The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-03-20

tests-rodeos or round-ups-as they
are called.
Sunday was a great day in the old
cow-men's lives. The boys on the vari-
Gus ranches in certain section would
get together Sundays to see who could
ride the hardest buckiug bronze. The
ranch owner would start a little purse
for the winners.
Fourth of July! On this favorite
date the different ranches would send
their best riders and worst horses to a
selected town where they contested for
prizes-purses, and once in a while
a saddle. In the early days of the
cow-country there were not nearly so
many events in a roundup.
Bucking contests, steer roping. the
famous pony express race, and other
such exciting races as wild horse, COW
pony and the relays constituted the
program. OF course, the modern
round-ups offered many more events
covering at least three days time. And
such alluring contests have been add
ed. There is a stage coach race. Ro-
man races similar to those in a circus,
and a maverick race, which means
, that the nervy cowboys have to fight
it out with wild steers. And there are
all sorts of races for the cow-girls.
The Indians usually contest in the
various round-ups, special events be-
ing reserved for them. Bareback
riding, trick and fancy riding, and
steer riding are dangerous events for
reckless competitors.
Most important of all, however, is
the cowboys bucking contest. Since.
7 have described the evolution of
bronc- busting l. will give the reader
the inside of the dangers of steer bull
logging. In contests the cowboys are
competing for time. You've got to be
| a regular herman to get away with 1t.
For instance, in bulldogging the
steer gets a. good start on the mounted
nj h0 cnThnN. Ia r0nHfYed 10
| catch and throw the steer with his
bare hands,-and hold the animal by
( its lip with his teeth. The steer must
! be brought TO a stop and wrestled
down. It takes some man to win this
| event, and the record Is under twenty
seconds
Cowboys say there is a negro named
Pickett who once broke up-the ma
tioQaI sport of Mexico. This negro
would bulldog a steer by throwing it
after gripping the animals lip with
his teeth, and,--then throwing both
hands in the air. So, he went Mexico
! City With a show. He. was well ad-
vertised. All Mexico City was out to
see one of their wicked Spanish bulls
kill a black gringo. After a terrible
the negro succeeded in thEowing the
bull with his teeth and bare hands.
! And ne had to be spirited out of Mex
leo to. escape the wrath of the specta-
LOTS VINO hau Witnessed Inc mOckefy
fof their national sport.
| Space is too limited here TO go fur
Their into details describing the. excite
mept attending the other events Of a
rodeo.
Cheyenne, wyoy was the first city
to- stage a Frontier Days Week or
rodeo contest. It was held September
| %. 1897. Practically every show of
to-day uses the Cheyenne rules. Next
to Cheyenne, perhaps, Pendleton, Ore,
puts on the best known roundup,
Rodeos, or round-ups, however, are
held in almost every popular town OF
| the cattle country some time during
each year.
The widest horse that ever ap-
peared at any roundup was Old
4 Steamboat Famous and daring
bronc- busters. from AL over the ,coun-
! try tried their luck only toabe thrown
/ by the splendid animal Dick Stanley,
a fanou bTonc-buster <yho Is now
dead, came nearest to subdsIing Old
1 Steamboat but the outlaw was past
his prime. Old Steamboat died two
years ago and he was buried in
Frontier Park, Cheyenne.
| 1t is useless to attempt to name the
/ famous bronc-busters and the bad
horses of cow-country history because
| their number is legion. There are a