Rodeo

[Rayner]

Some of the members here now I'm a cowboy, like a real cowboy. I've been competing in a rodeo circuit doing pretty well competing in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, tie down roping events mostly. When I share this people that don't know about cowboying, rodeos and what not they tend to think that rodeos constitute animals cruelty. I'm curious as to what others think about rodeo?

 

[Flinty]

Well, the animals in bareback, saddle bronc, and bull riding do get to fight back; and they get a high-on-the-hog life outside the eight seconds. The steers and calves, on the other hand, get thrown about, and in one case get their necks twisted. So, the answer to me is "sometimes".

 

[Rayner]

Fair enough. although generally steers and calves are only roped a few times before they get too large (heavy) to preform in rodeo.

QUOTE="Flinty, post: 436803, member: 762"]Well, the animals in bareback, saddle bronc, and bull riding do get to fight back; and they get a high-on-the-hog life outside the eight seconds. The steers and calves, on the other hand, get thrown about, and in one case get their necks twisted. So, the answer to me is "sometimes".[/QUOTE]

 

[Rayner]

from what I've seen all stock is taken care of very well. I can't say I don't wonder about animal welfare, my take on it is two fold. the first is all of these stock are worth more than I am so they are kind of a stock contractors investment. second the stock does its job and if I do my job right then every party involved wins.

I have to agree with @Flinty . I went to high school with some fellows that won some sort of high school rodeo championship back in the mid 70's and I watched them regularly at the arena in our town. I enjoyed it, but at the same time I often wondered about the welfare of the animals being throw down, twisted, etc.

On the other hand, I think the bulls and broncs have their day with the cowboys. I always enjoyed watching this fellow:

 

[Chance]

I live in some of the most vast far reaching ranch country in Texas. So a rodeo (drunk fest, fighting, brawl) is an event somewhere close every weekend... My family is a mix of Canadians and Native Americans (throw in 1 Irishman) that somehow migrated to Texas. They are all of a ranching/farming background in some form or another.

However I simply never got into the animal end of what my family does. At age 8 on Thanksgiving day I was crushed by a young horse I was being forced to ride. He was "green" broke, mean as he was crazy, and when it was all over I had 2 broken arms, a broke collar bone, and my right foot was crushed... Two years later I got pinned in a shoot where we were immunizing and got 3 ribs broke... I'm not big on herd animals, or making sport with them, but I know and respect the animals and the people who respect them also.

I stayed with the farming end (with my gramps mostly), and become the little gear head. You pull up at one of our family events and its muddy flat bed dually pickups with gooseneck trailers and the smell of poop everywhere...

Then there is Chance always in a clean vehicle, sometimes not even a pickup... Gasp!

Yep, (no poop, or jingling spurs on my heels)... A baseball cap instead of a sweaty itchy cowboy hat. And unless there is a blizzard I'm in shorts and a polo shirt... Yep, not much cowboy left in me.

My horses are under the hood of steel chariots that rocket down a drag strip at about 160mph in 9 seconds per 1/4 mile. So even in my messed up ASD world I have steel horses and I shoot for a very different 8 seconds... and yes its one hell of a rush! : )

They rodeo and party as a lifestyle. The loud speakers kill me, it stinks to hell and back. The flies are so thick you eat them while breathing if not careful... The lights kill me at night. And they hate me because I am not like them... "I broke family tradition." I some times wanna tell them I'm gay even though I'm not... just to send them into orbit, but I think I want to live one more day.

So thats me and never fitting in (even in my own family).... But who cares right?

Ummm they care... and they care A LOT! I'm the non-conformist little sissy b*****d that went out and got a real job and I quote "where dumb f...s go out and play cow pasture pool."

Yeah an ASD/SPD kid around a herd of rednecks who barely know how to read or write, much less say something intelligent... Its called TOXIC then add in a massive dose of steroids... Because to replace their lack of knowledge they instead will throw a fist and break your face...

Sooo, I'm not so worried over the animals as I am the people who are worse than animals...

Freakin rednecks... My family literally redefined and tarnished the coin that made the term, so please don't think I'm slurring others...

Rodeo is cool, just not for me, not any more anyway. I only know my pin point end of a broad spectrum of great people who love the sport, and I realize that... So party on Rayner and good luck to you always!

BTW... Those animals are always mostly massively stronger then any human. Yes animals do get hurt, but the animal to human injury ratio isn't even comparable. : )

 

[Rayner]

It's seems to me that if you want to be a winner in this rodeo game. You play it straight and have give it everything you got when they open up the gate. It seems that I was about 2 years old when I fiqured out I wanted to be a cowboy, I've been a cowboy dang near all my life. I've competed in every event expect for bullriding. I've never gotten on a bull.

I live in some of the most vast far reaching ranch country in Texas. So a rodeo (drunk fest, fighting, brawl) is an event somewhere close every weekend... My family is a mix of Canadians and Native Americans (throw in 1 Irishman) that somehow migrated to Texas. They are all of a ranching/farming background in some form or another.

However I simply never got into the animal end of what my family does. At age 8 on Thanksgiving day I was crushed by a young horse I was being forced to ride. He was "green" broke, mean as he was crazy, and when it was all over I had 2 broken arms, a broke collar bone, and my right foot was crushed... Two years later I got pinned in a shoot where we were immunizing and got 3 ribs broke... I'm not big on herd animals, or making sport with them, but I know and respect the animals and the people who respect them also.

I stayed with the farming end (with my gramps mostly), and become the little gear head. You pull up at one of our family events and its muddy flat bed dually pickups with gooseneck trailers and the smell of poop everywhere...

Then there is Chance always in a clean vehicle, sometimes not even a pickup... Gasp!

Yep, (no poop, or jingling spurs on my heels)... A baseball cap instead of a sweaty itchy cowboy hat. And unless there is a blizzard I'm in shorts and a polo shirt... Yep, not much cowboy left in me.

My horses are under the hood of steel chariots that rocket down a drag strip at about 160mph in 9 seconds per 1/4 mile. So even in my messed up ASD world I have steel horses and I shoot for a very different 8 seconds... and yes its one hell of a rush! : )

They rodeo and party as a lifestyle. The loud speakers kill me, it stinks to hell and back. The flies are so thick you eat them while breathing if not careful... The lights kill me at night. And they hate me because I am not like them... "I broke family tradition." I some times wanna tell them I'm gay even though I'm not... just to send them into orbit, but I think I want to live one more day.

So thats me and never fitting in (even in my own family).... But who cares right?

Ummm they care... and they care A LOT! I'm the non-conformist little sissy b*****d that went out and got a real job and I quote "where dumb f...s go out and play cow pasture pool."

Yeah an ASD/SPD kid around a herd of rednecks who barely know how to read or write, much less say something intelligent... Its called TOXIC then add in a massive dose of steroids... Because to replace their lack of knowledge they instead will throw a fist and break your face...

Sooo, I'm not so worried over the animals as I am the people who are worse than animals...

Freakin rednecks... My family literally redefined and tarnished the coin that made the term, so please don't think I'm slurring others...

Rodeo is cool, just not for me, not any more anyway. I only know my pin point end of a broad spectrum of great people who love the sport, and I realize that... So party on Rayner and good luck to you always!

BTW... Those animals are always mostly massively stronger then any human. Yes animals do get hurt, but the animal to human injury ratio isn't even comparable. : )

 

[Judge]

The Reno Rodeo is a big draw here every year. But a few more scandals involving the unnecessary use of electric cattle prods could eventually kill the whole thing.

And they're being watched very closely by both media and animal rights advocates.

Reno Rodeo