...Professional Rodeo At the first glance of the events in professional rodeo, one may think they all look the same. Of course, after further investigation, the intricacies of rodeo can unmistakably be discovered. When all the facts of rodeo are examined, one can easily say that not all events in professional rodeo are the same. In fact, the parts of rodeo can easily be classified and divided into their own particular categories. To the inexperienced eye, a rodeo performance will present only pretty horses and fat cows. After years of attending these rodeos, one may say that at the National Finals Rodeo, they can see barrel horses, roping horses, bucking horses, calves, steers, and some of the rankest bulls in the world. Of course, the barrel horses are only used in barrel racing, an event of speed and precision. Roping horses are used for calf roping and team roping, two separate events where the horses are greatly depended on for excellence. The powerful bucking horses are used in the events such as bareback and saddle bronc riding, giving a cowboy the opportunity to show his strength for eight seconds on these explosive animals. As Hadley Barret, announcer at the National Finals Rodeo, once said, “The best athletes in rodeo are not the cowboys, but the horses.” Even more so, because calves are so small, they are used in calf roping because they must be thrown to the ground quickly to get tied. Steers are used in team roping and steer wrestling because the can be controlled with...
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...What is a rodeo ? A rodeo is perhaps the most genuinely American of all sports. The word « rodeo » is a Spanish one meaning « gathering place or market place for cattle ». A rodeo itself is a competitive contest based loosely on traditional cowboy skills of riding and roping. It consits of six major events : (1) Riding an unbroken range of horse ( bucking bronco) in a saddle ; (2) Riding a bicking bronco without a saddle ( bareback) ; (3) Riding a bull ; (4) Roping a calf ; (5) Wrestling a steer to the ground (bulldogging) ; (6) Racing horses around barrels (with women riders). The first rodeo took place following a cattle roudup in the 1880’s. From that informal cowboy pastime, a colourful spectacle has evolved that contains many familiar American elements – the exciting action of bucking horses and bulls, the explosive masculine environment, the hot dog stands, beer barrels, boots, jeans, and cowboy hats. Today, most rodeos are staged in a large, flat arena that is fenced off to protect the viewing public. Grandstands are erected on two sides of the arena ; on the other sides are pens to hold the horses, steers, calves, and bulls. Nearby are narrow chutes from which animals are released into the arena. On a platform, a loud speaker system is set up for the announcer, who introduces the riders and comments on the events as they happen. Near the arena are refreshment stands where people gather to buy food and drink. Portable restrooms...
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...The first bullfighter was a rodeo clown, who used a barrel to help protect himself from the bull. Clowns became skilled at using the barrels as props for their entertainment routines; showing their athletic abilities by diving into the barrels. There is much debate between historians on when the first rodeo actually occurred. Cowboys of old often competed against each other for bragging rights about who was the best bull rider. Soon, spectators began gathering around the corrals to watch and towns in the frontier began to have yearly events. When the events became more organized and spectators started paying; the need for entertainment was inevitable. People grew restless and bored between competitions. Thus the rodeo clown was born....
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...roar of a Sunday crowd. It's the white in his knuckles, the gold in the buckle he'll win the next go 'round. It's boots and chaps, it's cowboy hats, it's spurs and latigo. It's the ropes and the reins, and the joy and the pain, and they call the thing rodeo” (Garth Brooks- Rodeo). Going to rodeos has always been one of my favorite things to do. I would go to a rodeo every weekend if it was possible, but no rodeo will ever compare to seeing it all for the first time. It was a clear September day in Fort Madison, Iowa, we all piled out of the car and headed to the ticket window. I was dressed to the nines, with my wranglers tucked into my red boots, my fleece horse jacket was zipped up over my button up, and my cowgirl hat perched on my head, covering my braided hair. I was rodeo-ready. After waiting in line for about 15 minutes we had our tickets and were in the gate! We bypassed all of the vendors selling hats, jewelry, and clothes to get to our seats. We didn’t have to wait long before The National Anthem and the flags were brought in on horseback. After The National Anthem was over the announcer said that something called Grand Entry was about to begin. I didn’t know it then but I was about to see my favorite part of the rodeo. All of the sudden the gates opened and horseback riders started streaming in. There had to be over 500 riders, all at full speed running around the arena. It was a beautifully dangerous thing. Watching the horses, which were every color and breed running...
