My day yesterday both began and ended with horses.
As I was pulling off the trail yesterday morning after my run I saw this man and his grazing horse in the parking lot.
I see horse trailers often in the parking lot but very rarely run into horses or their riders, either in the lot or out on the trail, so was surprised to see these guys.
Still listening to Tool on my head phones I smiled at the man as I began to walk through the lot, drinking water through the hose of my water bladder and trying to slow my racing heart rate back down to normal.
The morning had been overcast and too warm and as a result I was also too warm, and as usual wishing that the temperature had been 20 degrees colder than it actually was.
The man smiled back at me and I pulled my headphones off, said hello and asked if I could pet his horse.
I spent a few minutes petting this beautiful and friendly girl whose name was Casey and talking briefly with the man, learning that he had retired from the base.
It was a brief and friendly and unexpected visit with horse and man..............
I saw an ad in the local newspaper a couple of weeks ago for a rodeo.
Located at the Calsonic Arena close to the Walking Horse stadium in Shelbyville, it was billed as the largest one day rodeo in Tennessee, and I enthusiastically purchased the tickets the other day, greatly looking forward to a taste of the cowboy lifestyle that we enjoyed so much while living in Cody Wyoming.
Expectations were low truthfully because tickets were cheap and this was Tennessee and not Wyoming.
LC had told me of times he had been to other rodeos in Tennessee and they were small and ramshackle affairs.
As we got closer to the arena we both looked at each other doubtfully.
The traffic was awful and both my Mountain Boy and I wondered just how much fun we would have, crammed into an indoor stadium with what looked like many many hundreds of other folks.
It took 20 slow bumper-to-bumper minutes to drive the last road, get into the parking lot and find a parking spot.
Neither of us had ever been to the Calsonic before and when we both walked into the arena were surprised that it was still only half full.
We were an hour early but the traffic had been so bad we felt certain that the place would already be packed.
As we walked in I smiled at the sight of cattle in corrals close to the main entrance.
I was instantly glad that we had come to the rodeo...............
45 minutes after we arrived the arena was almost completely filled with fellow rodeo goers, and the announcer called over the loud speaker for children to head down to the floor for cowboy and cowgirl costume judging............
I smiled as I looked at these little guys - all of a sudden little rural Tennessee children had turned into little cowpokes, complete with hats and gun belts and dusters and chaps..............
A bareback bronc rider preparing for his ride just before the singing of the national anthem.............
The lights turned down as one adult and one child rider rode into the center of the ring carrying American flags, and during the singing of the national anthem...............
Introduction of the riders representing Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.
This rodeo contained all of the major rodeo events - bareback bronc riding, calf roping, cowgirls breakaway roping, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc roping, bull riding, cowgirls barrell racing etc...............
Many of these pictures are not good.
Not enough light.
Too far away.
A camera unable to compensate for the light or distance or speed of movement, but they still give a sense of the feel and excitement and fun of the night.
Click on the pictures to enlarge them...............
One of many brief comedy skits schedule in between the cowboy action.
Between the lame rodeo clown jokes and the lame comedy skits it was all very hokey and good fun.
A really wonderful and wholesome way for families and couples to spend a Saturday night..............
Until I saw this jacket I had no idea that this region had high schools with rodeo teams or that there was a high school rodeo association..............
I'm not usually a fan of dog acts, but this group of Heinz-57 mutts who were either saved from the pound or found on the streets looked so well taken care of, and had tails wagging so joyously throughout their act, that it was obvious they both loved their owners and loved what they were doing.............
The event was put on by the Lone Star Championship Rodeo company.
It was a huge event packed with riders and horses and bulls and dogs and clowns and jokesters and music and a stadium filled with appreciative rodeo lovers.
After spending almost 3 hours we called it a night and missed the bull riding, but had a very excellent time none-the-less.
A great event and a great time.............
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