Ranch Rodeo entertains Labor Day crowds
Even though it got off to a late start, the Ranch Rodeo at Mansfield Park on Saturday was a hit with the large crowd that came out to be entertained.
Both sides of the stands were full as the ranch teams took center arena to be introduced.
A few teams had committed to participate but did not show up; that didn’t dim the enjoyment of the guests in attendance as the remaining cowboys put on a great show full of the requisite rodeo thrills and chills.
A ranch rodeo is made up of events that are like what cowboys do every day on working ranches. Events like steer roping, saddle bronc riding, Pony Express racing, and steer mugging are common in ranch rodeos.
Bandera’s Labor Day Ranch Rodeo fit the bill for great family entertainment. Cowboys from area ranches competed for prize money in two-man teams.
The most humorous events of the rodeo were the mutton bustin’ and calf scramble.
The field for mutton bustin’ was small but brave. The little ones gamely hung on to their sheep before the buzzer sounded.
The natural wool oil made holding on to the ruff sheared into the sheep’s shoulders a challenge. Some of the contestants rode only for a few seconds before dads swooped in and plucked them from the backs of the sheep.
Other contestants rode bravely till the buzzer only to fall off onto the soft sand of the arena. The top three prizes were won by Hudson, Mike, and Kylie.
Twenty youngsters competed in the calf scramble. The purpose of the event is to grab a ribbon off the tail of the yearling to win a cash prize.
As the group of youngsters chased around the arena, the audience laughed at the antics of the calves as they tried to elude the grip of the tiny cowpokes.
Steer roping was one of the most difficult events. One cowboy throws a rope over the head of the steer, the header, while the second throws a rope to catch the back legs of the yearling, the heeler.
After both ends of the steer is caught, one of the cowboys lays the steer on its side and the other ties three of the legs together.
As the ranch cowboys chased the steer around the arena, the audience gasped as the steers went down and the judge finally raised his flag to signal the team had completed the tie down.
The last event of the rodeo was the saddle bronc riding. The young men participating in this event courageously climbed into the chute and sat down on the bronc with just a neck rope.
As the cowboys opened the chute gate, the young men held on to the rope with a tight grip and tried to stay on for the usual 8 seconds.
The horses were rank and each gave a great ride. One young cowboy limped back to the chutes and flashed a grin to the crowd. “You don’t want to do this,” he remarked and smiled as he limped away.
BULLETIN PHOTOS/ Tracy Thayer