The Riverton Rodeo 2023

The Riverton Rodeo-- we love it!  We've gone for several years now and we get ridiculously excited to go.  Abe and Greta got in line super early (as in, very first in line) to get us good seats.  Abe takes his commitment to good seats very seriously.   

This year we didn't have Elinor and Brandon because a Rodeo at 8 months pregnant is no bueno.  And of course, Bethany is still in Fort Worth on a mission, but we did have Leland (George's dance friend who stayed with us for a month for ballet summer intensive).  We are excessively fond of the gal in the blue hat and red glasses in the top center of the picture.  

Skydiving in with the American flag?  That's just awesome!  

George and Leland

This is how we celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary.  How has it been 26 years???  I love Abe and am so grateful for him.

Over the course of the evening, Faith decided that a rodeo boy was definitely for her.  She's on the lookout:)

Far and away, the high points of the rodeo are when the children are chasing the cash cow to try to grab the dollar bills attached to it's little pink cape thing.  Clearly, we are not knowledgeable in the world of cow stuff.  Anyway, the kids stampede around the arena tormenting the poor calf, until they get all the money off.  They are then sent back to their families in the stands, either celebrating their cow chasing skills or crying.  

Last year, as you may recall, in Peter's efforts to grab cash off the opposite side of the calf, he inadvertently and momentarily, rode said calf and was "bucked" to the ground.  In our efforts to comfort him and prevent a melt down at the rodeo, we all cheered for him like crazy! Peter, you are now a real bull rider!  You're so brave!  WAHOO!!! YES!  

We were very convincing.  We didn't realize that for the past year, Peter has been planning his next attempt at riding the bull. 

This time in was not inadvertent.  It was his plan all along.

Before you click  HERE to see the video, please know that no calves were harmed in the making of this video.  The same cannot be said for children.      KIDDING.  Peter was fine... mostly.  There was only a bruising and a little bit of blood.  

Peter was trampled by the calf.  He really was just fine.  He walked away and returned to amid much raucous cheering and laughter from his family.  Now, I ask you.  What is wrong with us?  Why did we find this so hilarious?  And the more we watched the video, the funnier it got.  Granted, if he'd gotten hurt for real, it wouldn't be funny.  Was this enough to discourage another attempt next year?  I don't know.

Just some hoof prints on his back.  The woman in front of Clark does not appear as amused as we were.

But this all does lead me to how I felt upon leaving the rodeo.  I love everything about the rodeo except the bareback and the bull riding.  Mostly because those are actually freaking dangerous!  Every time we've gone to the rodeo, at least one cowboy, but sometimes more, are carted out of the arena in an ambulance.  And they aren't taken out of an abundance of caution.  No, we're talking mangled limbs, unconscious, not able to move and such.  Like, DUDE!  You're never going to fully recover from that!

And I ask myself, "Is this what the spectators at the Colosseum felt like?  Did they take pleasure in watching other human beings risk life and limb?  Is this not the objectification of our fellow human beings?  How can I find the suffering of other children of God entertaining?"  

But then I think, "Well, now wait.  Those guys didn't have a choice.  They were forced to do what they did.  Those spectators are way worse than me."

But then I come back with, "Yeah, but if no crowd came to watch these cowboys, would they still do what they do?  Probably not.  The cost of my ticket is encouraging them to risk their lives for glory.  If I didn't buy a ticket, they wouldn't do this.  I am complicit in this."

But then I think, "But this is America!  I love that they can choose to do this if they want to!  'MERICA!"

In the end I come home feeling so sorry for the ones who stupidly risked it all for a moment of glory and a few bucks reward money.  And it bothers me that we never find out if they are going to be okay.  At the end of the day, will I return to the rodeo each year.  Yes, mostly likely I will, but then I will be racked with nondescript guilt for taking pleasure in another's suffering.  I'm complicated  like that.