Rodeo Highs and Two Lows

Top Ten Things about the Rodeo
1.  Free Tickets
2.  Cowboy Boots
3.  Family Night
4.  Cowboy Hats
5.  Corny Rodeo Clown
     Clown:  We need to stop the rodeo!!!
     Announcer:  Why?  What's wrong?
     Clown:  I've dropped my gum.
     Announcer:  Why can't you just chew another piece?
     Clown:  Because the piece I lost has my teeth in it!
6.  Cowboys
7.  Emily's face during the goat roping.  (Imagine terrified distortion!)
8.  Knowing the vet was present for the "equine and bovine athletes".
9.  Emily yelling "Run, goat, run!"
10.  Cheering for the Bobcat Rodeo Team.  (who knew?) 

Two Lows
1.  Watching a bucked cowboy leave the arena with (I'm pretty sure) a broken bone.
2.  Witnessing something called a "Cow Milking".  For those of you that have never heard of this, at least in a rodeo arena, let me try and explain.  The announcer calls for the Cow Milking Teams to get in place.  He calls the first time, and I turn to Emily and say "Did he say Cow Milking Teams?"  He calls the second time, and I turn to Jim and say "Did he say Cow Milking Teams?  COW. MILKING?"  So before the event begins, the teams line up in front of the shoot gates.  The announcer tells the crowd that each of the six teams will need to drag their cow across the arena and... (at which point I said "DRAG their cow?" so I heard no other instructions.)  The gates suddenly opened and there were six cows, large cows, large confused cows, on ropes.  Each team attempted to drag their cow, but it looked more like mayhem!  I am sure one team member was trampled and at least one cow was seriously traumatized.  She just laid there long after she had been milked.  I was sure she was broken.  But eventually she did get up and trot out of the arena.  It was at this point the announcer thanked the resident veterinarian for being there to care for the "equine and bovine athletes".  Yeah, that's what they are, athletes. 

All this to say, I would definitely go again.  I'd probably wear by boots next time.  I'd probably take a potty break during the Cow Milking.  And I'd definitely take my camera.  You probably don't even believe any of this, but you darn-tootin' would if I'd taken my camera!