Deep in the Heart of Texas

Wow!! Words are really not going to do justice to describe the cultural experience I had last night! I have three words for you- Saturday night Rodeo. In Texas!! I just don't think it gets any better than that!! I'm really not sure where to begin!!!

First of all, I was there for work and we incorporated it into a story we were doing. So we got the behind the scenes tour of the rodeo. VIP section in style. Royal Cowgirl treatment. Our wonderful escort, Natalie, told us to meet her by the covered wagon. You know it's going to be a good time when that is your first step of directions.

We were at the Heart of Texas fairgrounds and it was the second night of the fair/rodeo. I've been to the Salem (VA) Fair many times before but this was way beyond comparison. Let's just say the people watching on a scale of 1 to 10 was at least a 125. I couldn't even count the cowboy hats. Amazing!!! This was one of those places that didn't serve any food unless it was fried and on a stick. And pretty much you can fry anything and put it on a stick. I was offered "fried sneakers" or at least it sounded like that the six times I asked her to repeat it.

Inside the rodeo, I was clueless. I have seen it in the movies and skipped past it on TV but in real life, it was awesome!!! I quickly became a student of the rodeo and learned so much, mainly just trying to figure out what the fascination was all about. I came to the conclusion that it's in their blood. We were in the special VIP box right next to all the action and I still don't quite understand why grown men would think it was a good idea to ride a horse or bull for 8 seconds and then get thrown off, landing on their back and then trying to run away from an angry horse or cow. I met some really nice Texans, Claude and Becky, who tried their best to explain each event and how they do it. They could have been speaking Mandarin Chinese because I didn't understand a word they were saying. I just smiled and nodded.

I enjoyed the different events and laughed hysterically at some. I think my favorite was the Mutton Busting. I am not making this up as my Texas friends will attest. But basically they put 4 year olds hanging on to dear life to the back of a sheep and then let the sheep out of the pen. A few seconds later, the kid falls off and is semi-trampled by a mad sheep. And somehow this does not constitute child abuse. Only in Texas. You just try to do that in DC!! Anyway, the winner was a little girl who was handed a trophy that was clearly twice her size and she got a new pair of cowgirl boots. Oh and a picture with Miss Texas Rodeo.

I particularly liked the calf scramble. I can now report that I know what that is. Basically they let about 10 mad calves out in the arena and then let 20 mad teenagers out to chase after them and tackle them. I'm not sure what possesses someone to try to take down a 400 pound animal with only a rope but it was quite impressive. The grownup cowboys did that for 600 pound steers. I still don't quite get it.

The pinnacle event was the bull riding and we were in the best seats in the house. Unfortunately with the somewhat dark lighting and my still crappy camera, I didn't catch it in a great photo but I'll post what I did get just as soon as I get home. Eight seconds is not a long time but it certainly is long enough to get thrown to the ground off a huge bull and then barely be able to get up and walk away from yet another mad animal.

Last night was Sweethearts night and while I was hoping that meant I could leave the rodeo after finding my future husband, that really referred to a group of high school girls who had to try out to be part of the Sweethearts group. This was a really select group. They had to have a
'B' average and not have any kids or be married. They did things like help brush off the 4 or 5-year olds after the mutton busting. They were all perfect looking Texas girls.

I thoroughly enjoyed my evening surrounded by cowboys. They were real cowboys, (not the football team!) and I really liked them! I love the fact that they tip their hats when talking to females! At one point I went into the VIP Cowboy lounge and I seriously think every single eye was on me and they were probably pretty close to a random chorus of the song from Sesame Street "One of These Things (is Not Like the Others)". I was literally the only one in the bar that didn't have a belt buckle the size of a hubcap, a cowboy hat, or something that had rhinestones on it. But they still tipped their hat when they said hello to me. Be still my heart! :)