So continuing post #455:
Friday evening my son and his wife pulled into camp. Logan was scheduled to compete on Saturday. He'd had a hard day of cowboying and then a 3 hour drive over to the show. He'd had to chase a lot of wild cattle down through washes and streams where bad things grow. Downtown Mr Brown, Logan's horse paid the price. His tail was full of burrs.
Really the only thing ya can do is squirt his tail with WD 40 and hand pick em out.
They got three coffee cups of these burrs out of Brown's tail. Talk about a burr under his tail! On top, under, both sides and throughout his tail. At the end of the day on Friday Logan was carrying a calf back in the saddle with him. Sometimes a calf will run out of gas, or they're newborn and not very strong or they're sickly. Now when ya do this ya got your hands full with a squirming calf, who's probably gonna poop down your leg, your driving your horse. Years ago, I went about 5 miles with the reins in my teeth doing this. Down a real long rugged canyon. The little calf couldn't keep up with his mom and every once in a while she'd get pissed, come running back and head butt AJ The Wonder Horse, who'd paw her head a little. Ya basically can have your hands full. Here's me the following weekend after the show:
Been years since I'd done this but Ol George was ok with it except when the calf would kick him some with those sharp little hooves. Tyler my friend had got down and picked this calf up and placed him in the saddle with me. Then he got back on Dusty his horse. Funny thing was George is walking on down the road and the calf would squirm and George was ok with it but Dusty started bucking, that calf was NOT suppose to be on top of George. And yeah the calf pooped down my leg! Anyhoo, I was talking with Logan as he was picking burrs and I said that could be tough with your hands all full and Brown swishes his tail and gooses himself with those burrs. Logan said it happened. He had that calf and Brown swished his tail and the burrs got caught on saddle blanket and the tail was stuck and the burrs were goosing Brown in places were Brown didn't want to be goosed and he's jumping sideways and Logan is reaching back with his foot to try and kick the tail loose. Sometimes cowboyin' can get pretty western, pretty fast.
So this roping is a Pro Am, you come to town with a partner and one of 20 Pros are pulled out of the hat to make up your three man team. Half the teams (80 odd) go on Friday and half (84) go on Saturday. The top 25 teams from each day come back for the finals on Sunday. Thursday evening, when they were doing the drawing assigning the pros, Steve came into the booth and told us Logan and Easton, his partner, had drawn Dwight as their Pro. Now Dwight is a friend and customer and probably the most successful, competitive ranch roper there is. He ropes with Nichole often in other events. A few minutes later Dwight came by the booth and told us "I giggled like a little girl" when he heard he'd drawn Logan and Easton, he was seeing $$$ signs and this roping is the biggest ranch roping there is they pay BIG $$$$. Logan and Easton are always a team to watch in this deal so Dwight was really happy with that draw. I've never not seen Dwight in the money at this deal in the 8 years that they've been having it.
Saturday morning each team goes on one head and then later after all the teams run through they come back and do another two head. They are running two arenas side by side at the same time and somehow my friend Jeff, the announcer, can keep em both straight, tell ya whats going on, who's riding what horse, who just threw what shot and provide color commentary as well for both arenas, at the same time. He is absolutely a multitasker of the higest order or maybe crazy.
The team cussing and discussing their plans. Logan on the left and Easton and then Dwight.
The flagger will give them a number (there is 30 head of cattle with small 2"x4" numbers pasted to their forehead). You cross the line in the arena and time starts. You walk or trot (no loping or running until the cow is roped) into the herd and find your cow and rope it. You have to go really quiet cause you will loose points if any of the other of the cattle cross the start line. No ramming and jamming. You are awarded points based on the degree of difficulty of the shot. A turnover shot is 12 points, a hoolihan is 9 points a scoop loop is 11 points etc. One point off for each miss and on the heel shots if you only get one heel, only half the points that that shot is worth. You can throw a trip to help bring the cow down more gently and thats plus two.
So Easton went in and nailed a perfect turnover head shot for 12.
He set Dwight up for a fancy heel shot but the calf stepped out of it. Logan threw a Hip Shot.
But he missed too. It was in there but the calf stepped out again. Dwight nailed the heels but came up with one and Logan jumped down to do the groundwork. Time ends when he stands back up from fixing the ropes. He has to tail the cow down, fix the rope so its on both back feet, take the head rope off and put it on both front feet, the cow is not always cooperative.
Time! The flagger drops the flag when Logan stands back up. There are also time points awarded, 9 points for under 1.30 minutes, 6 points for under 2 minutes, 3 points for under 3 minutes and if not done by 4 minutes a no time. They got 9 points on this run for their time.
So later that afternoon they go again. Another rule is that all three team members must head at least one time, so Easton can't head this time. They move to the other arena for their second and third go.
Logan goes in this time and throws another turn over to head their number.
He's a past master of this throw. If ya notice his hand is kinda at a funny angle and as he throws, it will snap down and to the outside causing the loop, in mid flight to the cows head, to rotate over 180 degrees on its axis before it catches. Their are several different turn over shots and all are difficult and that is why they are worth the most points, 12.
Nailed it and he's letting the calf stand for Dwight who is going to throw a very fancy turnover shot for the heels.
See how Dwight's loop is in front of the hind feet.
Logan goes with the calf to help bring it into Dwight's loop but it stepped out. Easton was standing by with a heel shot but missed and Dwight was rebuilt by that time and ready to throw again:
Bam worked this time but only comes up with one hind foot.
Logan rides forward and throws his slack in front of the calf. Dwight allows the calf to step over the slack and Logan has thrown the perfect trip to bring the calf down gently for 2 extra points:
The trip allows Logan to pull both front feet off the ground too and thats why the calf goes down so gently.
Easton does the groundwork and bam another great run.
So we'll continue our story some more as I can and questions are always welcome. Hope ya having fun following along.