The sun., 1902-01-12
STEER TYING OUT IN ARIZONA.
CONVOY SPORT THAT SOME
PEOPLE SAY rs CRUEL.
An Exhibition OF Dexterity That Has
Led to q Movement 10 suppress 10
-IassOing Animals and Human Beinge.


PHaNIx, Ariz., Jan. s-Arizona SPORTS
men and cowboys are anxious lest the
amusement OF steer tying may te placed
in the same category with bull fighting
and prohibited by law. Their anxiety
il not groundless. A number OF visiting
Fasteners witnessed the record-breaking
and bone-breaking exhibition here on
Christmas Day. and they have begun
fight TO stop the sport.
On that day Joe Bassett the champion
COW puncher and bronco buster OF this
Territory, broke the worlds record for
two consecutive throws. and incidentally
broke horn Of one steer and the leg OF
the other. At this sight some visiting
members OF the Humane Society rose up
In wrath and left the grand stand. Three
other contestants inflicted injuries upon
their steers, and now letters have gone to
the East calling for aid IN tho suppression
Of a sport which It is declared exceeds
bull fighting in cruelty
When Joe Bassett gave each steer thirty
Yards start and then caught, roped, threw
and tied them, one In 3317 and the other In
l3 seconds, so rapid was his work and so
hard did he throw his steers that both were
injured. but these. as well as the subsequent
hurts to other steers, were very unusual
accidents.
For nearlv nail cent? ury steer Tying Ilds
been the most popular sport in the South
west Until few years ago buNtghts
were almost as common on this side of the
Mexican line az in old Mexico. but the
butchery attendant upon the spanish
game has never appealed to an American
| lover OF sport.
On the other hand. steer tying possesses
elements which caA into use every atom
of brain and muscular power In man, IN
horse and steer. Not only that but II In
I tTal N-Ha
! exhibition under such conditions as VIII
urge the COW puncher TO his best eff orts.
| Nor Is IL sport confined solely to West
ern frontersmen. Joe Bassett ia a col
| lege man. and he attributes his ability
| In the saddle and with the rope to his earlier
athletic training on the .gridiron and the
| diamond at Iawrenceville and later at
| Princeton.
Oscar Roberts Bassett's closest rival,
| began his athletic career on the high school
/ and normal university grounds OF an ILL
nois town So with Ed Horrell. another
crack COW puncher whose skill In the line
! OF his school eleven came to his aid when,
! on Christmas Day, his steer arose before
| he could make his tie.
Head down the mad brute went 'on the
prod and only Horrelrs great agility
saved his life. Leaping aside, he grasped
| one horn of the brute and then, with his
| other hand on the steers nose he twisted
! the steers neck until the animal went down
with Horrel's knee on his neck and tie
/ rope thrown around his front legs.
/ II is not likely that any other sport In
| the world requires greater agility OF brain
/ and Drawn, or involves 80 much that Is
/ likely to unstring the nerves OF the player.
To rope and tie a steer calls for the finest
/ horsemanship and the most exact coopera-
tion Of the horse and rider Indeed, the
rapid roping of a steer will avail the puncher
little unless the horse lends his aid at that
| critical time. With rope kept taut by the
horse, the steer is held down until the COW:
| boy reaches him and puts the 'hog-te'
| around his legs.
Steer tying although practised as .
! sport wherever the w-puncher IA neces-
/ eitv. has reached it's highes, state OF per-
I fection in Arizona. A puncher, here. VINO
/ cannot give 3O-yard start ana theh rope
and tie in less than one minute Is con-
! sidered a very slow worker. Sometimes,
from cattle ranges come reports OF re-
! markable ties in eleven, fifteen and twenty
| seconds but such time can only he MADE
| under conditions that are accldeitfl
On the mountain ranges eNrertness Wlth
! the RATA il useful not alone in capturing
/ cattle. Not infrequenty, IN TIE Wiier
] districts, the COW punchers viii rope bears
and sometimes a mule-ear der VIII fall
under the whirling loop
A few days ago at 'he Bar y Ranch. One-
Fyel Riley. famous the country over az
a breaker Of hroncOs and handler OF wa
steers found large buck feeding qme'ly
with a bunch of cattle IN small gllch'
Bv circuitous route Riley managed 10
get within forty yards OF th" nero ana
then spurred up 20 close in
The buck started a. once and With hs
fftv-foOt rope Riley managed 10 gci hls
horns a. the buck stumbled up an almost
PERPENDICULAR hank Ia an instant the
deer was up and charged ~" horse, CUT
ting great gashor IN the animal sld's win
hls horns ~
The horse went down aud Riley alighed
a ,ouplp Of yards away The madd"ned
deer unable 10 lDVs,u the rUI-, turned on
Riley. but three bullets from slA-rhooier
.tupI-d him Riley carried 'h" bucks
rear quarters e. camp hanging over ms
injured hurSe
The COW -puuchor's skill b. soInetimes
shown IN chase Tor human gam" About
a week ago, G"oTgr Soar-, uu ih" fahi'i1
rauch north of Nugal,s, found a coull"
ui ,hiuam"n rtoaliug over ~" mpuh,Alhs'
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