17th Anniversary and the Redding Rodeo. Yeah!!!

Okay, now I know what you're all thinking.  My house is a rodeo, with a number of clowns, and how could that be exciting on my Anniversary?  'Cause you got it wrong.  My house is more like the zoo or circus and I LEFT my house and went to the rodeo.

For years I have been trying to get my better half to take me to the rodeo.  I love the rodeo!  It was one of my favorite things to do when I was younger.  The Ravalli County Fair, seeing how many times you could spin in the Zipper and not throw up (just thinking about it makes my insides turn upside down), and the Rodeo.  Of course since I was, and am, such a cowgirl, I was an expert of the sport.  Loved those cowboys, wranglers, and bulls.  Redbluff, just 30 min. south of us, is one of the major stops on the Pro-bull riding circuit. 

Before you get too excited, we didn't go to Redbluff.  But, we did go to the one here in Redding.  This one is, of course, smaller but a lot of the cowboys use this rodeo to add to their points and experience.  There were quite a few Pros in the bunch.

I was so excited I was jumping out of my skin.  We went on Thursday night, which was Family Night, and got fantastic seats right in the middle of the stands.  I was telling Better Half  this was a perfect spot because we  could see "everything".

Out comes the first bareback rider.  Well, that was kind of boring.  He didn't even fall off.  The same with the next and the next.  I thought 8 seconds was hard to do.  These guys were making it look like child's play.  In fact, it was the same with the saddle broncs.  Man these guys weren't any fun to watch.  I mean, half the fun was watching the cartwheels and gymnastics as the guys were flipping off and over the animals.  The only gymnastics were the ones by the Redding Daredevils (I think that was their name).  They were doing all sorts of nonesense on their horses as they were galloping around the arena.  Like Grandpa Recht once said, "I could do that (or jump that high)  if my tights were that tight, too."

The bull riding.  I was ready for some action.  Who were these guys?  I mean really.  Only one guy even got close to being skewed by a bull.  There was no major flipping, trying to run out of the way of the bulls, or even dirt on their wranglers.  What a disappointment!!!  At lease only a couple actually made the 8 seconds.

And the animals.  Where did they get these pygmies?  I remember the animals being so much bigger and, of course, meaner.  I mean, they had to be in order to rid themselves of their riders so easily.  These animals must of had "gentle juice" or something.  I could have "rode" those animals and I don't even live on a ranch.

Did you not get the event?  Oh, let me tell you again.  It was the Redding Pro Rodeo.  What???  What did I miss??? These guys were pros??  Weren't they pros in Ravalli County???  They seemed like it to me.  Well, no wonder everyone was chearing for them when they got high scores instead of booing them because they didn't fall off.  I think there is something wrong with me when I was looking forward to the animals having the upper hand. 

It was fun, they were GOOD, glad we went on Family Night instead of "beer" night, yelled and cheared right along with the best of 'em.  Can't wait for next year!!!