Guess you've never been to a gun/rifle store? It shocked both of us at how much those employees know about the gun/rifles, ammunition and shooting accessories they sell. And, all of them stand on their feet all day. Go to Scheels Sporting Goods Store. It's amazing how much each of their employees know about the department they work in (not the cashiers), including Customer Service. IOW, there are stores that management and/or Human Resources will require a potential employee to know enough to work in the store. A hired cashier generally doesn't have to know about items in the store, but someone that works in a certain department had better. I suppose that some Boot Barn stores that only sell clothes/hats/boots, their employees aren't going to know much-to-anything about rodeo or horse tack. Then again, there is always that chance that a horse owner or a major fan of rodeo, could get hired as a sales person. The Boot Barn, where I bought roping equipment, as in ropes/gloves, the person working that area had better know about the things for sale in that department. I had the knowledge and found out that the employee had the same knowledge. Now, that's what I like. There are a lot of "Rhinestone Cowboys" out there. Nightclubs are full of them! The type that will buy a flashy western shirt and snake-skin or lizard-skin boots. Myself, and they guys that I knew in rodeo, could always tell those guys when we'd see them! A lot of the ladies were sometimes the same way, as in flashy clothes and boots. If there was a professional rodeo going on in the area, they'd be at local nightclub instead.
Well, if the Boot Barn doesn't sell any kind of tack/rodeo equipment, I could understand that. Then again, a store could get lucky and hire a major rodeo fan or someone who does ride western. But, our local Boot Barn, that only sells clothes, the employees know nothing about rodeo or horses/livestock and I guess they don't have to. Just dress up "cowboy/cowgirl" and sell clothes.
Wife and I got an excellent comment/post by a rodeo committee member on Facebook. We said this: "While many fans who attend a PRCA rodeo, put all their western attire away in acloset after the rodeo ends and don't wear it again until the rodeo is back in their town/city the next year............we do not! We love our western attire and, being a former PRCA member (Team Roping), I really love wearing my stuff and my wife, being such a serious rodeo fan, loves wearing her attire as well. We don't wear western attire all of the time, but when eating at a "western" themed restaurant, we do." The comment/post was this: "I really respect both of you for keeping the "western look" alive. We need more folks like you!"
The bull and saddle-bronc rider, Stetson Wright took two major wins in CFD (Cheyenne Frontier Days) yesterday. Won the bull riding with a 91.5 and what a ride it was! Also won the saddle-bronc riding, which helped him win the All-Around title as well as the Bull Riding title. Two stunning buckles and two extremely nice saddles. Like his dad, Stetson will, later, wind up in the Pro-Rodeo Hall of Fame and a Legend to boot.
I ate at a Hooters once and none of those women knew a thing about owls! I still went back. It was the only thing I didn't hold against them.
The NFR (National Finals Rodeo) starts next Thursday. 10-days with a $14.5 million dollar purse. And, on top of that, each contestant, who makes it to the Top 15, gets $10,000 automatically. We have never gone to the actual rodeo at the UNLV Thomas-Mack Center, we've always watched it either on the Cowboy Channel or at South Point Hotel/Casino NFR Viewing Room (very large screen tv). This year, we will be driving up to Vegas, which is about 20 miles northwest of us, a few times for different things related to this rodeo. For us, we are looking very, very forward to this rodeo and different events that go with it.
Zek used to wear a Wrangler tee, cargo shorts, and high top lace up cowboy boots daily, with the addition of a cap with his Vietnam miliary combat status, to rodeo. He had a drawer full of buckles he won riding rough stock, but never wore them. The guy in this photo reminds me of Zek and the gal could easily be me back in the day (before I was 68). Flat brim hat, crop top, cut off jean shorts, and high shaft, high heeled slip on boots. I occasionally wore one of the half dozen buckles I won at rodeo. I never really like those buckles because they were way big and ridiculous looking IMO. The only one I liked was the small custom made sterling silver one that I won in breakaway and yes it was PRCA sanctioned. I always wore full length, either Wrangler or Levi bareback riding jeans when competing.