A Pinch of Rodeo

 By Joe R. Nichols

Countdown to the WNFR Part-2

K.C. Field will dominate the Bareback Bronc Riding.

A bold statement, but one I believe will prove out. The Utah man comes in less than $6000 behind Bobby Mote, who now resides in Stephenville, TX. Will Lowe of Canyon, TX, is $5000 behind K.C.. There is a reason these three men are at the top of the standings, they ride better than the rest.

Bobby Mote rides good and looks even better doing it. Will Lowe is so correct and never makes a bobble. But K.C. has flash. A wow factor. Fast feet, aggressive style, yet no mistakes. I predict this will be his third consecutive title.

Roy Cooper was the most dominate and talked about calf roper when I was a kid growing up and on in to my own rodeo career. He revolutionized the event and changed it forever. His son, Tuff, is the next phenomenon and I believe before he is done, he’ll have all the records and could be considered as the best ever. He seems to be level and balanced in his life, dedicated to excellence, and has the confidence in his skill to win.

I mean no disrespect to the other qualifiers or even the next 16-30 guys in the world. There are so many great calf ropers. Trevor Brazile, Cody Ohl, Shane Hanchey, on and on.

Tuff Cooper still stands out.

For years, I have defended the Team Ropers at the Finals, but no more.

Every year I would hear people say, “Those Team Ropers are terrible. They’re suppose to be the best in the world, and they can’t even catch.”

I would then remind these experts that when you are trying to be four flat or less, it’s not a high percentage shot. A late four second run won’t place in a lot of go-rounds at the NFR. What’s the point in making a five or six second run and not winning a dime?

But the last few years have been different. The older veterans will use a steer that will let them be fast and place in the round, but if the opportunity is not there, they still catch and keep themselves in the contest. These young guns have made up their mind to be 3.5 every time they back in the box, no matter what. Sometimes it’s just not there and one more swing can get things right. But they throw it anyway and wave it off or miss the left horn. There have been times towards the end of the round, when it was wide open, like 9.2 was winning third, and the last several teams still took themselves out of it trying to win first. Somebody has to win third through sixth for $11,000 down to $3000. What’s the matter with them? I wish all the Team Ropers good luck, and maybe they’ll rope smart this year.

I think Trevor Brazile and Patrick Smith will be contenders this year, but the team I would point out would be Nick Sartain and Rich Skelton. They could light ’em up and win the whole deal.

Thanks for reading. I’ll conclude my thoughts next week.

A Pinch of Rodeo

                                                           By Joe R. Nichols

Cowboys and Family

In a chapter I recently finished for my novel, Trails End, I wrote about my main characters borrowing a car from two cowboys they had only met the day before.

I remember one time when my pick-up broke down at a rodeo, and a friend gave me his truck to get home to my folks house. My Uncle couldn’t believe that someone would do that. “He must be a really good friend to loan you his vehicle,” he commented. I thought that was such a strange thing to say. We swapped cars, rides, equipment, and quite a bit of money. If you were winning, you carried the guys that weren’t. When they were able, they paid you back, and when you were broke, they gladly paid your fees or bought your share of the gas. That’s how we stayed on the rodeo trail. You didn’t go home, you stayed after it till you started winning again. The rodeo family is tight and will take care of their own.

My Mom and Dad came to visit this past Thursday through Monday. They live eight hours away by car, and we don’t get back home near enough to see them as much as we would like. They flew in to Amarillo and it was so good to have them at our house. We didn’t plan any big activities, we simply enjoyed the company and conversation. They also got to spend time with their Grandson and his family, including the one-month-old Great Grand Daughter and two older sisters.

Whether it’s blood relatives or cowboys on the rodeo road, good family is the best support system a person can have.

Thanks Mom and Dad for making the trip. It meant a lot to Dianne and I, and we enjoyed every minute.

A Pinch of Rodeo

                                                           By Joe R. Nichols

Cowboys and Family

In a chapter I recently finished for my novel, Trails End, I wrote about my main characters borrowing a car from two cowboys they had only met the day before.

