The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-02
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information. Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsEIN. Director.
Washington. d. G.
WHERE MEN STILL DARE.
Washington, d. C.

1 Jackie Oh all 6lS
.huGdred-pound steer running at full
ispeed, and put the steer down?
AT the Long Island horse shows, they
feheer the bold riders who take the
/ high jumps on carefully trained there-
BREEDS In Ell Paso, at the recent an
Inual meeting of the American Ma
itional Livestock association, that would
Il1ave been considered about as excit-
ling as taking the baby for a ride in
his perambulator. Those who aspired
ito thrills at that place and time trled
ito ride Kyote, the famous outlaw
fbroncho, who has thrown 173 men
High in the air, and has never yet been
successfully ridden.
These comparisons suggest some diff
Iferences between the east and the
upon. We are told that the typical
1 A m ortcan is becoming a docile, timfd,
pampered individual. There were
Americans of a different type in evil
dence at FL Paso. Maybe those who
think American manhood is gone to
| pot have never been very far west.
/ They also tell us that the old-ttrne
ieoWboy has vanished along with the
indian and the buffalo. Yet this ex-
itinet creature gathers by the thousands
lat conventions every year-in FL Paso,
lin Las Vegas, in Cheyenne. The cow
boy does not know that he is extinct.
A census would perhaps show nearly
las many men who can top broncho
or bulldog a steer as ever there Were'
/ Human Bulldogs.
| Because the cattlenen take pleas
ute in their calling, and in all that
| belongs to it, feats of llorsemanship
| form the greatest attraction that can
| be given to them when they are look
ing for amusement.
SO there is opportunity at Ell Paso
| during convention week to see Amerl-
can men and women in contests that
| bring into play all the finest quantities
| of the race and that make the sports
of the east seem dull and lacking in
| the great qualities by comparison
The contest that SEEMS to be in the
| greatest favor, and that has the larg-
| est demand on "a mans courage. skill
and strength, is the sport known as
| ''bulldogging.'' In this pleasing pas
time, a 1.-THE and active steer is re-
| leased He is off at high speed at
| once and behind him come two hard
| riding cowboys, each on his specially
selected and proven broncho. The
first object is for each to catch up
with the steer, one on either side, and
| this being done, the function of one
of the cowboys is to keep the steer
| going as straight as possible. The
other cowboy inches UP to the steer;
| then suddenly leaves his mount and
gains a hold on the steers neck and
horns. Using his feet, and sometimes
his whole body on the ground. he en-
| deavors to throw the animal COM
pletely off it's feet. This is a real
mans job. When the first contact is
made the steer is going at perhaps
fifteen miles an hour. He weighs
about 500 pounds The cowboy scales
| around ITO pounds. For the man to
stop this onrushing living mass with
| it's full momentum, to bring 1t to
| full stop, and then to turn it COM
pletely bottom up SO the feet are Off
the ground, calls for as much courage.
| skill and applied strength, perhaps, as
any athletic feat ever performed by
| men.
1t is not an all-day job, either. The
writer has seen it done in twelve Sec
onds, from the time the steer was re-
J leased until the judge signalled that
the feat was complete by the steer
being helpless and reversed. Jim
Massey, of Snyder, Texas, did this. To
see that able lad riding at full tilt up
alongside his steer, then make the
diving jump from his saddle and stop
that steer and force him down into the
dust of defeat by superb strength
we'll applied, would bring an audience
outstanding and cheering anywhere
With nearly all the spectators fully
aware of the risks and merits of the
feat. there were all the cheers a man
could ask. One big citizen, who
| looked the prosperous cattleman he
probably is, after yelling all the yells
| he knew, which were considerable,
expressed his appreciation thus: Men,
| would not have missed that for a
thousand dollars. no matter how low
cattle was selling for
Other Sports.
| Yet this feat was done by others IN
/ fourteen seconds flat, in fourteen and
a fraction seconds, and by practically
all the contestants within minute.
Fancy cowboy and cowgirl riding,
lroping and all the other range sports
! got their turn in the public eye and
interest.
Maybe it is easy to ride a cewpony
while standing upright ON the saddle,
and to do all the other fancy riding
| tricks, but this audience of experi-
enced people did not think so, judging
! by their intense attention to all the de-
tails of the performance.
The cowgirl was in evidence, and
proved that there are very few riding
tricks that girl cannot do and still
keep her good looks and style
In the calf roping contests, the com
4 n1ttee had furnished a herd of Here
ford calves (under one year old is a calf
IN the cattle country that could run
like deer. Frequently they could out
run the fleet cowponies that had been
specially selected and trained by their
riders for this contest. The calf did
, not seem to be going so fast, having
short nimble legs under him. until it
was seen that the hard riding cowboy,
with his mount stretched to the last
inch, could not get within good roping
distance. Then, too, in the course OF
these many doings. some of these
calves had been roped before, and, like
the bulldogged steer, after one expert
tence they avoid repetition. il possible.
When the calf sees that the rope is
about to be thrown, he will frequently
lstop short, or turn quickly. OF course
the roper feels bad about 1t and says
$50, but the calf can hardly be expected
to sympathize. For to be reped means
to be brought mp to a stop suddenly
and violently. to be thrown to the
ground by a vigorous and fast-work-
ing cowboy, to be tied and trussed up,
and thus to await the judges inspec-
ton ana anDroval.
! Jerry Wright OF Brady, Tex, did
ail of this in % LIS seconds and a
large number did the feat in less than