“The heavy downpour quit just in time for the parade to go on as planned.”
Taking the detour to prevent muddy road mishap, it was an hour drive to the fairgrounds starting location. Continue reading →
Spiritual thoughts and inspiration for cowboys and country folks.
“The heavy downpour quit just in time for the parade to go on as planned.”
Taking the detour to prevent muddy road mishap, it was an hour drive to the fairgrounds starting location. Continue reading →
“The brome grass is all wrapped up in bales.”
Well, that’s not completely accurate, but the 65 acres of brome grass around the ranch homestead has been baled. Continue reading →
“Coronavirus remains a worldwide health threat not to be taken lightly.”
One of the most controversial concerns of recent times, coronavirus has had major impact on all phases of human life. Continue reading →
“Ranch animals want their fair share of attention.”
Uncertain whether its Fluffy the big yellow cat or ZaneEtta the yearling gray filly who are most demanding for affection. Continue reading →
“With all of the pleasures horses can provide, they are still very dangerous animals.”
That statement will bring many horse lovers up-in-arms, red-faced mad, and contradicting. Continue reading →
“Certain things just take a long time to come around.”
Every Saturday, the red pickup with stock racks and a black horse would go down Main Street. Continue reading →
“A slow time is always better than a no time.”
While fastest runs and highest scores are required to be a champion, there is something to say for consistency.
Riding in horse shows, what have sometimes previously been called “shodeos” and horse playdays, it’s easy to make mistakes.
Seasoned everyday working cowboys, even bigtime rodeo stars, have sometimes made jokes about such events. That’s okay, but horse ability and horsemanship skills are just as important to be a winning cutting horse rider or champion roper.
Too often the horse gets the blame, but generally it is “pilot error,” the one mounted giving directions who is at fault.
Participating in at least a half dozen different associations as well as open events, it’s been new experiences this past couple weekends.
Patterned racing events like barrel racing and pole bending are common competitions. Barrel racing in playdays is sometimes referred to as cloverleaf because horses race in a cloverleaf pattern.
An interesting reflection, the first show ever entered 60 years ago, entry was made in the barrel race, thinking it was the cloverleaf. Nope, the event called barrel racing was three barrels in a line calling for circling each barrel to the left and right. Spot had never thought of that and got fourth out of four.
For clarification, there is a not a race to bend poles, but rather weaving between, “bending around them.” In keg bending. the horse weaves around formerly milk kegs, nowadays five-gallon buckets, fastest time wins.
A number of local playdays also have flag racing where a rider picks up a small flag from a barrel and races across the finish line.
Specialty attractions through ages have included saddling races, exchange races, rescue races, relay races, even musical chairs which are all fairly self-explanatory. There are several variations of what is called the key race, sometimes keyhole race, probably obvious, racing into out and out of a make-believe, keyhole-of-sorts, in the arena
New to certain old-timers have been the barrel-and-stake race, two-barrel-flag race, figure-eight-stake race, half-eight race, and speed barrels
Average sometimes does win so having a qualified run every time out is better than winning one and losing the next.
Reminded of Habakkuk 2:30: “If it seems slow in coming, wait, it’s on its way and will come right on time.”
+++ALLELUIA+++
XVI–21–5-22-2022
“Cows will never have a calf if they don’t have intimate lovemaking with a bull.”
For a cowherd to make profits for a ranch, cows must have calves. Continue reading →
“Method of transporting cattle has sure changed considerably in the past century.”
Railroad cattle cars arrived at Kansas cowtowns before daylight as Flint Hills cowboys were mounted on horseback ready to work. Continue reading →
“It’s grass time; open the gate and turn them out.”
That’s the way it was for most farmers many years gone by. Today, there’s usually a lot more to preparing cattle for summer pasture than just unlatching the barnyard corral. Continue reading →