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...become a great rodeo icon for females around the world. Barbara Inez “Tadpole” Barnes, “Tad” for short grew up to be a great trick rider and all-around cowgirl. In this article, Lonn Taylor quotes Dan Fox’s writing in the rodeo trade paper Hoofs and Horns, “Tad has always been admired by everyone who had the good fortune to meet her. She is considered the world’s greatest woman rider.” Taylor relates incidences in Tad’s background, that shaped Tad’s ambition and aspirations that helped established her as an icon for women, not only in the world of rodeo but also for women in all walks of life in that era. In paragraph one Lonn Taylor writes, “She was born in Cody, Nebraska in 1902, she later settled in Fort Worth and considered herself a Texan.” When reading this article, there is an understanding of Tad’s life and how it was shaped from the different places she explored as she competed in rodeo events. Paragraph five of the article shows us how she started out in the rodeo circuit. Taylor states, “Tad Lucas was a cowgirl’s cowgirl. She left Nebraska at the age of sixteen and joined “California” Frank Hafley’s Wild West Show…. First [appearing] on the Western rodeo circuit in 1922, winning prizes at Belle Fourche, South Dakota; Pittsburg, Kansas; and Fort Worth.” It is obvious that being a cowgirl was important to Tad and she poured a great deal of energy and enthusiasm into the sport. Mr. Taylor provides us with information on the golden age of rodeo where Tad Lucas...
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...David Sanchez April 27, 2008 Animal Cruelty Imagine being a spectator of the most gruesome and inhumane act known to man. Imagine staring deep into a dog’s eye, a dog that is about to embark on the journey of his life. For many animals, including dogs, cats, and farm animals, death is the only destination listed on their life itinerary. Throughout the United states and the rest of the world, animals are being gruesomely cut up and skinned, being experimented on for research, and mainly being mistreated for the most important source of human pleasure. Money to most means success, especially industries like bio-medical research, farming industries, and entertainment; companies in this industry are willing to do anything in their power to gain profit and power, including taking lives of creatures, known as animals. Exploitation according to the Encarta World English Dictionary is “the use of development of something to produce a benefit”. That “something” in this case infers animals. As many as 115 million animals are tested and executed in U.S. laboratories every year. The sad truth about all the inhumane research experimenters are carrying on is that it is paid by the typical American taxpayer without their consent. That’s right, the experiments including the injection of chemicals into rat’s stomachs, the isolation chambers where monkeys are separated from their mothers, and the enhancing of a dogs thigh muscle tissue is all made available by animal product consumers...
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...thank you First off, Thank you God for allowing me to make it to this point. Thank you to my little sister for letting me borrow your allowance when mom wouldn’t give me bread. Thank you to my little brother for being the most animated person I know. Thank you to my Dad for being the best and craziest Dad I have ever known. Thanks for teaching me everything I know. Can’t forget about Wanda Webster, my amazing Mom. Thanks for putting up with my shit. Thanks for spending every dime on me. Thanks for coming to my rescue every time. I love you sooooooooo fucking much. I wouldn’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you. To my Aunt Debra and Uncle Travis, my inspiration when I grow old. I wanna be happy and caring like you. To my Grandmother, I’m glad y’all are still here to witness the kid get dizzy. I love you Uncle Allen and Aunt VV love y’all. VV wish you were around to capture the pictures of the kid growing. To my brothers for life J-Will, J-Rich, Dozie, Chase B, Ashton, we finally did this shit from T Lock up in my mothafucking room all fucking night, eating that double cheese and hitting that wing stop, sweating in what we knew was the pit. We did it niggas, time to take it to the next level billion dollar mindset. To my new found brothers Easy, David, Marc, Corey, Daniel, Bizzy, thanks for holding it the fuck down. I owe you a fucking ton. Y’all have a crazy amazing soul. I wouldn’t have survived a day without y’all. To my nigga Sickamore, thanks for...
