FreshPlans Goes to the Rodeo

mutton busting

Sure, there were bucking broncos and bulls to ride, but our favorite things at the Rodeo of the Ozarks were the sheep and the goats. Muttonbusting is an event in which little buckaroos attempt to ride sheep. It was a muddy evening when we went, so the kids were attempting to ride slippery sheep through mud and standing water. There were some valiant little riders, too!

Goat dressing involves getting a goat out of the stall, across the field, into a pair of boxer shorts, and back to the stall. This doesn’t hurt the goats, but I guess it embarrasses them. They are completely uncooperative.

By the time the goats had their drawers on, the kids were covered in mud. It was a terrific exercise in teamwork for the goat dressers.

Rodeos were originally a way for cowboys to hone their skills and strut their stuff. The annual cattle drive or gathering up of the cows for branding would culminate in competitions among the cowboys. As railroads replaced cattle drives and the great ranchos were broken up, cowboys had less chance to make a living as cowboys — or more opportunities, to look at it another way, to make a living as showmen. Famous shows like Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show brought in spectators, and the modern rodeo was born.

In 1929, rodeo cowboys got together to establish rules so that regional and national competitions could be held. Now, millions of rodeo fans follow the action and watch the national finals on TV, and rodeo cowboys are professional athletes more often than they’re professional cowboys.

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