very strict regulations for equipment in the name of keeping the rider and the animal as safe as possible but the danger is still present, even with a helmet.

Anyone who has been to a branding, or even spent a few minutes in any barn, knows these animals are far from fragile. They can, and will, kick through walls and riders have died in the arena.

After some cracked ribs, breaking all my toes and a few other bones in both feet, blowing out my knee, having a couple of dislocated shoulders, some damage to my wrists and three broken noses — I’d wager that rodeo isn’t cruelty to animals, but cruelty to the rider. (But that’s just my biased opinion.)

I’ve yet to see a bull, horse, or calf carried out of the arena but I’ve seen plenty of riders go straight to the medical team that’s on standby.

Now back to my original intention — how lucky are we to have a rodeo every night? Very lucky!

Getting enough people with the time and skill to compete every night is an amazing accomplishment. And, drawing a consistent crowd large enough to support so many rodeos speaks volumes about the local enthusiasm and national interest in Wyoming’s official state sport and a long-time tradition in rural regions.

Comments