I've got a complaint and many folks that watch the Cowboy Channel rodeos, totally agree with my complaint. Last Sunday evening, went to our local County Fair and PRCA Rodeo that was held inside a place called The Budweiser Center. We had excellent up-front seats and it was Military Appreciation & First Responders Night. Unfortunately, not one Veteran or Active-Duty person was recognized in the stands. Even each Military Branch Flag wasn't even around! Each, and every, rodeo we've watched on the Cowboy Channel, when it's Military Appreciation Day or Night, all Veterans and Active-Duty people are asked to stand and an applaud is given.
Wrong state and wrong rodeo. Try East Oregon or East Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Texas, or Arizona if you want to see patriot rodeos. Prescott always has a heartwarming presentation. That is one rodeo any patriotic rodeo fan should attend at least once. This video is well worth the time it takes to watch it.
Yep, just another reason we are highly, very highly, considering the move to northern Wyoming. As far as the other states go, we haven't got the money or time to travel to those. Actually, last night, while watching the Farm & City Rodeo in Oregon, they commemorated all of the Veterans that were in the stands. We couldn't believe the number of Top 15 contestants that were at that rodeo in both rough stock and timed events. Just before the Farm & City Rodeo started, we were watching a rodeo in Missoula, Montana. It was just "ok", compared to the Farm & City one, which was great.
The Pendleton Roundup and Farm City are in the same county and are always very patriotic. Farm City is in conjunction with the county fair and at the same grounds. Farm City is becoming better known after they built the new rodeo arena and fairgrounds a few years ago. Yeah, lots of current and former rodeo stars from around that area and many of the current top 20 PRCA performed at Farm City over the last few days.
The Announcer also stated that the number of weeks left, for those contestants trying to get into the Top 15 to go to the NFR, is shortening very, very fast. We are now seeing a new Tie-Down roper making a name for himself. His name is King Pickett. Another, like Shad Mayfield, Cory Solomon and John Douch who are black. Retired, and Hall of Famer, Fred Whitfield was Cory's mentor and retired/Hall of Famer Joe Beaver was John's mentor.
Last rodeo we went to was 25 years ago here in Florida, hubby was penning steers on our horse named Tobacco, my donkey 'Rosie 'and I were walking around the field she saw some cows running towards the fence and ran for me full force, thought she was going to trample me, but she stopped put her head in my chest and just hew hawed aka cried. Donkeys will run to you, horse run away if spooked. I miss her and the horse but mostly Rosie.
I am really enjoying the high level of bull riding in the new PBR team riding competition. Each team has 5 pro riders. The team spirit and energy have really made for some amazing rides. Of course with the high quality of bulls, the best available, injuries have occurred with some injuries taking out some top riders for a few weeks. Today I saw one bull that was so good he even got under a bullfighter and cast him 10 feet in the air, then tried to stomp on him. They have a team of sports medicine doctors on hand with a portable MRI and even a surgical trailer. This new event promises to be rodeo at its finest. Bull riding is now considered to be the most dangerous sport on the planet, not just rodeo. I don't watch it because of the danger, just because I enjoy seeing the skills, determination, and strengths of these young men. So far De Lima that filled in for the injured superstar, Leme, is riding at an unexpectedly high level. My favorite team is the Austin Gamblers.
I have moved the last several posts from this thread to another one titled Rodeo Debates. Please note that it does not say Rodeo Arguments. I didn't want to delete these posts because, although they included a large amount of unnecessary personal contention, to the point of attacks, they also included information and other interesting stuff. In the future, any contentious rodeo posts may be moved to that thread or deleted, depending on the balance of nonsense versus interesting stuff.
Another interesting aspect of pro bull riding is they have a world team competition with the USA, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and Australia competing. The USA Eagles won again this year with Brazil almost winning. Many of our PRCA champions were selected to ride this year. One, in particular, was Stetson Wright from Utah. He made an amazing ride that will place his name among the best bull riders in the world. The interesting thing about team bull riding is they are running it like other sports with drafting and trading. It is still dangerous and does have injuries and while I don't like that aspect, I do love that the riders love what they do and live to do it. The more I learn about the different bulls and how they are scored, the more it becomes interesting. Riders selecting bulls may go for one that will give them a high score or may choose to play it safer with a lower-scoring bull where even a lower score will put their team in the lead. Rather than going for the highest individual score possible, they strategize as a team. I am amazed at how popular this team riding is becoming. I had some visitors drop by and was going to turn it off and they both said no together. He is a paramedic/fireman and volunteers for any bull riding duty in his area. Their 6-month-old baby, such a little cutie, was even waving her arms around and had her eyes glued to the screen and making noises.
