As an aside, I had no idea that "Let 'Er Buck" was a 1925 silent movie, starring Hoot Gibson and filmed near Pendleton.
Well, first, Ken, it's obvious that you may have never been to a country-western nightclub/bar. Depending on where the nightclub/bar is in the U.S., most guys are wearing western attire, including a hat. As is most of the ladies. No, you're not a cowboy, present or former, like myself, as in rodeo, of which Faye will probably disagree with, but many folks dress for the occasion. I wasn't considered a "cowboy", because I didn't rodeo full time, but all rodeo announcers called myself, and my team roping partner, "cowboys" and that was fine with us. I had a full-time job working for an electronics company and he worked in construction. Yes, to a point, rodeo fans have changed their attire, but watching the Reno Rodeo, one of the biggest in the U.S., many of the fans are in full western attire. It simply goes with what a person is attending. I mean, you wouldn't wear old jeans/t-shirt to a formal/black-tie-suit coat/sport coat event what you? If you did, you, most likely, wouldn't be allowed to enter or stay. I wouldn't wear western attire to a tennis match or PGA Golf Tournament, but neither of those are "western" events. Personally, I don't care what Faye, or anyone else would wear to a rodeo, but it does seem very odd to see those in shorts/t-shirts, torn jeans, bent-up "Redneck" looking hats (like Toby Keith wears). As I've already stated, we are big fans of George Strait, who is not only a singer, but has a Lifetime Membership with PRCA as a Team Roper/"heeler". Heck, he use to have his own Invitational Team Roping Championship. And, he was a singer, not a working ranch cowboy or rodeo cowboy. We both, wife and I, love our western attire and love wearing the attire. PRCA rodeo has changed, and for many "Old Timers", not necessarily for the good. I knew one "Old Timer" that spent years in rodeo and he totally dislikes the Classic Rock and Disco music that is played today during a rodeo.
And, we, basically, never have a problem parking at a rodeo, right up front. I always have my Handicap Placard with me. I can't walk long distances due to my hip replacement in 2005, so my VA doctor approves my 3-year Placard every three years. The only rodeo we've had to sit in traffic to park was going to Cheyenne Frontier Days. Seemed like we got there a little to late, so had to sit in lots of traffic. But, it worked out. Paid $20 and got a Handicap spot right next to gate entering Frontier Park.
And, Ken, you'd be extremely surprised at how many people will go to a western store and buy new boots, Wrangler or Cinch jeans and a hat, just to attend a rodeo. You'd be very, very surprised. There are those that will spend out a lot of money on western clothes for a rodeo. We are spending top-dollar for great front-row seats at two major rodeos next month. Like at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December, when Cowboy Christmas is also there, there are literally thousands of people that buy all kinds of western attire/jewelry, saddles, tack and ropes there. And, at both the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo and the Greeley Stampede in Greeley, CO, ranch/farm equipment is displayed and sold.
Yep, Hoot did movies at a lot of rodeo locations. Calgary Stampede was another one of his movies. Reproduction posters and photos of Hoot in Pendleton are still for sale at several shops there.
. They have FOUR days of rodeo and 50,000 a year attend over those days. Pendleton has a population of 17.000.
That's insane. I imagine there are gleeful capitalists on one side and resentful locals on the other. I know who loses.
The rodeos that I've been to were all in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, so I don't know how they're set up in other places. In the Valley, the PRCA Rodeo in Los Fresnos was primarily a rodeo, and that was the main event but, after the first year, there was also a carnival attached to it, so people would come whether they were into rodeos or not, since there's not a whole lot else going on. While they were there, probably most of them would watch at least some of the rodeo events, I would imagine that some of them became fans. The PRCA Rodeo in Mercedes may have been the main event, but there was also an agricultural fair on the grounds, so there was, not only the rodeo, and a carnival, but also all of the 4H competitions and related events, which would attract the same people who were into rodeos. But it was huge, for the area, and it went on for four days, so there would be a wide variety of people attending the Mercedes event, including locals and tourists, but there weren't very many cowboy hats or other cowboy regalia, except for the contestants. When I say this, I am speaking for my experiences only, as I have no idea what people wear when they attend rodeos in other places.
Certainly not the guys who sell phony amber with a scorpion in it bolo clips. I mean, who wouldn’t want one?
Well, myself, my roping partner and a Saddle Bronc Rider were sponsored by two country-western nightclubs in So California. So, we had to attend the club on some weekends to promote local PRCA rodeos that were coming or going on. Gave out hat patches and other stuff given to us by each rodeo committee.