Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-11-20
A COWBOYS TOURNAMENT.
LAssoITG WILD STEERS FOR PRIZES
IN NEW MEXICO.
Picturesque Scenes on the Rio Grande
A Contest for Supremacy be-
tween 1--WE Territories.

DANh OiNOig VI AAlIthGhD NOhuAJY
Arizona" shouted man with broad
brimmed hat, and tEereupon a host
of similar hats, bedecked with silver
cord and other ornamentation, went
whirling into the air, while cowboy yells
and Mexican cheers greeted the contest
ants for equestrian honors.
"Hes a rustler" said a cowboy, as
broncho and rider seemed to spring
through the crowd. "Hell make some
of these tenderfoot greasers weep, you
bet, and the speaker hurled his forty
dollar sombrero high above his head and
let out a blood curdling yell borrowed
from some Apache over the Black range.
The cause of all this excitement was the
annual tournament held at Albuquerque,
New Mexico, near the banks of the
now sluggish Rio Grande. Nearly every
prominent citizen of Arizona and New
Mexico was on hand, and while the sup
posed object of the exposit on was to
display the possibilities of those talked
of States of the future it was evident
that the people were to be amused; hence
the days were mostly taken up with rae
ing and tournaments of various kinds.
There had been trotting and running
races the day before. Burros had been
matched, and everything that could
''rustle" had been put on the track, but
to day the skill Of the two rival territor-
les was to be matched in a lassoing test
that was as exciting in its way as a gen
uine bull fight. This performance was
called cropping in, !" and to be q success
full roper is the ambition of every cow
boy, for in this art lies the money value
of these rather curious and reckless
specimens of humanity. Roping is liter.
ally lassooing wild steer, throwing it
on its side and tying it securely, so that
it can be branded, and to determine
who could do this in the quickest time
was the object of the tournament of this
day. The grounds resembled q New
York race track, with a common grand
stand in which was assembled the
beauty and fashion of Albuquerque,
Las Vegas, and other thriving mining
towns. The prime mover was one RoX
Hardy, who rejoiced in the possession
of the title of the king of the COWBOYS,
and the local paper is the authority for
the statement that he is the handsomest
cowboy in New Mexico. Rox had
about ten men to assist him, and the en-
tire group constituted the judges. These
latter took position upon the left of the
cattle pen, while opposite stood a motley
crowd of cowboys and greaserS in 6
variety of costumes that would have at
tracted tie attention of Ned Kendall's
ghost. All were mounted on wiry
bronchos, many of them champion buck
ers, whose saddles were often richly or
namented with leather, while over thu
high pommel was colled the rope lasso
! All the COWBOYS wore the sombrero, anC
| the ornamentation on a number of then
must have represented two or three
months wages. Some of these hats are
valued as high as 500. There was evi
IDENTIFY much rivalry between the Ameri
cans and greasers, (Mexicansl.
Even the horses seemed to share the
general impatience, rushing suddenly OF
to the field, bucking, leaping and plung
ing, but finally the command came. Mr.
Dick Greer drew little to the front, anC
for a moment silence reigned. TIL
judges opened their watches; an excited
cowboy yelled "Stand back" the specta
tors including the writer, made rusl
for the fence, and with swing the COW
boy threw open the gate, wbereupon
huge long horned unbranded steer spran,
into the field. For a second it stooc
trembling with a conflict of emotions
then with a glance at the mountet
"punchers" it rushed away. Now ros
a shout that could have been heard ava
over the Rio Grande. The cowboy hat
struck his iangling sixteenth centur,
spurs into the broncho and the littl
horse was tearing over the grass after tn
frightened animal, Now the lasso i
swung; off it goes whirling through tn
air. He has him, and shout rises fror
the throng. No, the steer is an oil
hand and turns quickly, dashing at tn
horse, that by sudden leap avoids th
charge. Now they are off again, tn
cowboy quickly hauling in the lasso, AM
in a few seconds he is close on the fieein
animal. The pace is so heavy that til
little broncho has difficulty in keepin.
up, but he is game, and soon carries hi
rider within range. The steer vainl
endeavored to shake it off and increase
the speed, but squirting the bronch
the cowboy soon crossed the bows of tn
steer, as a sailor man put it. The me
ment this was accomplished the intel
ligence of the broncho was exhibited, tn
wiry animal stopping instantly and brac
ing back, jerking the steer the momen
the rope became taut quickly 10 tn
ground. The cowboy was upon the spo
in second, and while the little hors
at the end of the rope forty feet ava
held the animal he bound its feet an
threw up his hands to the distant Judge,
roar of applause greeting the action.
"One minute and ffty-fve seconds,
said a Judge, as he galloped up with
crowd of followers to examine the stee,
whose legs were found to be securel
tied.
"That's pretty good time, :" reioined
spectator, "but I've seen it done in lie:
up in Colorado on Major Shambley
ranch. y but further criticism was inte
rupted by fresh steer that had been IT
leased, and soon Mexican was in pun
suit. Luck was against him; he misse
the brute, and in turning it broke dow
the fence and rushed out of the fielC
believing with rage, into the crowd {
lookers-on. The Albuquerque guard
who were in camp fell quickly back
women screamed, and the boys and me
who were peeping through the outsid
fence shouted with delight as the an
NAL dashed through the main gate an
down the street toward the town.
But the heat was a short one. Tw
cowbows leaned the fence and 500
caught up with it, and Simultaneous
their lassoes landed on the long horn
The bronchos settled back, and in a clou
| ,f Hat a. ct,or ,,.oa al ,,,,on .