, 1891-12-01
HE sTUCk TO THE sTEED
C~olOrado's Stock Inspector Rides IA
Bucking Broncho in South Omaha

lOmaha bee
There was fun galore at the stock yards
yesterday morning over a bet involving
the riding of a wild, fiery steed from Col
orado.
A shipper from that state had brought
in a bunch of about eighty horses, and
IN the presence of Mark Betham, state
brand inspector of Colorado, and Theo.
Sanders, purchaser for the Hammond
Packing company, remarked that there
was one horse in the group that nobody
had ever been able to ride. Inspector
Betham remarked that he believed that he
could ride the animal, whereupon San
ders shook a s. bill IN his face with the
remark that he couldn't, aud that piece
of rae money would be his if he could.
Betham accepted the bet and put up a
FIVE to cover Sanders money. Brand In
spector Talbot OF Wyoming held the
stakes.
The news spread quickly through the
yards and even up town, and a great
crowd gathered to witness the sport.
Betham put on a par of chaps, Sc
cured a lariat and accompanied by Mr..
Reed, a cowboy. rode lGto the enclosure.
The first throw OF the lariat into the surg
ing mass of wild steeds merely struck the
intended victim on the side of the neck.
While on the swing preparatory for the
next throw, the lasso slipped over Beth
ans head. The crowd jeered and the
inspector good naturally remarked that
it was a horse on him. AT the fourth
throw the rone fell over the steed's neck.
although he was in the center of the
bunch. The crowd then sent up a loud
cheer. Then followed a succession of
plunges and rearing by the captured ami
NAL, but in about ten minutes he had
pretty well tired himself out. The in.
spector's pony proved a valuable ally
meanwhile by his intelligence.
Betham shifted the end of the lariat
over to his cowboy companion and. dis.
mounting, walked slowly toward the only
partially subdued '%'critter,' whose eyes,
by the way, were the most wicked looklnl
in the herd. Betham slowly advanced
toward the animal, talking coaxingly ant
in short time had his hand on tn.
pony's head. In a few more minute
the lariat was gradually transformed int
a halter on the steed and then a series
tactics were commenced to accustom tn
animal to a saddle. A blanket wa
touched a humber of times 10 his sid
and back and finally dropped on the back
by equally cautious move the horse was
blindtolded with a handkerchief and wa.
her saddled and bridlcd. The blind was
then removed and the animal led to the
open space near the exchange building.
While the cowboy held the animal by
the bit Betham vaulted INTO the saddle
and seized the reIns, wrapping them
around his hands. The cowboy Jumped
to one side and then the great circus
commenced. Such rearing, plunging,
kicking, bucking, running, side veering
and other antics characteristic of the
broncho have not been seen here since
pioneer days. The crowd yelled itself
hoarse and ran after the steed and rider
as they dashed hither and thither.
Betham stuck to the animal as though he
was glued to it, and IN about a quarter of
an hour the steed began evidently to
believe that he was a centaur instead OF a
horse and accepted the situation.
After witnessing the spectacle the
stockmen from Western points swore by
Betham, and when somebody suggested
that the horse had probably been ridden
before, they offered to bet 800 or even
81 900 hat Betham could ride any horse
in the enclosure.