A Pinch of Rodeo

By Joe R. Nichols

Focus – Chicago 1986

My rookie year of professional rodeo had not gone well. Most of the winter stock show rodeos were over, and I hadn’t won a dime. I planned to change my luck at Chicago.

Candy was a big stout mare that had been to the National Finals several times and I always craved getting on her. I knew she would fit me, and now it was going to be my turn to cash in.

It was a nice sunny day, and we were there plenty early for that final afternoon performance. My traveling partners and I loitered out in the parking lot for a good while, visiting and watching the planes coming in. The coliseum was real close to O’Hara Airport. Those big jets were stacked up in the sky for as far as you could see. Everyone was in a good mood, relaxed, and ready to win. Especially me.

Behind the bucking chutes as we prepared to ride, one of the top bronc riders gave me some advice. “Remember, she gets stronger right at the end.”

I always finished strong myself, so I wasn’t too concerned.

With everything going perfect, I only had one and a half seconds to go. Shoulders square, under my rein, in rhythm, getting a good holt with my spurs. No way she could buck me off. I definitely was going to win first. I started to wonder how many points the judges would mark me. I thought about all that money and how it would spend. I could already hear the crowd cheering.

She got me. I lost focus for a blink, and she got me.

A person has to finish each job at hand without getting distracted.