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...place, there are a lot of good place to visit in Korea and I went there many times. However, my favorite place is in Canada. Last year I made up my mind to go to Canada not only to experience different cultures, but to study how to speak English well. Calgary in Canada is my favorite place because of some characteristic : A tourist attraction, friend, food. Even though I went to Calgary through working holiday program visa to work and study English, many tourist attractions tempted me into enjoying them. The Calgary Stampede which is the biggest festival in Canada is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary. As soon as I got to the festival, there were a lot of people from other countries. It looked like vehicles were bumper to bumper. Also, delicious hot dogs was tempting me to buy them, giving off attractive smell. In the middle of the festival were horrible rides and rodeo event in which cowboys show different skills, including riding wild horses, catching cattle with ropes and a thrilling race. When I went into Calgary’s downtown, I could easily find a big tower, the Calgary Tower. The Calgary tower is the tallest structure in Calgary. When I arrived at the top floor of the Calgary tower, bright sunshine welcomed me with smile and the tower gave me a scenic view of downtown through a wide window. Canada is known for a lot of snow in winter season. Calgary is next to Rocky Mountain. There was ski resort called Lake Louise at the breathtaking Rocky...
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...watch and be amazed at the spectacular show that was put on. The 101 Ranch Wild West Show combined the thrills of the Wild West with the acts and performances found in a circus; from trick riding and roping to elephants and their trainers (1927 Show Roster, 2013). The 101 Ranch Wild West Show traveled the world and many people got to bask in its glory during its hay day. The show was a masterpiece put together by visionaries and it brought many people jobs and even stardom. The 101 Ranch Wild West Show was great in part to performers like Will Rogers and Bill Pickett. Will Rogers was born on the 4th of November in 1879 (Biography, 2013), in the area that is now Oologah, Oklahoma. He was part Indian descending from the Cherokee tribe (Rodeo Star, 2013). Will Rogers was the baby of the family, having seven older siblings (Biography, 2013). After four of Will's siblings passed away, he was left with just three older sisters. Coming from a tightly knit and loving family, he greatly looked up to his sisters and they inspired and morphed him into the sensible, sensitive, young man that everybody grew to love (Early years, 2013). Will grew up on his...
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...“Ranch Girl” By Maile Maloy Living on a ranch sounds like a challenge itself. In “Ranch Girl" by Maile Maloy she uses second person point of view to show you how the individual reacts to the community expectation in the character personal lives. Ranch girl represents an ordinary, middle class, Texas girl who lives on a horse ranch. Throughout the short story, Maloy makes ranch girl seem defeated for every decisions she makes, however does she have a backup plan? The individual charter, ranch girl is faced with impacts of staying in the ranch community, following Andy and not choosing her educational opportunities. Although ranch girl makes her decisions based on the community values she faces the consequences for her individual decisions. Ranch girl fears change, she choose stayed with her dad in the ranch community. She feels obligated to help out around the ranch because of the less helping hands and the work load that has to get done. The father works late, comes home tired and then opens a beer. She continues to support him weather its being there with him, bring cheese and crackers, and watches him fall asleep. When ranch girl visits Carla, Haskell tries to have her stay for dinner, however she would rather not leave her dad alone. She would rather walk home hungry because she’s to embrace. What would happened if she wasn’t there to help her dad with the ranch or fixing him a bite to eat or leaving him by himself? Another indication that she fears change, “No one...
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... The Day the Cowboys Quit, is a highly acclaimed novel written by Elmer Kelton. The book is set in 1883 in the rigid Texas panhandle. Kelton explores many different themes within the novel but primarily focuses on the changing dynamic both socially and politically and of the West and the fight of good vs evil. The book focuses on High Hitchcock, who was a cowboy that at the time of the Canadian River Cowboy Strike of 1883. Hitchcock was furious that cowboys were portrayed as arrogant men that rode their horse and shot guns all day. When in reality they were hardworking men "and some had never owned a gun" The main conflict of the book revolves around Big ranchers, new comers, trying to take control over more of the west and taking it from cowboys, who have held control for many years. Many people within the industry did not like how much power the cowboys had, especially big ranchers. The cowboys band together and form a "union", ahead of its time and before any actual workforce unions had been established, against the push of the big ranchers. Elmer Kelton was born in Andrews, Texas with a population of 15,000. He was born raised on the Five Well Ranch, and adopted the culture very well, which could be one of the reasons he has successfully written many western novels. Kelton served in the United States Army from 1944-1946, serving in World War 2, which helped him portray a theme of courage throughout many of his novels. Elmer Kelton was downed the best western author of his...
