Los Angeles herald., 1890-09-15
ROPING TEXAS STEERS.
A REMARKABLE CONTEST AT A
COUNTY FAIR IN THE SOUTH.

Furious Animals Turned Loose for the
Men and Ponies to Tussle with-Pe-
culiar Sagacity of the Little Ponies.
Men Who Have to Be Quick.
One of the most interesting things saw
while l was in Texas was a roping contest
at the Concho county fair The winner of
the first prize-a beautiful cowboy saddle
was to be the contestant who should rope
and tie down steer in the shortest time.
The second prize was O gorgeous gold and
silver trimmed sombrero, and was to be
won by the contestant making second best
time.
It is the intention to run up as close
alongside or behind the steer as possible,
and, while going about his own gait, throw
the rope over his horns; then by following
along with the rope slack it may be gotten
clear under him as he runs; then by taking
a turn around the pommel it is secured,
the pony suddenly stopped, braced with all
his strength, and the steer is thrown clean
heels over head literally. BY a dexterous
jerk and good management a steer may be
thrown when the rope has caught but one
horn, but it will usually slip off
If, when he has been roped and the rope
bolts sideways, he is very apt to pull horse
and rider especially if he be big and
the pony little. When the steer has been
thrown all right the rider jumps off and
runs to tie him, leaving the pony to hold
him by keeping the line from the pommel
to his horns taut. And this was to me the
prettiest picture in the whole panorama.
The sagacious little pony standing with
his nose to the fallen adversary, straining
at the line, and watching the steer with
bright, knowing eyes. He realizes that he's
in a bad fix if the steer gets up and he
hasn't the least intention of letting him do
, so.
In the first place all the wild and vicious
steers that can be found ON the ranges and
ranches about are gathered up and brought,
fighting, believing and protesting, to the
fair grounds and put in pen there.
HOW THE STEER is ROPED.
When the fair commences the steer is
hailed about with sticks, clubs, yells and
whoops, until perfectly maddened, when
the outer bars are suddenly withdrawn
and he leaps out into the opening The
contestant whose turn it is is stationed
close to one side, and is after him like a
shot.
The first steer was a big, lean, sorrel col
ored one. with horns about four feet
across at the points, and that ran like
deer. The cowboy was fine, handsome,
keen looking fellow, and his pony one of
the best COW ponies in the country a little
white fellow, bearing the favorite name of
Possum, with big, bright, black eyes, as
quick as a cat, regular trump" They
got a fair start with the steer, the throw
was made successfully, and then came the
moment of suspense, when the pony was
e,fr n.v,ty, u
steer, while the rider watched each turn to
catch and throw him by an endwise jerk
This he succeeded in doing, then leaped
from the saddle to site him down." leaving
Possum to hold him. He had but touched
the ground when the steer made sudden
convulsive effort and rose to his feet. But
Possums eye was on him; he instantly ran
backward and jerked him fat. By this
time the cowboy reached the steer, jumped
on him and tied his feet and the business
was completed.
Now recommended the yelling and whoop-
ing and big white steer tears into the pen
and is half across the bars before he can be
beaten back. He finally bursts through
the bars before they can be taken down.
This time it is the deputy sheriff that after
ward had the scrimmage with the MeXi-
cans at Knickerbocker, mounted on lit
Capt. Scott, and captain he proves him
self.
A sAGACIoUS PONY.
He quickly overhauls the steer, the throw
is made, the rope secured, and then the big
brute bolts sideways like lightning, and
horse and rider go over in horrible confu-
sion.
Hurrah for the captain! He's up and
off! It's he and the steer for it. And now
there were screams and roars of laughter
and shouts of admiration as the plucky lit
tie fellow lodged and tackled and jerked
the big animal about till attendants could
come up and cut the rope and drive him
into the outer regions.
Here comes the next candidate for the
rope. This time the roper is a handsome
boy of 81 or %, whose father owns big
ranch, of which the young man is manager.
Off they go, the fiery little pony fairly fly
ing over the ground. The steer is roped,
thrown-not without a struggle-and has
only to be tied to complete the job But
the moment he feel the young fellows
weight upon him he rises like shot.
Everybody is breathless-we hardly know
whether to laugh or be terrified
But the pony doesn't debate. Heprompt-
ly hauls the would be "ridin' hoss" down
with backward plunge, and keeps drag
ging him little as he struggles to rise, un-
til hisHnaster has him safely tied; and all
with such little snorts, such tossings of his
pretty head, and kickings out of the little
slim heels, such sharp neighs and flirtings
of his tail as were for all the world like ar
ticulate speech.
This was the very cutest pony of all, and
when his master got on him after tying
down his steer he went off fairly dancing
and swelling with pride and high spirits.
THE PRIZE WINNER.
After this there were one or two failures,
one horse falling in a prairie dog hole and
one man missing the throw it had taken
him long to get close enough to make.
And now came an unusually wild, ugly
steer, and the funniest kind of a pair to
run after him and catch him. The pony
was little, ratty roam, and the man big,
heavy and awkward looking. Everybody
laughed when they sailed in close on the
heels of the vamoosing, buckshin colored
steer. But that little beetle bug of pony
just caught up with the great long legged
creature, the big, clumsy looking man
threw his rope like streak of inebriated
lightning over his horns, threw him end
wise till looked to hear his neck crack,
then hoped out of the saddle like little
circus boy and tied him with neatness and
dispatch. He, out of all the fine athletic