Serious rodeo fans, who know of Flying "U" Rodeo Company and Cotton Rosser, have lost a great cowboy. Cotton died yesterday at age 93. I met him, and worked in the arena for him, back in the early 90's. He was a real Showman and kept a rodeo going. One time, during a PRCA rodeo, he had me take the Dodge Ram truck into the arena to set up barrels for barrel racing. After the event ended, I went back in the arena and picked them up. The arena gate was pretty narrow, but I was able to get the truck inside the arena without breaking either side mirror (thank God). Cotton was remembered last night at the Reno Rodeo. A video of rodeo announcer Bob Tallman interviewing him was shown as was a picture of Cotton holding his baby grandson and Cotton's son, Reno. Reno rode around the arena leading Cotton's horse beside him. Cotton's white Silverbelly hat, boots and chaps were on the horse. Really brought tears to my eyes. I introduced my wife to Cotton back in 2000. His daughter, Cindy Rosser, will be inducted into the Pro-Rodeo Hall of Fame next month and we will see her then.
Ah, man. And I had an apple, a picket fence and a fantasy all lined up. Maybe I'll just do a Gene Tierney marathon.
Not until it became a topic of discussion on this thread. After doing some research, I've come to the conclusion that his brokeback was not a rodeo injury.
Well, guess forum members are learning more and more about rodeo, from this part of the forum. Now, we can turn a number of you "city slickers" into rodeo fans. And, btw, we have that movie, City Slickers, with Billy Crystal.
Ya know, I watched the movie “Pure Country” and whilst the music was pretty fair, there’s something other than the bad acting that I had to wonder about. So….George gets a shave and a hair cut and goes into a bar where he’s almost instantly recognized by the (presumed) owner of the bar. George sits through the shift and into the night shift whilst getting plastered and no one knows who he is or cares. Seems kinda out there in the realm of improbabilities.
To be honest with you, Bobby, I sort of wondered about that as well. Being that, later in the evening, the dance floor was full of people, not a single person recognized him? Then again, perhaps all of the people in the bar/nightclub were new to the area? Doubt it, but it is a movie. Actually, George's son, Bubba, 10 yrs. old at the time of the movie, sang part of the song, Heartland, in the beginning of the movie. And, in the movie, when George is shown learning to team rope "heel", he already knew how to. Him, and his son, Bubba, were a team at George's Invitational Team Roping, before George stopped it. To the winning team of his Invitational, George gave each man a new truck and very, very nice horse trailer.
Never watched that Pure Country but, by George, it sure sounds like he wasn't on the strait and narrow. In his defense, he has been married to the same woman for 50 years which is admirable. I turned against George when they played "Amarillo by Morning," a second time, one time too many.
Getting back to rodeo, "Why did the rodeo clown/bullfighter retire?" He was getting tired of all the bull! OK, go ahead and laugh, that was funny right there, I don't care who you are. Ok, I apologize for all the horsing around over the bull that makes this thread so popular. I know, I know, that got your goat.
And, I'm not to keen on his song, The Fireman, because I know really what he's talking about in the song. I also read that George isn't such a nice guy after he's had a few. Don't know, but that's what I read.
PRCA bull riding event at our county fair this year! And the family that owns the bulls travels the circuit to fairs around the parts of the country, now. We used to have little britches rodeo every summer in a town near here. And donkey basketball. But that was quite a while back. But I was driving into town today and the fairgrounds marquis was flashing Bull Riding, Barrel Racing and the date! Here! With all the SOC discussion and here it is in MY town! Of course, I won't be here because John B is making me go to my family reunion. But, as I thought about it, a barrel might be the only thing I could race with any chance of winning. Unless it got knocked over and started rolling.