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Are there no rodeo people here?

11K views 69 replies 27 participants last post by  Heartland 
#1 ·
Wow. I expected to at least find a few threads here... My town has an annual rodeo that's coming up in a couple weeks. I love to attend, mostly because I love watching the horses. The competitors aren't professionals or anything... Ordinary cowboys and cowgirls who take a weekend for a fun event. I actually know a few of them. :) If it tells you anything about how small it is, one year my friend got permission to team rope with her draft horses just for fun. One of them had only been ridden once, and between the two riders, they only had one rope. It got a laugh from the audience though!
 
#3 ·
I am a rodeo girl!!! I love attending, watching, and riding in them! There are a few around here in NY where I live. I go to all of them! =) They are professional rodeos so its really 'action packed' lol

There are fun shows around here every weekend and at least 3 shows during the week. I just posted a thread of some of my riding pictures this year...
http://www.horseforum.com/horse-pictures/first-3-shows-year-pic-heavy-57452/

No one seems to be interested in the western stuff though on here. =/ Ohhhh well.
 
#5 ·
No one seems to be interested in the western stuff though on here. =/ Ohhhh well.

There are more than you think!

As for the OP:
I don't go to rodeos much but I take my little neice & nephew to playdays on the horses alot. I need pictures :)
 
#7 ·
I ride western but I'm not an expert so I mostly keep my mouth shut. I'd rather stay quiet than say something dumb and be corrected or confuse someone. I have asked a friend a few questions about stuff I read. She knows TONS about everything horse related. :)
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#9 ·
^

I agree! I know we have tons of Western riders and yet it's the English ones that seem to be the gabbiest!

I'm not "technically" rodeo yet, but I absolutely adore them, I've been to a few and I plan on going to many more. I've ridden in numerous gymkhanas, and I plan to train Jynx for barrel racing.
 
#10 ·
I've ridden in numerous gymkhanas, and I plan to train Jynx for barrel racing.
Awesome! Once my stud gets the snip I'm going to start him in barrels. :)
I may just ride him at playdays when I go with the kids because its more fun & laid back. I get aggrivated when those floppy riders kick kick kicking their horses no matter how fast their going. Ah well :roll:
 
#11 ·
^

I know what you mean. I've done a few gymkhanas on my Arab mare (in a snaffle) and if I ever dreamed of kicking her or whipping her, I'd probably be eating dirt pretty fast - I just hang on and let her do her thing!

I'm excited to be working Jynx for barrels, I've never done true barrel racing, just on my Arabs that never had any real barrel training (and I still place well with them, imagine that, they didn't even need barrel training!) and they're agile horses but they just don't have the pick up off the barrels to be in true contention for bigger rodeos.


 
#13 ·
Lol Tennessee we posted at the same time :P
I know what you mean. I've done a few gymkhanas on my Arab mare (in a snaffle) and if I ever dreamed of kicking her or whipping her, I'd probably be eating dirt pretty fast - I just hang on and let her do her thing!

I'm excited to be working Jynx for barrels, I've never done true barrel racing, just on my Arabs that never had any real barrel training (and I still place well with them, imagine that, they didn't even need barrel training!) and they're agile horses but they just don't have the pick up off the barrels to be in true contention for bigger rodeos.
One of the barns I ride at breeds arabians. One of the geldings I ride for sporthorse is like that... When you're riding him, you're HIS partner. If he doesn't want to work with you, he's not going to. And he's NOT going to deal with anything harsh you do to him. Too smart for their own good :p

I doubt my horse will be big race material, but thats OK because I like to focus on more than one discipline anyway :)
 
#14 ·
I dont really do rodeos, cause there arent any other than the one at the 4h fairgrounds once a year. But I grew up western riding, my first horse was a cow horse from New Mexico(I really do miss living there), I still have, and ride in, the same western saddle I got for my 5th birthday.
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#15 ·
I guess it depends on what you mean by "rodeo." Barrel racing, pole bending, key holes, those sorts of sports and events are so much fun to watch and participate in and I loooooooooove play days and gymkhanas!!!!

I think English and Western horses and riders can benefit from having some fun and attempting these stimulating and difficult tasks even if it's just for fun and to test your communication with your horse!

