Rodeo Riding

Photo by Ty Holland

A couple weeks ago we were requested to provide a riding demonstration for the college rodeo as well as carry the colors during opening ceremonies. We worked pretty hard to get ready for it and even suffered some mishaps along the way (see "Downed Rider" post). Unfortunately, after all that effort, we were cancelled at the last minute by the rodeo organizers because they ran out of time. It was a big disappointment for the troopers and many people in the audience were upset too.

However, we did still carry the colors on both Friday and Saturday. On Friday I rode Apache to try and expose his to the rodeo environment. He did not do well. Apache does not like new experiences and the chaotic rodeo scene just overwhelmed him. As we waited to make our entrance, the sponsor flag bearers and rodeo contestants galloped in from all directions to get into the arena. Apache was certain he was being attacked by all of them. The riders in addition to the noise, people, dogs, vehicles, and general mayhem just drove him around the twist. I was not looking forward to the gallop into and around the arena with a guidon in my hand. When he gets crazy like that, I like to have two hands on the reins. Fortunately, once we got going, Apache was able to release his anxiety by running and he was easier to control at the gallop then standing still. After the ceremony and on the 20-minute ride back to the stables, he was on the verge of losing control the whole time. I was getting really mad at him because in my mind, he no longer had a reason to be agitated. It wasn't until I got off of him and saw the expression on his face, that I realized how terrified he had become. I carefully groomed him and let him dry out (he was dripping wet and the gallop around the arena only lasted about 3 minutes). I let him spend the night in his pen to let him settle down and rest. I decided at that point that I would not ride him in the demonstration the next day and would ride Cochise instead.

Cochise is also not a very calm horse. He gets very agitated and rides with his head up in the air which makes him rough as a cob. When we bounded into the arena with the colors, he was rocking me way up out of the saddle. His head was so high that when I was pulling back on the reins to keep him from bolting, my rein hand was in my chest. We rode that way all the way around the arena. He bounced so hard that the guidon came out of the stirrup boot before we had even got to the end of the arena. I carried that dang stick in my hand with no support at the bottom. You can see it in the photo above that Ty Holland took. It is harder to do that than it looks.

All in all, though, we got the job done. Any performance you can walk away from is a good one.