GO EN RODEO EN 4

the next morning joe, along with a bunch of other cowboys were lined up at the door of the rodeo secretary s office. the mcfarland brothers werent there yet. joe was listening to all the chatter among the cowboys. he felt out of his element. these men had all been competing in rodeos around the country. if there was another beginner he didnt know who it was. he stood in line and kept his mouth shut and his ears tuned for maybe some information that would be useful. ropeing the steers didnt bother him.. but ropeing a calf, or bull dogging that maybe a different story. the one thing he was confident in was his stocking legged horse that everyone was looking at as a pack animal. that was the best horse he had ever ridden and he knew what ever came by needing doing that sorrel could handle it. at just a few minutes past 7 that morning a attractive young woman marched right through the middle of the crowd and opened the door to the office. under her arm she carried a cash box along with a ledger. inside the office she slide behind the desk and laid out her paper work and set the cash box to one side. "ok boys who is first?"she called out. three cowboys rushed past joe and got in front of the desk.. two entered the bronc rideing and the third the wild steer rideing.when joe stepped up he told her he needed entered in the steer ropeing, the calf ropeing and bulldogging.. when she asked about the team tying he sheepishly said he didnt have a partner. from behind him a voice said" ill rope with him" joe looked back to see jerry mcfarland smilling at him. he turned back to the girl" ok with me." he told her. she totaled up the entry fees. when she told him the total he gulped but dug down in his levi pockets and came out with his stash. when he finished counting out the amount he barely had enough to eat on. . he asked the girl to put him down the list in the calf ropeing and bulldogging. she looked up at him with a unasked question on her lips but nodded and said she would do what she could. as he walked back out side jerry was standing in line but asked him to wait until he got entered. joe moved over next to the wall and leaned against it. when jerry came back he quietly said" lets go have a look at the stock." and walked on down the arena to the holding corrells.there they saw a mixed bag of range cattle mostly herford crosses.. the steers were tall and rangey. the mother cows had big calves next to them. "in the calf ropeing you rope the calf around the neck stop him and go tie him down tying three legs.. i know you have done that at the ranch. the bull dogging is different . your going to run up on the left side of that big steer, jump on his head and slide him to a stop. then twist his neck until he falls over. when we get back to camp ill help you out a little with it. in the team tying ill heel for you.. just ty a square knot around the steers hind legs. i know you can do that. all these cattle will run over a 35 foot score. thats the head start you got to give them.." jerry was walking and talking as they went past the corrals. joe was absorbing all he could of the crash course in rodeo. back at camp they found ed was cooking breakfast when they walked up." i got enough for you too joe sit down. we need to talk." joe dropped down and sat close by. ed handed him a plate of breakfast. " i told you yesterday we were short a mount. ole horse we roped calves on is lame.. heres the deal, you mount us on your horse, any thing we win we split with you. that big grulla you got will take the use i bet." ed was talking between mouth fulls of food. suddenly joe saw a way to make a buck besides him winning it. the best cowboys on the road were wanting to use his horse and willing to pay for it." thats all good, but the grulla isnt the horse. its the other one, the sorrell. that grulla is a half brother to him but not hardly broke." joe grinned at the brothers. ed almost choked on his food. " the pack horse?"he asked. joe nodded and forked up another mouth full." you wont be disapointed." was all he said.

GO EN RODEO EN 3

joe rode into the rodeo grounds north of prescott.. his pack horse came along on a slack rope.. the pine trees that encircled the rodeo grounds kept the area cool and shaded. contestants were camped in every direction around the arena everything from wall tents to just plain old canvas covered bed rolls spread on the green grass next to a camp fire. joe didnt see any one who he knew on a first name basis.as he rode through the camp area he saw some contestants who he knew by reputation.. at the far north edge he passed a old dodge truck with wooden racks built on the back it was hooked to a home made trailer that turned out to be the very first such trailer for hauling horses. it all belonged to three brothers from safford who had traveled from the west coast to madison square garden rodeoing, calgary to prescott. joe got a hard knot in his belly as he rode by. maybe he was stepping into a world above his ability.. on into the large pines he rode until he came to a open space with a lot of grass.. here he stopped. he unsaddled his horses and led them out into the little park and hobbled them. then he returned to his camp and began putting things together for a semi permenant camp.in a short time he had a rig of rocks for a fire, a stack of wood and his panniers set up for a kitchen. he sat back on his bed roll and watched his horses graze the good green gramma grass, he would need to go scare up the rodeo office and get entered.the 4 th was just two days away. as he sat there waitting for his coffee pot to bubble he saw two of the three mcfarland brothers walk out of the trees and stand there looking and talking about his horses. they were just far enough away to not be able to hear what was being said.. they never once looked his way but concentrated their stares on his two horses.soon they turned and started to walk away but that was when they saw joe pouring a cup of coffee. the two looked at each other then came walking over to joe s camp. " can i offer you fellas a cup of coffee?"joe called out as they approached. the taller of the two shook his head" no thank you. where did you get those two horses? if you dont mind me asking?" " tucson, my cow ponys."joe didnt offer to much information. " are they for sale?"the tall man asked. "no,, i worked a good year for them two just so i would have good horses instead of the scrubbs you see around." joe was slowley getting to his feet he stuck a hand out" ime joe brown. its a honor you picked them out to ask about." the tall man shook joes hand" ime ed mcfarland and this is my brother jerry. our other brother mike will be along tomorrow.. we just lost one of our horses.. thats why we were asking.. i wouldnt sell them either" ed grinned. " are you entered here ?" "i just got here today.. no ime not entered yet. where is the office?"joe asked. " under the grand stands. theres a sighn over the door. they will open at 7 in the morning.. i would get there early, the line will be long."ed pointed over at the grand stands. " thanks ill be there."joe was likeing these two cowboys. " what events you going to enter?"jerry asked. " just the steer roping i guess.. i dont do to bad with a rope."joe told them " your not gonna rope calves? or team rope and bull dog?"jerry asked surprised. " i never done those things other that team rope. but i might try it if i can watch them before i gotta go." joe was a bit embarrased not knowing about them. " well tell the secretary that tomorrow she can set you up." ed turned to go " see you tomorrow."