I remember one time when my pick-up broke down at a rodeo, and a friend gave me his truck to get home to my folks house. My Uncle couldn’t believe that someone would do that. “He must be a really good friend to loan you his vehicle,” he commented. I thought that was such a strange thing to say. We swapped cars, rides, equipment, and quite a bit of money. If you were winning, you carried the guys that weren’t. When they were able, they paid you back, and when you were broke, they gladly paid your fees or bought your share of the gas. That’s how we stayed on the rodeo trail. You didn’t go home, you stayed after it till you started winning again. The rodeo family is tight and will take care of their own.

My Mom and Dad came to visit this past Thursday through Monday. They live eight hours away by car, and we don’t get back home near enough to see them as much as we would like. They flew in to Amarillo and it was so good to have them at our house. We didn’t plan any big activities, we simply enjoyed the company and conversation. They also got to spend time with their Grandson and his family, including the one-month-old Great Grand Daughter and two older sisters.

Whether it’s blood relatives or cowboys on the rodeo road, good family is the best support system a person can have.

Thanks Mom and Dad for making the trip. It meant a lot to Dianne and I, and we enjoyed every minute.

A Pinch of Rodeo

Finishing a Novel

By Joe R. Nichols

The story of a bucking horse and how he directly effects the lives of one main character and four sub-characters, has been in progress for a long time. I am finally nearing the end and it is getting me stirred up.

It’s not a story based on any life experience that I’ve had, yet happenings during my time spent as a rodeo cowboy, allowed me to tell the story.

There are a few incidents in the book, depicting life on the rodeo trail, that have a bases of actual events. I’ll never admit which ones, and those who witnessed or partook in these events, don’t have enough credibility to discredit me. Besides, I changed the facts enough that everything can be flatly denied.

The point is, it’s fun to invent fiction and still have a realistic and profound story. Finally reaching the climax of the novel, and interjecting my brand of realism, is very satisfying.

I hope your interest is tweaked.

A Pinch of Rodeo

By Joe R. Nichols

Cal Farley Boy’s Ranch Rodeo

What an honor to be a part of the Labor Day Rodeo at the Boy’s Ranch.

I’ve never been to a rodeo where the crowd got in to the action more than the fans who came to support these kids. They were looking for any reason to acknowledge the efforts of the contestants, and the cowboys and cowgirls gave them plenty of opportunity to applaud and cheer.

From the little kids stick-horse race, to the senior boys bull riding, they all did their best. They come from all over the country and from all different circumstances. Most of them have no background or knowledge of the sport of rodeo prior to coming to the Boy’s Ranch. That’s what makes it so special to me. They get involved and take it serious. It’s amazing how fast they progress and how competitive they are, but the most impressive aspect, is how these kids pull for each other. This is the story I want to tell.

A senior girl was unable to compete due to a broken arm from a unrelated accident. She was considered to be in the running for the girls all-around title. Her good friend Gabby, a junior, decided before the rodeo, that if she could win the championship saddle, she would give it to her friend.

You have to consider, winning a saddle is a special and rare thing, and very hard to do. I can’t tell you how much it impressed me that this girl would try so hard to win one, and give it away.

Every event she did well in, she would ride out of the arena pointing at her friend, who was unsuspecting. In the pole bending event, she knocked down a pole, and she thought it might cost her the title. In the end, she did win the Senior Girls All-Around Championship.

The rodeo director became very emotional as he explained to the audience what her intentions were. They put the trophy saddle on her horse, then the friend with her arm in a cast, got on. Gabby led her around the arena to much applause and appreciation.

In my mind, it was the highlight of the entire rodeo.This has to say so much about the program at Cal Farley’s and the teachers, staff, administrators, host families, and everyone involved in such a life changing experience for young men and women.

A Pinch of Rodeo

By Joe R. Nichols

Learning how to lose – Part Three

Riding broncs provides a completely different way to lose. So many variables that are out of your control. For instance, the opinion of the judges.

Or; the men opening the gate can give you a bad start, not intentionally, usually by not paying attention, or just not understanding the importance of their job. The flank man can miss pull the flank for several reasons, or just not have it adjusted right. The pick-up men can get in the way and distract the horse. It might have rained and some horses won’t buck well in the mud. The stockman loading the horses might put your horse in the front chute when he wants to circle to the right, giving him no room to do so. Or maybe they put him out of a right hand delivery when he always circles left. Lot’s of things get overlooked during a rodeo performance because of the time limits and pressure to keep the event moving fast. When you draw a good horse, you expect to win, and it’s very frustrating when someone on the labor crew screws up your chance.

