College Rodeo and Stadium Pal

  We tried to go to the rodeo Saturday but arrived too cold and hungry to stay.  We got a clue when we saw everyone going into the arena with blankets. Since it was an all-weekend event, we decided to go home for lunch and come back Sunday with full bellies and our long underwear and stadium blanket.

 Sunday was better--good brunch--warm stadium pal (blanket)-- [a reference to a David Sedaris essay on the stadium pal-- 
DO watch his brief really funny essay reading on the Late Show]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejEcOMqBvpY

Anyway, we sat under our stadium blanket and saw the finalists in goat tying, team roping and barrel racing. Explanations of events below come from the program guide, College Rodeo celebrating 50 years.

"Goat tying is the only girls' event which requires fast footwork and agile dexterity on the ground, as well as basic horsemanship skills.  At one end of the arena is a goat tied to a rope and the cowgirl's time begins when she crosses the starting line at the other end of the areas.  She charges dow the arena, stops at the goat, dismounts running, catches the squirming goat, throws him down and ties three legs" with a leather rope.

squirming goat being approached by charging cowgirl

Team Ropers, with their lassos back in order

   Team Roping "An event that owes its very existence to the everyday chores of the working cowboy. On an open range, it is often necessary to catch an animal, in order to doctor or brand it, and that is where the first team roping took place. In rodeo competition today, the header starts the time when he lunges out of the chute in pursuit of the runaway steer. His job is to rope the steer's horns, take a dally by wrapping the loose end of his rope around the saddle horn, and turn the steer away from his partner. With tremendous skill and accurate timing, the heeler then ropes the steer's hind legs and takes his dally. When both header and heeler face their horses toward the steer, time stops. Because of the excellent team work involved, and the fact that both sexes can enter--this contest is a favorite of many."

   Barrel Racing "The oldest and most competitive girls' event in college rodeo is the Cloverleaf Barrel Race. The horses ridden in this event are highly trained and extremely athletic, matching their speed and turns to the cues given by their riders. The clock is set into motion when the girl and horse cross the starting line, and stopped as they cross the same line after completing their run.The barrels are set in a triangular pattern, a prescribed distance apart. Winners are often determined by differences of less than a tenth of a second, so  second penalty for an overturned barrel can be devastating. This event is certainly one of sheer elegance and precision excellence." 

   Finals were over in less than 2 hours so we decided to walk through the fairground hall which was hosting a home and garden show.  We thought we'd enjoy seeing all the new plants and garden plans but it was mostly all the ways to fix up your home.  The walls were bedazzled with past rodeo queens dating WAY back. It almost looked like long curly blond hair was a pre-requisite to being a cowgirl. Then we went downtown to the toy store to shop for a deck of cards.  It was a not-the-same Saturday!

Judd admiring the toy train set ups at the Octopus Toy Store