PICK UP MAN 18

at the first rodeo in the series kent sat his horse in the arena waitting for the first saddle bronc rider. his partner tanner sat over across from him in front of the crowd. with the purse ramped up for the series the entrys had surprisingly filled up. the saddle bronc event now had nine contestants entered. five of which were college boys from the local college teams. the first out was young man from wyoming who was going to school at one of the jr. colleges. he had drawn bobby joe. bobby was a good solid bronc who made a running start when the gate was opened. then after four or five strides would swallow his head and go into a solid bucking performance. many times when he dropped his head suddenly he would pitch the rider out over his head. this was a great start to the event. when the gate swung wide and bobby joe broke straight across the arena toward the crowd he brought the crowd to their feet when he dropped his head between his front feet. the wyoming rider was loosened but went into his spurring motion and rode to the whistle. the crowd cheering and on their feet. when kent picked the young man off the bronc the rider looked at kent and said"will that get me a ride on rattler?" kent looked him in eye and smilled " if that had been rattler you wouldnt have lasted the second jump. keep practicing." when the event had ended kent saw hayden pushing rattler into the number three chute and closeing the slide gate behind him. the announcer called out the high scored ride of the day and that rider woulder would get the shot at rattler. the big bronc stood like a statue in the chute as they cinched the young mans saddle on his broad back.the flank cinch was layed across his hips and pulled up under his belly in the flanks. it would be snugged when the gate opened. over the top of the chute a slim young man with a wide brimmed black felt hat and purple chaps stepped and settled in the saddle on the back of rattler. kent could see the young man fishing his feet for the ox bow stirrups then picked up the braided bronc rein. he got a good grip and lifted the rein in front of his face and nodded to the gate man. the gate swung wide and rattlers first jump scared the pidgeons off the court house roof! the rider had his spurs sunk in rattlers shoulder and when rattler hit the ground the cowboy started the rythmatic spurring action. at the five second mark the cowboy looked to be in control but rattler wasnt done. without slowing his motion he swapped ends and ran two strides then his head fell off again. when his front feet his the ground the rider was jacked up out of the saddle and flew off to one side landing on his feet as the bronc bucked by. kent went by on the way to pick up rattler and he heard the bronc rider cussing . later back behind the chutes the bronc rider came over to kent"does he do that every time" he asked. " no some times its worse. you never know whats comming with that ole bronc. but you made a good run at him." kent handed the rider a cold beer from his ice chest." here you won the consolation prize today,"