Rodeos

Don't remember which post it was, but do those following this thread remember me posting about Sid Steiner's son Rocker? And, that he got an 84 point ride here at the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo in Denver. Hopefully he will make it to the Finals on Sunday. Anyway, this bareback rider is so good that he has already filled his Permit and now is a full PRCA member/Card Holder.

 

Guess you are a real bull riding fan, huh? We watch it, but it definitely isn't our favorite event.

 

Nope, I’d rather shoot the bull than ride one.
And, not to offend someone who might like to ride them but I truly believe that anyone who would get on a ticked off bull and call it fun is playing with a deck sans 51 cards.

It’s kinda like the guys who get in a car, go 200 mph whilst making a bunch of left turns. He may think it’s fun but the fun for the onlookers is when the car hits the wall and does several 360’s in the air then bounces on the ground a few times before it catches on fire.
Same principle.

 

Funny part is, Bobby, a whole lot of rodeo fans love watching the bull riding. Wife and I went to one rodeo, while living in So. California. I was a spectator only. Anyway, for a moment, during steer wrestling, I looked over at the Beer Stand and it was packed with young people. They were just standing around, bs'ing and drinking beer. I noticed that a number of them had dressy/flashy nightclub attire on, like the old Brooks & Dunn and Garth Brooks shirts. Up until the bull riding started, most of them were right there at the Beer Stand. Once bull riding started, the Beer Stand area was completely empty. All of those folks were in the stands for the bull riding.

 

Yup, and 90% of those fans were waiting for a rider to get thrown and / or stomped on.
They cheer if the rider stands back up and have the get well cards ready if he doesn’t.
Pass around the bottle if he breaks his neck and lament about how good he used to be.

If no one got thrown and no one got stomped on, the bleachers would be empty.

 

This is so, so, so true! Unbelievable, but very true.

 

I think the stands would be fuller if no rider was ever injured and no bull was ever hurt. True bull riding fans watch to see the rider stay on a mere 8 seconds with good form, dismount, and walk away uninjured. I submit that championship record-breaking rides with no injury to rider or bull, draw the biggest applause and are the most talked about. I have never known anyone that watches bull riding in hope of seeing injuries. No mama ever came to watch her son get broken up or killed. She does attend to see him do what he loves and prays as do many that he gets a good score and suffers no injury.

 

Of course no parent wants to see their progeny get hurt and doubly, of course folks would like to see their favorite rider win.

That said, when I go through videos on YouTube and other venues I also see more views of those that are titled to indicate bull rider mishaps than those that show riders completing their rides without mishaps.
It also shows me that to some degree my pessimistic view of a large portion of humanity isn’t completely unwarranted.

 

This is also very true, Bobby.

Sort of like watching NASCAR. Until a driver, or multiple drivers, crash, the race can get boring.

 

I think maybe we need to review the wisdom of Bobby Bare. While not directly meant for rodeo, it does give some credence to Bobby C's pessimism and poses a serious question, "How bad do you want to be a winner." Being associated with rodeo my entire life, I can tell you egos are out of control among the young male contestants with bull riding brags being at the top.

The hulk of a man with a beer in his hand he looked like a drunk old fool
And I knew if I hit him right why I could knock him off of that stool
But everybody they said watch out hey that's the Tiger Man McCool
He's had the whole lotta fights and he's always come out winner yeah he's a winner

But I had myself about five too many and I walked up tall and proud
I faced his back and I faced the fact that he had never stooped or bowed
I said Tiger Man you're a pussycat and a hush fell on the crowd
I said let's you and me go outside and see who's the winner

Well he gripped the bar with one big hairy hand then he braced against the wall
He slowly looked up from his beer my God that man was tall
He said boy I see you're a scrapper so just before you fall
I'm gonna tell you just a little bout what it means to be a winner

He said now you see these bright white smilin' teeth you know they ain't my own
Mine rolled away like Chicklets down the street in San Antone
But I left that person cursin' nursin' seven broken bones
And he only broke ah three of mine that makes me the winner

He said now behind this grin I got a steel pin that holds my jaw in place
A trophy of my most successful motorcycle race
And each morning when I wake and touch this scar across my face
It reminds me of all I got by bein' a winner

Now this broken back was the dyin' act of a handsome Harry Clay
That sticky Cincinnati night I stole his wife away
But that woman she gets uglier and she gets meaner every day
But I got her boy that's what makes me a winner

He said you gotta speak loud when you challenge me son cause it's hard for me to hear
With this twisted neck and these migraine pains and this big ole cauliflower ear
And if it wadn't for this glass eye of mine why I'd shed a happy tear
To think of all that you gonna get by bein' a winner

I got arthritic elbows boy I got dislocated knees
From pickin' fights with thunderstorms and chargin' into trees
And my nose been broke so often I might lose if I sneeze
And son you say you still wanna be a winner

Now you remind me a lotta my younger days with your knuckles a clenchin' white
But boy I'm gonna sit right here and sip this beer all night
And if there's somethin' that you gotta gain to prove by winnin' some silly fight
Well okay I quit I lose you're the winner

So I stumbled from that barroom not so tall and not so proud
And behind me I still hear the hoots of laughter of the crowd
But my eyes still see and my nose still works and my teeth're still in my mouth
And you know I guess that makes me the winner

 

GOT INSURANCE?