When I think of rodeo, however, I think of bucking bulls and horses and little calves being roped and hog tied and all the dangerous and often (unfortunately) abusive and violent things that go along with it.

I was under the impression that barrels/poles/gymkhanas were very far removed from rodeos? I live in Los Angeles though so clearly I'm a little ignorant on the lingo!
 
#36 ·
Clarification

I guess it depends on what you mean by "rodeo." Barrel racing, pole bending, key holes, those sorts of sports and events are so much fun to watch and participate in and I loooooooooove play days and gymkhanas!!!!

I think English and Western horses and riders can benefit from having some fun and attempting these stimulating and difficult tasks even if it's just for fun and to test your communication with your horse!

When I think of rodeo, however, I think of bucking bulls and horses and little calves being roped and hog tied and all the dangerous and often (unfortunately) abusive and violent things that go along with it.

I grew up around rodeos. My dad was a stock contractor. The animals were fed and cared for before we were. There are definitely some cruel people in rodeo, but that can be said for all walks of life. Overall, they are people who work hard, care for their animals and stay on the brink of poverty to care for them. Today, bucking stock are bred to buck. Roping calves must be a certain weight and there are rules against jerking them down. My husband and I rope calves. We also doctor them, vaccinate them and have not broken one leg ins 7 years. I am certain there are children who are not as well cared for as our animals. While there are rodeos where bad things happen, it's an exception rather than the norm. Saying all rodeos are cruel or abusive is like saying all blondes are dumb. It's simply not true.
 
#16 ·
Around here, for the most part, the only places you're going to find gymkhanas is at the rodeos. Barrel racing is also considered a rodeo sport, the only rodeo sport for women really and is sanctioned by the Canadian Rodeo Association for example.

There are a few local organizations that have their own little playdays, but anything offering money or prizes is typically found at the rodeos hosted around here.

I love the broncs and bull riding, best part of the show!
 
#17 ·
Hm. I guess you're right, barrels/cow work are usually the only "rodeo" sports...

I guess I assumed we were talking "horse rodeo" with all the horse sports.
I personally don't like calling bronc riding or roping or tying horse sports, because they don't really focus on horsemanship (I have nothing AGAINST them, but I don't call them horse sports). Cutting and the sports like it ARE tests of horse/rider harmony thought IMO.
 
#37 ·
I'd have to disagree. Try break away roping. You have to be in tune with your horse, stay astride your horse, swing a rope and take the best shot your horse gives you. That's just 5 seconds of it. The rest of the time you are training...keeping your horse fit....helping to keep their mind right by giving them other challenges than arena work. It may look like there isn't much going on, but there is a lot going on.
 
#19 ·
I don't know Tennessee, I hope yours are better looking then ours! :lol: I usually focus on the horse or the bull because they're so dagone ugly here!

Eliz - I get where you're coming from, but I disagree - I definitely think roping falls into that category. It may be a little different, but a roping horse has to be just as well trained and the cowboy has to depend on that training when he leaves the horse standing alone. I'm not fond of watching the little calves get hurtled through the air either, but I still think it IS a "horse sport".
 
#21 ·
I don't know Tennessee, I hope yours are better looking then ours! :lol: I usually focus on the horse or the bull because they're so dagone ugly here!


Sheeesh, I will send some of our cowboys your way! All of them are smokin' hot here! :shock::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: hehehehe
 
#20 ·
^
There's no doubt that the horse is well trained (I just watched a breakaway roping horse being ridden without a bridle on youtube) but I mean the horse doesn't do much LOL

But maybe I'm partial, because like you said, those little calves get thrown around
 
#23 ·
I enjoy going to rodeos but we usually only have 2 or 3 within reasonable driving distance of me a year. I have been involved in a couple of them but most of them only offer barrels and poles for women to compete in and speed events really aren't my thing. Of the ones I have been in, I got recruited to be a member on a team for a ranch rodeo for one and the other, I did the team penning with some friends. I do really enjoy watching, the roughstock events are my favorite.
 
