Years ago, I used to rodeo a lot. In 1973 I got on 165 bareback horses. In those days Rodeo Schools had just made an entrance. I attended a couple put on by Mel Autry.
I loved Mel. He was an old school cowboy back in the Jim Shoulders day and had won some of the big Shows.
Madison Square Garden, Phoenix etc. He taught me a ton and sped up my learning curve big time.
I‘d never heard of jumping a horse out. I thought he was kidding me but he said no, I’m serious. I was probably 19 at the time and he told me if I was going to hit the road hard that I’d encounter a lot of chute crazy horses. To them it’s a big game.
They throw a fit, flip on you etc. He told me to stand above the horse, nod and as the gate was swinging open jump down on him and that really, I’d be in better timing with him.
The first horse they didn’t swing the gate open and I got thrown down under the horse in the chute and took a bad stomping. The next horse was another bad wipe-out.
I got on four horses at the school and had a rodeo that night. I’d broken my tail bone and got beaten up a bit that day before the rodeo.
I’d drawn a good horse and should have been able to win the rodeo but was so sore that I couldn’t ride him right so I only won fourth place. But I soon mastered jumping out horses and would just as soon jump one out as to come out setting on him. But more on this in a later article.
Back in the day I don’t know if I knew but maybe one other Christian cowboy.
It was pretty wild. Well years ago, I took a job in Limon, Colorado for 1.5 years and met Dude Kissel who has since been a best buddy.
He told me about a Rodeo Bible Camp that they put on in Hugo, Colorado and asked if I wanted to help out. Sure!
I’ve helped a bit since and in fact, will be flying over there in a couple of weeks. Which brings up this week’s topic-the Hi-Plains Rodeo Bible Camp. If you’re a kid and wanting to learn how to rodeo you ought to check it out.
While we don’t do rough stock riding events, there are plenty of events to sharpen up your cowboy/cowgirl skills. Here’s the details.
EVENTS
Team roping, breakaway roping, calf roping, goat tying, barrels, poles and Ranch Horse Horsemanship. Prizes to each event
WHERE-Lincoln County Fairgrounds-Hugo, CO
WHEN-June 12-14, 2024
COST- $100-includes room/board
AGES 12-18, unless accompanied by adult
Registration questions-Sherri Carr- FCA rep.
Email: scarr@fca.org- cell- 719-892-0308.
Don’t trust me on the gory details, call Sherri but in a nutshell, you’ll check in Wednesday. Feed horses/stock at daylight, morning devotions, breakfast and then rodeo instructions all day. Devotions at night and then some crazy games. They serve 3-solid meals per day.
It is put on by some good cowboys and cowgirls so you’ll be able to learn a lot. It’s a fun camp and some solid people work at the camp. It’s under the FCA umbrella.
And I’ve finally gotten promoted. Last time I didn’t have to sleep in the rabbit barn.
The boys all sleep on the ground in the rabbit barn. You ever try to control 50 little cowboys in a rabbit barn with the lights out? And did I mention the leaky spots in the roof? And it always rains or hails which causes a little uproar.
Then there’s the dang ranch kid that has a rooster crowing full blast for an alarm clock. Everyone else is getting up at let’s say 5:45 and of course he has his alarm set for 5:15.
Of course he can sleep through a nuclear blast so he doesn’t wake up until the whole barn is awake and the kids are about to lynch him. By the time I save his life every morning I figure I might as well get up.
Last camp I didn’t have to sleep in the rabbit barn. I felt like I’d gotten a $200,000 raise and a promotion. I guess some other poor sucker is suffering in my place. But-every man for himself in situations like these!
Tom Claycomb is a hunting enthusiast and writes a bi-monthly column for Great Basin Sun.