Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-08-02
STILL ABLE TO RIDE.
Old Cow Puneher at Seventy Two
Beats the Crowd.

Beats the Crowd.
E. Tovar Of Rossville, this county.
says a Pleasanton, Tex, letter, is open
to an engagement as expert broncho
buster. He has never been much of
traveller, but he believes that he could
hold his own In any circus that roves
about the country. Mr.. Tovar Is "
years old. In his more youthful days
he was a cow puncher, and had the
reputation Of being able to ride any
thing with hair on It," 1t had been
! thirty years since he had attempted
to ride an outlaw horse. He settled
down to a quiet life at Rossville a
good many years ago, and the young
er generation had grown up in ignor-
ance Of the reputation which the old
man bore when riding the range.
/ Mr. Tovar came over to Pleasanton
a few days ago to attend an auction
Of horses. He had thought Of buying
q saddle nag If he could find a gentle
animal, he told his friends. 1t was
also court day, and the town put on
gala appearance. Cowboys from the
ranches within a radius Of thirty or
forty miles were here in full force.
All sorts and conditions Of animals
were brought to be put up at auction
to be sold. The most vicious bronchos
in the whole country around usually
turn up at these auction sales. In ad-
dition to the amusement that they af-
ford for the crowd, there Is chance
Of selling them for much more money
than they would bring at ordinary
sales.
The auction began in the afternoon,
and things moved along briskly.
There was some hard riding by the
cowboys. One wild cayuse after an
other was roped and brought out OF
the corral and put to the test Of riding
before bids on the animal were start
ed. The busting process went along
steadily and lively all afternoon. 1t
was toward the close Of the sale when
Jim Henry appeared on the street
with broncho that was noted for Its
outlawry. The animal had never been
ridden. Every cowboy in the county
with any reputation as fearless rider
had undertaken the job. but none OF
them had stuck on the back Of the
bucking broncho longer than the first
uplift into the air. .
who'll ride this animal?" cried the
auctioneer. He Is sound, straight In
limb and long Of wind. He's got plen-
ty of life in him-that's what you
want in a broncho."
| Just for the fun Of the thing and In
order to entertain the crowd OF on
lockers several cowboys volunteered
to give the animal try. They were
quickly disposed Of in turn. The auc-
tioneer's appeal for some one In the
crowd to come forward who really
knew how to ride caused much anuse-
ment on the part Of the crowd. He
poked fun at the cowboys, who had
been unable to stick on the animal.
When the sport began to lag for lack
of volunteers, the crowd made up a
purse Of IS for any one who would
ride the broncho according to certain
prescribed specifications. These con-
ditions were that the animal should be
given its head, spurred vigorously and
the whip applied fore and aft. .''
| The first man to try for the money
under the conditions imposed was Vic
tor Coy Of Sue. He managed to stay
upon the back Of the animal for few
minutes, but the judges claimed that
he held its head high into the air,
thereby not giving the beast opportu-
nifty to show its worst qualities. They
refused to award him the money.
| During all these proceedings old
man Tovar had been an animated
spectator AS the busting process
progressed he felt a renewal Of his
youthful spirits He had lost little OF
the strength and suppleness that he
possessed in his younger days. He re-
called the tricks Of riding which he
applied so successfully when a cowboy.
When Coy was thrown and another
call for a man to ride the animal re-
ceived no answer, Mr.. Tovar made his
way to where the animal was restless
lly plunging about at the end OF
short rope. .......-
I'm going to ride this broncho'
he said to the judges.
The judges thought at first he was
joking.
THAT IS pot looks easy money to
me-" the old man said.
He took hold Of the rope and pre-
pared to mount.
mook out, you'll be killed." yelled
some one in the crowd to him.
"I reckon I ought to be able to do
a little ridin' yet, II I am pretty well
along in years." the old man remark
ed.
He made a lightning spring and
landed square upon the bronchos
back. Then began one Of the most
| desperate battles between man and
beast for supremacy that was ever
witnessed in these parts. 1t did not
take the crowd long to observe that
Tovar knew his business.
| "Stick to 1t old man." they cried as
the broncho dashed up and down upon
all fours and plunged first into the
air and then took leaps Sideways
backward and forward, in a vain ef-
fort to dislodge its mount.
The old man gave the animal free
hand and was applying the rowell and
whip with all his strength all the time
It seemed for time that he would
certainly be thrown. but as the battle
| progressed the broncho was seen to
be weakening 1t was a contest that
will long be remembered by the cow
boys who witnessed it. Mr.. Tovar
adopted the tactics Of conforming his
body to all the movements Of the
pitching and plunging animal. He
sat perfectly timber upon Its back ana
apparently made no effort whatever
to retain his position. When the an,
imal went up into the air he went up
| with it, and instead, Of stiffening his
body, as most riders did, he was per-