Is this something that you like? Do you think that it makes the sport more interesting that it is being managed more like a Major League football or baseball team than as an individualized competition? It doesn't make any difference to me because we don't have a lot of rodeos in Maine; they're probably illegal here. When I covered rodeos as a paramedic, I hated the bull-riding events because that's where all the work was. In the several rodeos that I covered, no one was ever injured in any other rodeo event, but we'd have at least one injury during bull-riding events.
It isn't replacing the regular PBR competition. That is still growing and every bull rider's dream. Team riding adds a new and exciting element to the sport and profession. In the regular team competition, the teams have riders from several countries and then in the World competition those same team members will be on a different team, their country's team. I have grown to love the PBR because it stands for the values that other sports are losing. 1. A prayer is said before every competition. All riders and the crowds show respect. While it never made sense to me to pray for God's help in protecting the riders who are going into a dangerous situation knowing and willingly, I love the fact that value is part of the competition. No one shows any disrespect as you might see in other sports. The only time any rider takes a knee is after a great ride to praise God and thank the USA for this opportunity. 2. The Star Spangled Banner is sung before every competition and everyone stands with respect. A feeling of patriotism envelopes the stadium regardless of what country or state they may be from. 3. Families and communities are changed for good. Especially with the Brazilian riders that have great faith in God and family. They use their money to help save their family ranches and in some cases an entire community. If one takes the time to read or listen to their stories of how they ride so hard and face dangers without fear because their mother or someone they know can't afford cancer treatment or their small community is suffering from maybe adverse weather or maybe the bad global economy, then one will get why so many train hard hoping to get into the PBR. 4. The bull is also scored and any breeder and trainer will tell you these bulls love what they do. Bulls can develop skills to interpret the way a rider will respond and then do the opposite. If a rider has a weakness to one side, the best bulls can sense this and throw them off. 5. The sport has a bonus round where any time counts. Staying on the bull for 3 seconds may win the bonus round. In regular play, anything less than 8 seconds is a no-score. On days when the bulls seem to rule, then the bonus round may be the only score a rider will get. 6. Like so many things in life, there is a bigger story to bull riding than meets the eye. Unlike other sports where players are offered big money contracts to play, bull riders have sponsors and make money based on winnings. They aren't offered big upfront money contracts to ride for a team. Professional bull riders that make the PBR team cuts, aren't there because they are paid outrageous sums of money to join the team, they are there for the chance to work with a team and win big money. What they win is based on performance. 7. I haven't heard any stories about bull riders using drugs, being involved in crime, using their fame to have a following of young women for their sexual pleasure, or any of the other scandals that other professional sports players have known to be involved in. 8. It is heartwarming to me and gives me a sense of hope for the USA when I see riders from several countries, going to their knees either in the arena or behind the chutes and praising God for the opportunity that PBR has afforded them and their families and communities. 9. I have never seen one rider make a political statement in support of the madness that has swept the USA in professional sports. The PBR so far won't cater to the insanity and destruction of the USA. They all stand proud and tall in support of values, something that even the military won't do these days. 10. Teams are made up of riders from several races. There is no talk or even a lightly veiled hint of any racial difference, grudges, or whatever. There is no talk of privilege because of skin tone or any such foolishness as we see in other professional sports. What I see are young to middle-aged men that represent the human race as one against the bulls from various breeds that don't seem to have any personal grudges against bulls of different breeds than them. It is male humans against male bovines and that makes for some exciting watching for one such as myself that was raised in ranching country watching boys do stupidly dangerous things trying to best one another. I never saw a bronc or bull injured, but I did see several boys coming to school with casts on their arms and/or legs. I always obliged them when they requested my signature on their treasured plaster.
As for myself, I've never been a 100% bull riding fan, however, and a big "however", whenever wife and I see a great ride, like Stetson Wright, Sage Kimzey, Trey Kimsey or one of the other Top 15 do, than it's very highly exciting/interesting. When I done weekend rodeos in So. California, back in the mid 80's thru mid 90's, my team roping partner ("heeler") and I were already headed home when bull riding started. Do have the movie about the famous bull riding champion Lane Frost and his life. Also have a nice Christian movie, called The Ride, about a bull rider. And, last, but surely not least, the GREAT movie, The Great American Cowboy about how rodeo started and starred Larry Mahan and Phil Lyne. Wife and I met Larry Mahan at a Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Induction years ago.
And, for anyone here that is interested, the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas starts this coming December 1st thru the 10th. The total purse (money) for this rodeo is $14 million dollars this year. It is televised, but only on certain networks, like CBS Sports Network. We have a Roku device connected to the back of our tv and get a yearly subscription to the Cowboy Channel, which includes this rodeo. So, we'll be watching all 10 performances of it. The PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) World Champions come from this rodeo. Absolutely beautiful saddles and buckles given to each World Champion.
It would be great if someone could print that up so you could hand it out at each event you go to. I'd kick in some.