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...Comp II – ENG 1213 Proposal for Bull Riders to Wear Helmets November 28, 2012 John Cox My proposal is should professional bull riders be required to wear protective helmets during sanctioned professional bull riding events. There are many different reasons why bull riders should be required to wear protective gear that could save their lives. Many of the riders still will not ever consider wearing any sort of protective gear a chance. There are many things to consider in when someone should be made to do something or not. It could be for money, pride or even physical well being. So when people say that you should not be required to wear protective gear when you are bull riding they are sorely mistaken. Like for instance in football players are required to wear helmets and protective padding and baseball players are required to wear helmets when they are batting. There was one study published that found bull riders were around ten times more likely to get hurt than a football or hockey players where likely to. Another concluded that head trauma accounts for about half of all serious bull riding injuries. To me though wouldn’t you say that a 2,000 pound bull stomping on your head is more dangerous than a man hitting you? Then you have the people who will argue with you saying that professional bull riders are so suppose to be made out like these tuff guys. It is beginning to change though as professional riders finally realize this is a business and what they earn and that...
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...Assignment B “Ice Man” Summery of the Ice Man The short story Ice Man is about our main character Victor who is a 20-year-old Native American from the Mimbreño Apache tribe. For a living he rides bulls, participates in rodeos and works for Kyle McCoy. McCoy moved his business to Indio from Arizona so that’s were Victor lives now. Victor takes his two American friends, Nachee and Billy Cosa, to a bar after winning 4000 dollars at the Indian national rodeo, to celebrate the competition with some beers. While the three friends drink and tell stories about rodeos, they spot a white man wearing a cowboy hat, sitting at the next table. After some drinks the boys start arguing with him. The white man is from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and threatens them with he will arrest them for being drunk and for disorderly. The white man calls his friends and some deputies enter the bar to search for the illegal immigrants. While they handcuffed Victor and his friends, the white man takes all the money Victor has won that day. Characterization Through direct characterization, the reader gets to know Victor. He is a 20-year-old Indian from the Mimbreño Apache tribe, and he rides bulls for a living. He is very passionate about his job and really good at it too, he won Top Bull Rider and have moved to Indio because of his boss transferring of the company. He lives with his two friends Nachee and Billy Cosa. Nachee and Billy Cosa works for McCoy too, they do not ride...
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...beast versus man. What else is there to win in a sport like this other than pride and enough money to pay for your medical bills? Even these questions I had prior to my experience did little to deter my curiosity. I set out to gain a little more information about the sport before attempting what is known as the “most dangerous eight seconds in sports”. It doesn’t take a professional, however, to know that I wasn’t going to last eight seconds, on my first go-around anyway. I found out that the taming of bulls has ancient roots dating as far back as the Minoan culture. The first recorded bull riding events took place in the 16th century during Mexican haciendas. Primarily, everything that I learned taught me that the act of bull riding, and rodeo events in general, have been around for a long time and are deeply rooted in almost every culture. After I conducted my brief research, I was excited to begin planning and setting up a date where I would ride a 1,200 pound bull for the first time. I came across an amateur bull riding event that was going to take place in West Virginia where they were going to allow anyone who had to the guts to take a shot at riding a bull prior to the main event. I was one of the individuals who took a shot at it. I recall being so nervous as I stood in line waiting for...
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...“Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect,” says every roper I’ve ever known. The practice pen is somewhere that you choose to either be the best you can be or just average. Practicing is very important, not only to our sport but to any sport known to man. Your first and most common thing to work on in Breakaway Roping is horsemanship. Horsemanship is what carries you to success. Secondly, scoring your calf correctly can differentiate a winning run from being outran. Without being able to score your calf our correctly you will not be able to get a good start, and that is very important. Last are Loop Mechanics ; how you swing, follow through, and pull your slack. Good horsemanship in breakaway roping allows you to make high percentage shots every time because you're in the same position every run. Horsemanship allows you to give your horse consistent repetition so he gives you the same shot every time you come out of the box. In breakaway roping, your start is almost everything because you've just got to be so fast. And the start you get depends on your level of horsemanship. Your horse has to be so good and still in the box, and you've got to have the feel to make that happen. You need to have your horse still and calm enough to leave in a straight line the second you drop your hand forward and hit the barrier strong. When you're riding your horses to the best of your ability, you're keeping your horse between your bridle reins and your...
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