GO EN RODEO EN 5

the morning of july 4 joe walked out to where his horses were grazeing. he caught them up and led them back to his camp. he had strung a lash rope between two pine trees and tied the two horses there. he dug out a curry comb and stiff bristled brush and went to work ckleaning up the sorrell. he heard a shuffle behind him and looked over his shoulder. ed and jerry were standing there watching him. " you sure this pack horse can catch a calf?"ed asked with a touch of sarcasom in his voice. "he will catch one before you will be ready to throw. at him." joe didnt even look back. jerry snickered. " well we will see, your up before either one of us. the calf roping is the second event and your about the third one to rope." " just right, i get to see how you rodeo bums calf rope." joe kept brushing. at one o clock in the afternoon the spectaters were filling the grand stands to watch the worlds oldest rodeo. joe had taken his horse and was rideing circles behind the roping chutes to warm the stocking legged pack horse up. he noticed some of the other calf ropers had a shorter rope than he did. he pulled the knot off his saddle horn and retied it to shorten the rope. at one thirty the announcer who was on a high stand with a megaphone started calling names for bronc rideing.there would be seven riders. the timed event judges at the roping chute had posted a list of the calf ropers to go as soon as the last bronc was rode. joe looked the list over, he was third. ed and jerry were down the list a ways. he looked around and saw they were sitting on the fence with their ropes in hand. when the last bronc was rode the announcer called the names of the first five calf ropers. joe stepped down and snugged up his cinchas. some body nudged him from behind. he turned to see jerry smiling at him "you will need this.. just bring it back when you come." he handed joe a piggin string . " these calves are big and salty. when you catch one try to jerk him over backwards and knock the air out of him." jerry turned and walked back to his seat on the fence next to ed. the first calf roper missed the calf. the second one roped his calf but as he went to flank the calf the the big fat calf bawled and met him half way down the rope. the cowboy wrastled the big calf and finally got him tied. but joe got the drift of what he had to do. he rode his horse to the back of the box and turned him around. when the horse had all feet square on the earth he nodded and the chute man released a herford hair ball from the chute. with a 35 foot score joe had to hold his horse still for a few heart beats. but when he turned him loose the sorrell exploded out of the box into a dead run , throwing dirt clods up with his digging feet. in a few jumps joe was in range and let his loop sail. he saw it encircle the calfes neck. he yelled who and started to step dowm the sorrell was in a locked up stop. the calf hit the end of the rope and flipped over backwards. just as the calf regained his feet joe got to him and grabbing a front leg flipped the calf over and tied three legs. when he rode back out of the arena ed was standing by the gate. his rope in hand, a piggin string in his belt."i owe you a apology that pack horse can sure run." " when you rope the calf be sure to say whoa, or he wont stop like that." joe stepped off and handed the reins to ed." stay out of his mouth if you can help it." ed nodded and mounted and went to the warm up area and was walking circles getting a feel for the stocky power ball. jerry watched him then turned to joe. " watch ed on his run you will lots of places you can speed up your run . but for a first timer, that pack horse made up for a lot. " joe snickered at the trm of pack horse. the next two ropers missed their calf. then ed backed sox into the box. he nodded for the calf then turned the horse loose just a bit sooner than joe had. sox roared out into the arena and reached the calf just abit quicker than joe had his. joe watched closely as ed tied the calf. he did see a few places he would cut his time. when ed returned to the gate he trned sox over to jerry. ed climbed up on the fence next to joe" i see why you wont sell him" jerry drew a bad calf and was a extra long time. but ed and joes times held up to place in the go round. the bull dogging was next. ed advised joe to ride a borrowed horse. after watching a couple of runs he agreed.

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.