anabella

I went to my first rodeo this week and I really enjoyed it though I was half expecting to see broncos and they were just nowhere to be seen, I just went to the local rodeo. I loved the bull riding and team roping and the mutton busting was the cutest thing ever!

Have you been to one and what did you think?

another bloody yank

I've been to a few, I really enjoy them. I like the bull riding espescially. It appears that the bull and the rider both know what they are supposed to do. After the the rider gets thrown or the 8 second buzzer sounds, the bull goes back to his pen and the rider goes back to his area. I always imagine the bull saying "See ya next week Joe", and the rider replying "Yeah, take it easy, say Hi to Flossie for me." Like the Sheep dog and Wolf in the old cartoons.

dbj1000

I enjoy them too, and every time we have new visitors from the UK I take them to the Fort Worth Cowtown Stockyards Rodeo. It's centered around the bull riding, although they have team roping, barrel racing (excellent stuff!), calf roping and occasionally bronco riding.

Anyway, my point is that I've seen WAY too many cowboys get badly injured for this to be just "another job". The cowboys are all amateurs (you can show up at the door half an hour early, pay your $20 entry fee and be on a bull within minutes). The bulls all have a rope tied around their bollocks... which goes to the rope the cowboys wrap around their fist to hold on. No wonder the bull is angry!

In my 8 or 9 visits, I've seen at least 6 cowboys taken off the arena by the paramedics, and in one case the 18-year-old cowboy was unconscious after the 2-ton bull had literally jumped all over him.

I've also seen the bull trample one of the rodeo clowns after the 8-second buzzer went, and that didn't end well.

Bull riding is the most dangerous "professional sport" in the world, and at the Cowtown Rodeo it looks a long way from being a fun thing to do to make a little money on a Saturday night!

snorkmaiden

We've been quite a few times to the Mesquite Rodeo. The children actually get free tickets with their report cards, and it is one of the must see tourist spots for the relatives when they come over for the first time, along with Southfork, and the Grassy Knoll.

I just didn't like the calf roping. Poor little things getting yanked off their feet. If you go at the end of the season though, you are almost guaranteed to get calves who have a bit of roping experience, and they stop dead when the gate opens leaving the cowboys looking a little silly

We were there at the last night of the season last year and one Bull had a really good go at the cowboy, but he didn't seem to be hurt too badly as he did get up and run off.

Excuse the shoddy quality, this is just on my ordinary camera as I hadn't taken the camcorder but I think you can get the actual idea of what is going on. Ouch! http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...15976611&hl=en

Irn-bru

My family went to one in Texas and took video.
The calf roping was hard to watch.

I would like to know as it seems cruel to me and I don't know if it is or not but the practice of tying rope around the bulls testicles etc just puts me off.
What exactly is the practice?

another bloody yank

So how many beers would it take for you to throw your $20 down?

britvic

Yes I've been once, not my cup of tea, I felt that the animals are tormented and I dont see it as entertainment

another bloody yank

Nearly every event in rodeo is based on an actual job professional cowboys do in the course of their daily work. Calf roping is no exception, the calves have to be brought in for branding, castration, medical procedures etc... One other thing to bear in mind is that the stock is the rancher's livelihood, it's not in his best interest to harm the calves.

snorkmaiden

We had decided our last rodeo was the last one we would go to. After having seen a few it just left us feeling uncomfortable about the welfare of some of the animals.

I don't mind the barrel racing and the wagon racing etc. All the things that show skill and an element of tradition without hurting anything.

Irn-bru

Yes its the hurting of the animal privates, to get them to buck that I don't like and think is cruel.

I understand that ranch hands have to quickly tie up and bring in calves etc for treatment though for entertainment, don't like.

But lasso and other traditions without as you say hurting animals to me is OK.

britvic

Oh I'm with ya there.

Thydney

Firstly I must complain I had thought this was a thread on a new sexual experience you'd had Annabella, the one where your boyfriend tells you your not as good as your sister

Secondly tie a string around your husbands nuts, it has a very calming effect.

Irn-bru

I'm learning new things about you Thydney

How tight though would I have to tie it for him to buck like a bronco, don't think he'd like that

another bloody yank

You might though...

Thydney

Well if they they turn black stop