KIRKLAND BAR AND ARENA

WHEN WE LIVED IN WICKENBURG, AND LATER CONGRESS  WE SPENT OUR HOLIDAYS LIKE THE 4 TH OF JULY AT THE KIRKLAND BAR AND ARENA. WHAT A GOOD TIME. ALWAYS LOTS OF TEAMS, THE CATTLE WERNT TO BAD AND EVERY COWBOY, RANCHER AND GOOD TIME CHARLIE WAS THERE. THERE WAS ROPINS FOR WOMEN, KIDS AND THE OLD FOLKS NOT TO MENTION US YOUNGER CONTESTANTS. ( THATS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER)  we always got there as early as possible because the parking was limited and if you were late you parked  out on the shoulder of the road leading to skull valley! the old arena had been there longer than anyone remembered. it was railroad tie posts, net wire which sagged between posts with a cable looping around the top of the post then running to the next. there were big old cotton wood trees scattered around the place so shade was always good. especialy  if you were lucky enough  to get your lawn chairs spotted under one.
       one year we were entered up there on the fourth of july. it so happened both our boys were old enough to compete. pre teens but had been roping for a while. carter the younger was using his moms head horse. the cattle were a little heavy and didn't run to hard. I was walking toward the catch pens  when I heard a yell! the sorrel head horse came by me at a run headed for the catch pens, no carter, no steer. I turned around and 3 friends wwith helpful hands ere handing carter over the fence to his mom.  it seems he had turned a steer which got heavy on the rope. that sorrel head horse had felt the pull , caught another gear to hop that steer. the rope got to running around the horn and faster than the blink of a eye the coils in carters left hand jerked down tight around his left fingers.. the dally jumped the saddle horn and the steer jerked carter off his horse by his left hand, him landing on his back. the rope came free but his fingers on the left hand were mangalled.  friends took our horses, and other two kids, we loaded carter in the truck and headed to Wickenburg to the hospital. there we were sent on to the hospital in sun city. late that night we got back home, carters left hand bandaged and stitched . everything healed well, and thanks to our good friends our horses were home and the other two kids sound asleep at the home of our friends. there can never be enough friends in this world. cherish each and every one.