Wrangler Country

Mutton Busting-my favorite rodeo event!

This past weekend Lacey and I ventured down to Escalante Utah for some rootin tootin Pioneer Day celebrations. I must admit I was 100% impressed at the magnitude of the scheduled celebrations. Friday night saw a childrens rodeo and a Ho down with live entertainment. Bright and early saturday morning a parade made its way down Main Street leaving the kiddies with more candy than the cutest Halloween costume could obtain. That afternoon there was a carnival with booths a plenty in the local park where you could get your very own P-shooter or tatoo before jumping around on the bouncy castle. The real fun was had at the four hour long rodeo on saturday night which was topped off with a rather lengthy and surely expensive firework display. All in all it was a blast to escape from Provo for a couple of days and quite a little dose of culture shock as I left my four wheeler and spurs at home.

A couple of the highlights include but are not limited to:

-The gender confusion float. This float featured men dressed as old pioneer Relief Society Women. Not sure if they were short on female volunteers or what!

-Four wheelers parked in just about every front yard or driveway. Apparently these are also considered legal modes of transportation as I saw many on the road as we were driving around town.

-Riding home with Lacey's mom in her truck. We put our luggage in the bed of the truck with the dogs. Much to my chagrin one of the dogs had overeaten just before jumping in the truck so at one point I looked back and noticed a rank pool of doggy throw up threatening to tarnish my stuff. Luckily all that was maimed was my tennis shoes which thankfully can be washed!

-Conversations about the familial ties of Lippy, Christine, Lightening Jack and Old Whiskey. These anecdotes were not about people but horses and cows.

-At the baptism of Lacey's cousin on sunday the brother who was conducting the meeting was adorned in a shiny black leather suit with cowboy boots of course and a rockin guitar tie???? He also enjoyed referring to the little guy who was getting baptized as "cowboy."

-The rodeo was deep immersion for me into the cowboy culture. Everywhere I looked I was shocked and amazed by the three year olds riding around on horses completely on their own!

-The absolute highlight of the rodeo would have to be when one of the bulls got out of control mad. First he broke out into the arena where he sent all the rodeo hands running in fear of being bucked into oblivion. He ran around the arena and quickly approached Miss Rodeo Utah who had been hanging out inside the arena. To my great entertainment she shot right up over the fence faster than I thought humanly possible and once she was up top just plummeted head first over the other side...her piles of blond hair just toppled to the ground. I had the best seat in town for this side show I only wish I could have captured it on film.

-Even more exciting and terrifying than an escape into the arena was when the bull broke a fence and escaped all together sending half a dozen men on horses after it to rope it up and lock it down.