Sometimes, a bucking horse just won’t have his day, for no reason anyone can explain. In San Francisco, 1985, I place in the second go-round, and qualified for the short-go. First or second place was out of reach, but third in the average was mine with a score of seventy-three or better. They had previously scored seventy-six and seventy-seven in his first two outs on the horse I drew. I watched the film of him, and he was just a good solid bronc. I couldn’t wait. He started good and I was tapped off. He weakened, but I couldn’t tell what my score would be. Sixty-seven points later, I wanted to puke. I split sixth in the average three ways for a check you couldn’t pay for a six-pack of beer with. Go figure.

One more example of a hard loss to take. The New Mexico State Finals. A two go-round good amateur rodeo. I won second in the first round, and had kind of a rank horse for my second one. Big John of Edgar Wilson’s. Big Bay horse that would go about four jumps down the arena, then turn back and spin to the left. Hard son-of-a-gun to ride. Even though I knew his pattern, he still dumped me to the outside of the spin. I spent three seconds of the ride pushing off my right stirrup, trying to get square in the saddle. Finally, I got back in position and finished the ride well. The instant I heard the eight second horn, I reached down with my free hand and double grabbed my rein. I had all I wanted of Big John.

Even though I had my difficulties riding this horse, I figured I should still win third in the round, and that would be plenty good to win the overall average.

One judge gave me a no score, said I reached down before the whistle. I made my case, saying I heard the whistle, then double grabbed. He said no, I grabbed with my free hand just before the horn sounded. I said, “If I was going to grab down, I would have done it when I was hanging off like some kind of growth on the side of the horse, not after I got back in the middle of him.” He wasn’t interested in my theory.

Behind the chutes, a friend said to me, “You know why that happened, don’t you?”

“I guess I don’t,”

“The buzzer is at the other end of the arena. You heard the sound before the judge did.” I didn’t know, he didn’t know. He wasn’t trying to cheat me, it was just a circumstance. There’s lot’s of ways to lose, none of them good.

It takes perseverance and a good attitude to prevail, no matter what trail in life you’re heading down.

A Pinch of Rodeo

By Joe R. Nichols

Learning How to Lose – Part Two

The manner in which a loss comes to you, can make a huge difference in your mental health for the next twenty-four hours while dealing with the let down. As discussed in part one, when you perform at your best and take advantage of your opportunities, you have to be satisfied no matter the results. But, when the reason for failure is totally your fault, it’s much harder to accept.

Another example from the United States Team Roping Finals in OKC a few years later. My partner and I were seventh high call back. Less than one second separated the top six, and the number one team only had 1.3 seconds advantage over us. When it was our turn to rope, we had to be a 7.2 to take the lead. A respectable time, but very doable.

My mistake was made by concentrating on the 7.2 time, instead of making the run as fast as the steer we had drawn would allow. If we were nine seconds plus, we would have won a lot of money. If I would have focused on the fundamentals, instead of a specific time, we had a steer that we could have easily roped in under seven seconds.

I skipped a very basic step. The steer veered left slightly, and I let my horse run in straight behind him. I should never have let this happen in the first place, but once I recognized I was out of position, I thought I could pull off the shot anyway. After all, we had to be 7.2, I didn’t want to take the time to move my horse over and correct my position.

I missed. I split the horns with my loop, and it flipped off empty. First place paid $69,000, and we had a legitimate opportunity to sack it up. I mentally blew it. Nobody’s fault but mine. No excuses, nothing to do with luck or circumstance, just my bone headed, blanked out lack of focus. Not only did I let myself down, but there’s your partner to consider too. Also your friends and family that have all gathered to watch you and want to see you succeed. It feels like you disappointed the whole world.

This took me years to recover from, if I have ever yet to completely. Before this incident, I was always so confident in the short go rounds. Roping well enough to qualify for the finals, gave me an aggressive, positive attitude, and I always roped my best when the money was up. Fighting off doubt and the fear of failure, became a new process for me. It took a long time to overcome the hesitation and learn to be proactive again.

Do we all let our past mistakes and misjudgments effect our future performance? Yes, we do. It’s just human nature. The secret that everybody knows, therefore it is really no secret, is to not dwell on the past, and to learn from our mistakes. We have to keep competing and repeating the process until we succeed. That’s the hard part, but it’s also no secret.