Weekly journal-miner., 1915-12-01

as the horse overtakes him and tht rider, once out of his saddle, ha:
 uncertain footing or none.
 In the steer roping contest five prizes were up, ranging from $200 |:
 $2s. This was the event that drew
 most entries. For by the time a mar
 has reached the Suabian years of dis
 qreGon, his bones are too tightly
 iointed for broncho-busting; he has
 lost the desire to ride an outlaw just
 to see if he can; he begins to tel
 his friends there's nothing in it.
 this putting of mans life against 8
 seven dollar broncho." But with rop
 ing it is different. A man may have
 grizzled his hair on the range and
 still take pride in casting lariat
 Even cowboys, who have moved into
 town, enjoy contest with old ac'
 quaintances that come in for the cele-
 bration. In the preliminaries at Pres
 colt, 66 ropers entered and 70 quali- fled
 Since Arizona passed the law for. bidding contests in tying steers, rop- ing has become pleasanter pastirne for the oniookers and for the cattle,
 Formerly the rider had to rope the steer, throw him as he ran, and then tie together three of his feet-as one old-timer told me, You've got to tie three feet together like tnis," he put one fore finger tip between the tips of the first and second fingers of his other hand, and added incontrovert- ibly. either two hind feet and one fore, or two fore and one hind"
 Nowadays the running steer may 5e thrown only by accident. For the rid CTS lariat is fastened to the saddle horn with light cord, intended to snap when the slack is taken up. In- stead of seeing the rope tighten, the pony brace, and the steer tumble head long, you now see the rider and the steer part company as the rope, flirt' ed over the farther flank. snaps clear of the saddle and whips the dust. The new rules arc somewhat elaborate and the running steer is given 60 feet head start over the standing cowboy; yet this year the final winner had used only 40 seconds in properly roping his three steers.
 Of course the crowning feature of each days program was the broncho riding. When it comes to bucking contests, Prescott it not taking any dust from Las Vegas, Pendleton or Cheyenne. She knows who originated the one and only worlds champion ship riding contest, with it's five prizI es,. the first carrying $500 cash and besides that, fer the winner in two years. gold medal giean- ing with diamonds.
 The broncho riders may enter il two kinds Of contest. In one the ride: is allowed only a sureingie; in the other, which includes the worlds event, he has the usual of saddle, halter and reins. The rules are intended not only to iorestall any unfair advantage, as from a wide saddle or a bucking roll, bat. also to make the riding severe test of horsenlanstip. In this sport there is no catch-as-ratch-can The rider, must not only keep his body in thc saddle and both feet, in tfe stirrups, he must swing his legs so that he spurs his horse on each shoulder twice in the norsc's first five jumps. Failure in this minimum requirement. For additional swing ing Of his heels the rider gets extra credit. The rider must hold the reins with one hand only, keeping his wrist :iear of the saddle torh; to grasp he saddle, even in dire emergency, is "to pull feather" it disquali6cs Meantime, with his other hand the -ider must continually hold his hat n the air. Besides aii this, the real artist is expected to have a noncfal- mt smile for the ladies in the grand stand.
 To make sure of horses worthy of csting world champions, the manage ncnt at Prescott is always in the mar let for bad ponies. It now owns a string that for concentrated wicked less is probably unmatched. All the 'car, until the celebration is at hand, he reprobatcs run bridie-free; then or week or two the committee has hem hazed around the track daily, 1 uSt to get their flesh and temper into orm. The naneS-Pee-wce, say, and Roanie-are not particularly or1lin- ous; possibly Pitchfork and Panther, Frosty Back and Bald Hornet are al title suggestive; yet the crowd that lnows the men each renegade mas l1rown or broken in other years ooks beyond the name. You would nave expected any horse named John -antrell to be steady as checker board, but the crowd knew him of old for as twisty horse as ever 'wellcd against cincn
 In a sport as grim as broncho- -iding, as well as in football, there ire accidents. The wonder is that my man built of mere bone and sin ,w can stand the jar as the horse umps and plunges and pitches down with forelcgs like fence rails. In the contests of an hour three of the best ncn were flung from the horses they