#25 ·
Haha! Some of ours are pretty good looking too. And some really aren't... We've got about 50/50. :) The only event I really don't like is the bulls and that's because I'm scared of them. I've seen one too many cowboys knocked unconscious or rushed to the hospital I guess. Barrel racing I my favorite event. We don't have poles at our rodeo, but it's pretty small. It's the biggest event of the year though. (there are under 500 people in town... Not much excitement.) I can't wait for this year. I have an awesome camera now so I may have to post some pictures.
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#26 ·
Our town seems small, but we have like 9,000 people. So our rodeo is a bit bigger. And ChristianCowgirl, I too just got a really nice new DSLR camera, and so it was awesome taking pictures at the rodeo!! =)
 
#28 ·
hahaha yeah, you should come out in August and go to the Rodeo in Attica NY, about 45-50 min. from Rochester. There will be tons of good lookin cowboys there! lol
 
#29 ·
We have some really good rodeos around here. Meeker, Prague and Shawnee have open rodeos quite frequently. There will be a rodeo in Prague this weekend that will also feature the "Cowboy's Pride" rescue horse competion. Local area trainers all got ubroken, unhandled, rank rescue horses and had three months to rehab them into well trained rideable horses. I'm dying to see them (may even sneak over to Prague Lake to see if I can see some of the competive trail riding event).

Prague and Meeker rodeos usually feature a "you catch it, you keep it" event for the little ones (featuring wild and wooley chickens) and "mutton bustin'". My grandkids usually place in the mutton bustin', but this year, only my youngest is still eligible to compete. She tells everyone she's a "professional rodeo girl" because she's won money at a rodeo! (which is true - she won $75 at one and $45 at another)

She wants to get a horse and start competing in barrel racing and pole bending. (she's only six, so that thought still scares me!) Grandson wants to learn to rope. Right now, he's roping everying in sight, including the dog. (she loves it if he doesn't get too rough!)

Someone said a roping horse doesn't do much - and I beg to differ. If the horse doesn't do his job well, the cowboy doesn't win any $$. A good roping horse knows how to get the roper into position, how to stop the roped calf and keep just enough tension on the rope so that the calf doesn't come out of the loop before the roper gets there. It's not something that just any horse can do. The roping horse that helps his rider finish in the $$ consistently is worth his weight in gold! I've seen grade geldings sell for $10,000 - $15,000 because they are so good at what they do...
 
#32 ·
Someone said a roping horse doesn't do much - and I beg to differ. If the horse doesn't do his job well, the cowboy doesn't win any $$. A good roping horse knows how to get the roper into position, how to stop the roped calf and keep just enough tension on the rope so that the calf doesn't come out of the loop before the roper gets there. It's not something that just any horse can do. The roping horse that helps his rider finish in the $$ consistently is worth his weight in gold! I've seen grade geldings sell for $10,000 - $15,000 because they are so good at what they do...
I stand corrected ;)
Thanks for that insight, you changed my opinion about the roping horses! I guess its because they make it look so easy!
 
#30 ·
i ride only western. there are a lot of western riders on here. im one and if your looking for someone rodeo then talk to my friend (username starlet) she's rodeo and rides western also. i guess we should probably speak up more lol in our area (we're neibors) there is mostly western and rodeo. we have several different rodeos in our county and several surrounding counties.
 
#31 ·
i ride only western. there are a lot of western riders on here. im one and if your looking for someone rodeo then talk to my friend (username starlet) she's rodeo and rides western also. i guess we should probably speak up more lol in our area (we're neibors) there is mostly western and rodeo. we have several different rodeos in our county and several surrounding counties.
ahh whatever! dont exagerate me! ive been in a rodeo only like 4 times! :oops::razz:. but we do have rodeos and at the rodeos i wear my boots that i painted with acrylics. i get asked to paint boots several times! maybe i start a business...:think:
 
#33 ·
We have the IFYR going on here in Shawnee. It's been years since I've been able to go. I remember one year when my daughter went with her boyfriend. They went to see a couple of his friends compete. They were friends of his from school. I got to see them compete a few times myself, as they later went pro. More recently, they were on the amazing race - sadly, the Oklahoma boys came in second, but still...!

The McCoy brothers were hometown heroes around here long before they became TV stars! :)
 
#34 ·
Rodeo is HUGE in Montana. I have been out of the scene for over 10 years but now my daughter has started riding with one of our top barrel racers here and is learning tons. She has decided to buy the little buckskin mare she is training and is going to compete in High School Rodeo this year. She will run barrels, poles and breakaway. I'm so excited I want to get back into it myself!!
 
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