Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009

Rodeo reign is over

Saturday brought a close to the Horse Heaven Round-Up, and Monday opens the Americans main camp. For me, I have to turn in my Rodeo Princess tiara for a winter jacket, but both sports keep me out of the office.

I have to say, other than standing on my feet for three hours, I like the sport of rodeo.

Guys sliding off their horses and onto steers with such precision as to not run the steer's horn up their arm and filet them like a fish.

Bronc riders stroking the necks of their horses to keep them calm in the chutes.

The bull riders, who are no bigger than jockeys, bravely climb on the backs of nasty beasts (they are relatively calm in the chutes) to try and earn back part of their hefty entry fees.

And let's give a hand to the ropers, whose skill and speed is impressive. I'm not so sure about the pigging string that goes from their mouth to the legs of the calf and back into their mouth for the next run. I guess that's why most of them chew tobacco -- to kill anything and everything that could kill them.

I have noticed though, when world champions like Joe Beaver or Trevor Brazile miss their calf or steer, that the animal prances down the length of the arena, like it knows who just missed and is out their entry fee.

I really enjoyed this year's rodeo clown -- JJ Harrison from Walla Walla -- who deemed NASCAR as a Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks (he may have a point there). His sumo/tutu suit was hilarious and the crowd seemed to love him.

I would like offer a few (OK, maybe a lot) suggestions to the fair and rodeo board. First on the list would be to ask announcer Roger Mooney to refrain from calling the barrel racers Drum Runnin' Honies. There's more, but it's late and its likely the rodeo board will never read this so why waste the key strokes.