Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1892-06-18
cnMROY SPORTS.
Contests of skill That Are Held by the
Champions of Rival Ranches

| Contests OF skin lnat are NV" ~
Champions Of Rival kan'hrs'
Even the festive cowboy has his hours
of relaxation, although perchance ms
more civilized fellows of 1.-THE states
would pronounce the same fraught with
danger and rcplete with malicious In
tcntion to do great bodily harm to
the participants But among the legit'
innate sports in which the cowboys are
prone to indulge aside from the not IN
frequent intervals when they reach
town and ride around yelling like Co
manchcs and chasing all law-ablding
citizens into their subcellais during
their visitations, may be mentioned
their occasional contests of skill at rld'
ing, shooting and roping steers got
up between the ranchmen OF rival
camps.
A certain curly-haired, specialized
lawyer of staid dcmcanor described
such Il scene in which he had parties
patcd in II certain sense, under condi-
tions that the local scribe was not to
mention ms NAME
at was about five years ago. he be-
gan, "whcn was roughing it on Nor
gan Hills ranch-a little patch of some
twenty thousand acrcS-about sixteen
miles out from San Jose. Mine hosts
outfit of ranches were exclusively McNi'
can, and an intense albeit friendly
rivalry. for WONDER existed b, tween
them and the American cowboys of n
ncighboring ranch. One Sunda1kmorn-
ing our boys and their neighbo h,f the
states met at a saloon at Madrone sta
ton, and, as usual, loud boastings were
heard on each side as to their superior
ity in all that the cowboy holds dear,
namely, riding shooting and dcNtcrity
in welding the laSso. A match was
finally agreed upon between one Lucas
Padrone, of our camp, and picked
man from the American camp for a
contest of skill on the points of riding
and shooting, Our Mcxicans put up
they had except the pros
pectiyc chances of escaping purgatory;
that is to say, their loose coin, blankets,
lariatS, brides, saddles, 'roal-gcnuine
Mexican plugs rs Mark Twain would
style them and all, The American
boys saw the ante and checrfully raid
them to the extent of all their worldly
possessions. One Mexican put up his
revolver and favoritc
bride with me for enough coins of the
realm to stake all on padronc.
"Of course, was glad to see the con
test, and also am rcioiccd to say that
the champion from our ranch came out
The first test was to ride
around post about eight by eight |
inches ON the circumference of forty
foot circle and to girdlc the aforesaid |
post with balls from revolver. Pa |
.Ironc won both the toss and the match, |
averaging at least twenty balls outs Of
the fifty shots allowed lie won the |
second contest also, in fancy riding but |
this was due in the main to the superior |
intelligence and training of his pony, a |
little bay and white broncho, which APP
ncared as meek as Moses, but which |
had the temper Of the devil when
aroused by its master, 1t really came
mp to the ideal of the cowboys pony, |
and was able to wheel on quarter.
This contest embraced seemingly mar
Vicious fcats of craftsmanship, such as
The picking up handlicrchicfs or small |
'ons while galloping at full speed, the |
in and ont Of the saddle and |
many othcrmancuvcrS- common enough |
N the west, but which would be worth |
I small fortune to a circus performer
long the 'efctc east. st. Louis Re-
public.