Rodeo

I've gotta clarify something from yesterday's post. I was multi-tasking while I was writing and would write a sentence or two, get up and do a couple of things, then come back and write another sentence or two, get up and do a couple of things....repeat, repeat, repeat. So, by the time I got to the end of the second paragraph, I switched into give-up mode and posted pictures and published it. So, after rereading it, I realized it sounds like I'm upset that Field Day is not competitive--I'm not! I'm glad it's just for fun. It should be. Kids this age need a day that's just for fun; when they can go outside and bounce on balls, throw wet sponges at each other, and giggle as they drag each other in the 3-legged race. Plus, I don't want Landry stressing every school year if the Jerry What's His Name of her age will be in her class. :)

Anyway.....

Speaking of competition, a couple of weekends ago Jeff, my sister Lindsay, Landry, and I went to the Western Heritage Classic Rodeo in Abilene. Landry has been to a couple of rodeos before with her grandparents and loved it, so I thought she would have fun at the WH Rodeo.

It's a little different than an average rodeo because the rodeoers (I would say "participants", but that sounds too formal considering the subject) are not professional rodeoers--they're actual working ranch hands from working cattle ranches and the ranches compete against one another. (BTW, Tiff and Karin, no Marlboro Man there. Shucks!) And, the events are not necessarily your average rodeo events--they're typical working cattle ranch tasks.

Landry loved it! She didn't miss one single thing! She wouldn't even get up to go to the bathroom or go get something to drink for fear she might miss something.

I'll tell the rest in pictures....

We were *THIS* close to the horse bucking chutes. It was really an awesome vantage point to watch the cowboys get ready and watch the horse bucking.

Landry kept saying, "Man! Those are some mean buckers!" (heehee)

Here is one of the mean buckers. This horse had some attitude and long blond "bangs" that covered her (his?) eye. Lindsay and I called her (him?) Nicole Richie.

The Budweiser Clydesdales were there as well. They are so graceful and pretty. And HUGE!

This was a fun act, too. It's hard to see b/c I REALLY had to zoom in to get the picture, but it's a small monkey riding on a dog. His name is Whiplash, which was highly appropriate since he was thrown all over the place. Whiplash and the dog herded some goats into a pen...it was pretty amazing!

Soaking it all in.....