JDW Photos and Life

This is the rodeo event that makes very little sense to me but it doesn't have to. If nothing else, the competition is real. A goat is leashed to a tether in the arena. A cowgirl comes racing into the arena on a horse in full gallop (just like barrel racing). She gets off this running horse and runs to the goat to get it on its side and hog-tie it like the roped calves we saw earlier. It is certainly more gentle handling than the calves but that's good as the goats are a lot smaller. A single goat goes through 3 participants and is then swapped for another goat. For reference, the goats are carried into the arena by the cowgirl you see next to the judge in the last photo. The goats are not big ol' billy goats. Oh well, to each their own. The first TAMU cowgirl in this event was Aly Ghormley. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

The second (and last) TAMU competitor in Steer Wrestling was Trace Harris. His horse ran closer to the steer than the photos shared yesterday. This is good for the cowboy but bad for my photos! The horse photos were good! Again, the steer was hard to actually get off its feet causing the time to go a bit "long". Just as a fun reference, I took 36 photos in this sequence. The time stamp from the first photo (9:41:14) to the last photo (9:41:17) was 3 seconds. In an event that is judged in 1/100 seconds, any delay is trouble. I do not know any of the standings for the night (sorry). You see one of the professional photographers not taking any photos since the only safe place on the arena floor is behind the action. There was a second professional photographer opposite of me shooting from the front rail of the stands. I'll take my photos. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

  The next event was actually Saddle Bronc but TAMU did not have an entry this night. I may come back later and share a few non-A&M photos but the focus for now is A&M participants. Steer Wrestling is a strange event in my opinion. I fully understand bareback and saddle bronc riding as they are variants of breaking-in a wild horse. I've always imagined a couple of cowboys needing to capture a large steer and the team roping (later event) didn't go as planned. One of the cowboys hollared at the other and said "Watch This!!!" (before the "hold my beer" trend) and dove off his horse (that is in a full run), down onto a steer with horns, and pulls him to the ground. After doing this a few times, the other cowboy had to up the ante said he would ride a bull (again, later). A Steer Wrestler is a pretty tough dude for sure. A&M had two participants. This is Paxton Wood doing his thing on a big, strong steer that gave him all he wanted. He made an impres...

A few photos of Chesney Johnston. Her calf was one of the toughest this night. He was super fast and broke to the left out of the shoot. It just wasn't our Aggies' night as both of our ladies missed their calf in this event. The last photo kind of says it all. There will be another day. Just another observation - it always amazes me the focus of the horse with a rope swinging around its head and then right across its face on the way to the calf. If you have never been around such a horse, there is a ton of training and work involved (not to mention money). Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

The next event was Breakaway. This is the women's version of roping. Yes, the traditional world of cowboys and cowgirls still makes a distinction between the sexes in athletic events. Long may it live. The skill of the cowgirl and horse (significant for both) are the same as the men's version - the only part missing is the takedown and hog-tie of the calf at the end. As the name implies, the timer ends when the rope breaks away from the saddle with the other end around the calf's neck. Though her throw missed slightly, Madi Outhier still gave us a show. I'm probably pushing e-mail limits with six photos but I could not decide which one to delete. Just FYI, I picked these from 20 or more. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

I've decided to limit my e-mails to one message per TAMU participant (13 total). I'll pick 3 - 5 photos for that contestant for mail. Picking the "best" will not be easy since I have some solid contenders. I'll post a bit larger number on Facebook though I know many of you do not visit that site. I'll probably pick a few non-TAMU participants for events that TAMU did not have one. Tiedown roping is the classic one-on-one chase between a cowboy/horse and a calf. This is what happens post calving season and is a staple in taking care of any sickness in the herd. Branding and steer-making are usually part of a roundup and inside a pen. This roping is out in the open range/field and when the calf is still small enough to be taken down by a single cowboy. We (Dad and I) would rope and bring down the calf and the other would manage the shots and such. The livestock provider to this rodeo had some VERY spirited calves. They were fast and strong. In the rodeo event, t...

Oh my! Two days in a row. We are getting into a string with many more to come. Some more of the ride from the one Aggie (Gavin French) in this event. This is one tough and strong cowboy for sure - not to mention a very strong and determined horse! Running into that side wall adds an extra dimension of danger. All ended well for horse and rider. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/