This was not my first Rodeo

Well, technically, it was my first rodeo.  I grew up in Tulsa, OK and you would think that I had been to many a rodeo but if memory serves me correctly, I have been to a high school dance club called "The Rodeo," with dancing girls and guys in boots and jeans and doing the 2 step, but not a place with real cowboys and cowgirls and dirt and hay and horses-and danger!

Lady doing tricks while rodeoing 2 horses barefoot, barrel guy to distract bull- different than the rodeo clown, All the pretty company horses

My husband's job was one of the sponsors and he generously was given tickets a week before the rodeo.  Normally I think he would have given them to his parents but since having  kids, outings like these are more exciting and we are a bit more adventurous, hoping to see how the kids will respond to all the sites and sounds.

Little buddy patting the police officer's horse!  Better than the zoo

So we went and we had a blast.  Who would have thought it would be so much fun?  On a serious note- a man almost died and that was the scariest thing I have seen in a while- his head hit the ground and he laid unconscious after he was bucked off of a horse due to his foot getting caught in the stirrup.  Miraculously, he got up after a few minutes of crowd prayer- shook it off and we hope he is OK. 

Appaloosa horses, cute sheep, babies having fun

So, grandma and grandpa came along with us and we arrived at our local fairgrounds and were amazed for three hours straight.   When we arrived, we were greeted with some sheep and horses and police officers on horseback and the chance to ride a crazy looking sheep for 5 bucks.  This opportunity was for little kids only or you would see pictures here of that poor sheep after I got off of his back!

GM and GP, babies, Mom and Dad having a ball

If you have never been to a rodeo, let me break it down for you as best I can and with the aid of my husband, who is no country boy but is descended from a line a tough country rodeo-ers.

We saw in no specific order: barrel racing, bull riding, stunts, a  horse chariot, steer roping,
and team steer roping.

Texas Long Horn, a man tying the legs of a calf, a bull about to find the guy who just fell from his back

Riding a sheep for 5 bucks a pop

There rodeo was mostly male dominated except for the women who were the horse-riding- flag- waving advertisers and the woman and her daughter who did the trick stunts and the barrel racing event.  I was fine with the lack of women in the actual rodeo due to the nature of the danger.  There were plenty of other women and families as spectators- this was a comfortable place for me by far- as a spectator.   In the end, I am not exactly sure who won, but some fortunate guy is going home with over 3 thousand dollars and some bumps and bruises for sure. I got to go home with some cool memories instead.

Team steer roping, barrel racing,crazy bucking horse that guy just rode

After the show, we had another chance to play with the animals and take some parting shots before going home and looking at all of the pictures we just took!

It was a great outing and I would not be opposed to going again in a few months!
Have you ever been a'rodeo-ing?

what to wear to a rodeo: just plain stuff that's comfy

Did anyone get hurt real bad or do something wild that you remember?  Would you ever go back?

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