local rodeos......

 

It has been storming this morning...it is so very nice to wake up to rain and rumbling thunder....Pumpkin cat turned the weather radio on yesterday at noon all by himself!....lol....I suppose he was wanting to listen to the weather reports....I walked in to the kitchen and it was on and he was setting there near it, he has been slapping at the radio before all this..lol........He meowed at me when I asked him: "Pumpkin, did you turn that weather radio on? "...his meow must have meant that he did turn on the radio...it was cute!....haha...

I see advertised in local store windows, in the local newspapers that everywhere in the area they are preparing for the rodeos...Rodeo is a sport type, competition event that I have always attended since I was a child!...It is very traditional locally, almost every local town or small town has a rodeo type event....

Cowboy and Cowgirls, rodeo attendees, all love to attend the rodeos and often compete after paying entry fees, and I just love all the old fashioned events and the tradition of celebrating the cowboy, farming, ranching life......My family has always loved to support the rodeo and attend, sometimes compete...

Some of the events that are at the rodeo are old fashioned ways of living when the cowboys way back many many years lived and worked on the farms/ranches to doctor, separate, and pen their cows, many people still work their ranches/farms this way....rodeo was sport for many of them back then as entertainment on the old ranches, and they worked cattle as well....Wild Horse riding was for taming horses and they still tame horses that way..for a fee..

Team roping is an event at the rodeo that I enjoy watching...it is very competitive and exciting....they are timed and whoever misses the catch ruins it all!...haha..So if you team rope NEVER miss a catch, header at the horns or heeler at the back....I know that all of the steers need to have protective horn gear that goes over their horns to prevent harm...that is humane and I always like to see the protective horn gear on the steers when I see a team rope.....It is one of my favorites to watch, many times people like to gather friends/family go to the corral/pen at home and practice team roping together for sport....

Riding in the Grand Entry is a fun way to participate in the rodeo, I was in the Grand entry when I was younger it is just a harmless way to attend and you can adorn your horses mane/tail with colorful bows.....decorate your saddles, bridles/bits..colorfully...it is fun! You just ride your horse all over the arena until the announcer starts talking and you go back out the gate....sometimes they play music softly over the microphones...

Barrel Racing is fun!..This is an event for women and young girls who are trained to participate..You can easily fall, become mangled, knock over the barrels or fall into the barrels, so ALWAYS be careful when barrel racing!..you are timed and you can win some money if you are quick....

Those are my favorites, I enjoy bull riding, but just to watch occasionally...I enjoy funny silly rodeo clowns that are clean, the rodeo dogs who perform, some have these, some don't--they're funny and cute!

Card games with steers, setting at a table....entertaining...but DANGEROUS.

I know often during the rodeo the cowboys like to all stand out back by the gates, pens and get a close up view of the rodeo, you should ask before you go over there to watch..there's not much room there....

if you arrive early to the rodeo they may still be dragging the arena with a tractor, and it may take a while....I always arrive sometime early to find a good seat, bring lawn chairs just incase they are filled up in the bleachers....so many trailers, horses running nearby there, roads are always backed up with vehicles....

wear your cowboy boots and hats if you have them!!!..I always like to wear my rodeo clothes when I attend....it's just fun to wear your cowboy clothes...go have fun!

Refreshments at the concession are a variety of items, save your money for those and if you need to find a bathroom, they have those Port-O-Pottys there, these are often full or nasty...but just beware...and NEVER leave your children unattended at the rodeo, it can be dangerous with so many different people, some good, some harmful so always watch out for that!....

there is always a fee for attending the rodeo, you may be able to find them at the gates entrances or at local stores in the nearby towns/cities....I think the local one here is about $8 a rodeo ticket...

It is always hot as fire at the rodeos the sun is glaring down and as the sun sets it will heat up and be in your face, wear sunglasses everyone needs to!....It is good to find shade under the bleachers and enjoy a refreshment....

just a good way to end the summer I think, old traditions I think we should keep alive, just be kinder and more humane with no animal cruelty, these should be monitored....

Invite your friends/family/loved ones to go to the rodeo with you, just be safe driving and pay attention to your children.....ALWAYS monitor your friends/family whereabouts...so you know they are safe....remember where you are parked at, because when the rodeo is over there will be many people leaving like you are, it will be dark so try and remember where to find your vehicle...

Go out and support those local cowboys and cowgirls!

have fun!

julie