I really love going to rodeos, but the entire four years we have been on the road we have never been able to see one.  Usually the timing is wrong, we arrive in town right before or after the rodeo or we are working and don’t have the weekends off.  So when Lee mentioned he would love to see a Texas rodeo we were thrilled when Cori mentioned there was one every Saturday night pretty close by.  As I said, I’ve been to several, but it turns out that neither Lee or Cori have ever been to one.  That made it even more exciting, and Lee was particularly happy that after we went he would be able to truthfully say those iconic words, “This ain’t my first rodeo!”

None of us really knew what we were getting into, and were all surprised by how full the field was next to the place. We were even more surprised to see a really fantastic compound full of stuff to do.  For a $12 entry fee you get access to the rodeo and the live music afterwards, but they also have numerous food places (including a full steakhouse), a mechanical bull, live animals, and a couple of shops.  Really great concept and super kid friendly.

For us it was all about the rodeo and I absolutely loved it.  They had numerous events with 5-6 competitors in each one and some fun kid activities in between.  The lighting was good in the arena, but not quite good enough for my long lens on sports setting, but I’ll share the best pictures I took to give you a feel for the event.

 

 

 

 

And of course there was bull riding.  I’ve had an opportunity to see bull riding at some pretty high levels, and of course this wasn’t that, but it was fun to watch, and it’s no less dangerous than it is at large events.  The very last rider actually got his hand caught in the ropes and was being dragged by a bull and when a clown tried to help, he was thrown up and over the bull.  Eventually they got the guy off who was limping but walking, but it brought home how serious this can be, not just for the cowboys but also the clowns.  It’s very exciting to watch though and I enjoyed it thoroughly and was thrilled that Cori and Lee got to see it since this was their first time.

 

It was a really fun night and before we left I paid the $5 to sit on a stuffed(?) bull.  We took some group pictures to commemorate the experience.  Greg’s always up for something fun and he was cracking me up in this pic.

Lots more planned with our friends in Texas.  We looked at our budget and decided we could stay a couple extra weeks, since Kelly and Bill are heading our way.  The six of us started off together and are rarely in the same place at the same time, and the opportunity is too good to pass up!  Gate Guarding isn’t going anywhere, and we will be signing up for a gate in the beginning of November.

 

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