rodeos and ropins

  some of my earliest memories of rodeos and ropins were of the old pheonix jaycee rodeo held at the fairgrounds in pheonix.  i couldnt have been more than 5 or 6 when my dad took me there the first time. the old concrete stadium was  packed, as it was every time after that we went. my dad was a fan of rodeo, he knew all the contestants and what theycompeted in , where they came from and who was world champions.  i never realized he kept track of that stuff since he didnt compete. he could rope, and rope well, but just never competed. some of the best times i had as a kid was getting to go to the rodeos with him.
      when the fair commision built the colosium at the fair grounds we went to a lot of rodeos and ropin events. i remember watchin dale smith and bill hamilton in a match  calf ropin there ten head for a 1000 dollers a side. big money in those days. i think hamilton won. as a few years past i remember competing in team ropings at that building. it was a little tight for tie down ropings but you could dally rope there with out to much trouble. at that time that old barn was the only indoor facility in arizona, i showed horses there, roped there and watched a lot of great rodeo contestants there.
        as the years past the jaycee rodeo fell to the wayside, why i never really knew.  i miss it to this day. another rodeo that has drifted away was the chandler sherrifs possee rodeo. a great outdoor rodeo. i remember watching the bucking horse war paint there and yes he got his man . 
       one night iwas at a roping at frank powells arena at 36 th and southern. i was a bit cockey as i had been on a good roll and and a couple pretty girls were followin me around  to the ropins i went to. frank come over to me and asked if i had all my partners as there was a guy there who needed a header, he was the world champion bull rider, i said so what, can he rope? i didnt rope with that bull rider  world champion but the guys that did won the ropin with him . now that was a weekend punkin roller but  it was   as important to larry mahan as winning the world as a bull rider!! go figger, what kind of dummy am i?
      as the years went by i was able to compete at some great venues , indoors and out. i was able to meet and socialize with world champions and also rans. one of the most classy gentlmen i ever met was world champion team roper john miller.  a pure gentleman  and always the same to everyone wether you were a beginner or a pro. he was well mounted at all times and treated  his horses as athletes and partners who he gave credit for his sucsess.  i got to know john a little better in later years as we were goin to jr. rodeos at the same time with our kids. one of his friends was ace berry. ace went to the nfr numerous times as a bare back rider AND a heeler for john. now there arnt many contestants who were able to do that!! and he was a class act too. both those fellers was raised by the movie acter, team roper world champion ben johnson. but for all ben wanted to help him john did it on his own.  johns kids are still ropin today , i believe and i havent seen john in a long time, but ill bet you hes still the class act he was then.
    one of the earliest memories of rodeo was being at the pheonix rodeo and watching ben johnson rope. we were sitting up pretty high in the stands but to this day i remember that rope making a cracking sound when ben roped those hornes!! then there was wilber plaugher who clowned and fought bulls. when the bull doggin came around wilber crawled on a horse in his clown get up and dogged a steer, not as a gag, he was competing, and i believe he got a check almost every where he went.  well there it is, its been a great ride, and i met some some great folks, and i hope to meet more!!