Today we went to a rodeo performance at Cheyenne Frontier Days.
The pre-Rodeo event was Kids Barrel Racing. The contestant rides a fast well-trained horse in a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels. The record time at Cheyenne is 17.03 seconds.
Today some of the children in the 10-12 year old range scored in the low 20 second range. One six year old girl, Schuylar McDonnell, had a time of one minute 53 seconds. That's 113 seconds. She is learning and the horse did not move very fast. Schuylar received much applause, not out of feeling bad for her, but because she completed the course even with horse problems. She did everything that would be done by adult champions on exactly the same course.
In rodeo there are no special deals to equalize contestants. An animal is drawn and the contestant must ride or rope or wrestle that animal and must obey all the rules. Penalties are given without mercy. Had this 6 year old touched a barrel she would have been penalized 5 seconds for each offense the same as an adult world champion would have been.
The contestants understand the game. The audience understands the game. The rookie may score well. Last year's world champion could come in last.
The announcer pointed this out. "Where else could a cowboy who has paid a $375 entry fee, score 12 seconds behind the go-round leader and be able to walk back smiling while the crowd applauds?"
I notice other things at The Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo.
The announcer reminds us of the basis of our nation's founding. There is no apology. He does not worry about offending other religions. No offense is intended. He speaks of our spiritual background. He does not condemn other religions.
There are many contestants from Canada and some from other countries as well. Yet there is one flag. The American flag. There is one national anthem. The Star Spangled Banner. This is not meant to offend the foreigners. It is meant to honor this country. As they do in theirs.
Much of the placating of others, other religions, other races, other nations, or whatever, is symbolism over substance. There is the belief that talking about something is the same as doing it. Why not have substance?
What better way to have substance, to show our religion, our nation and our freedom than to actually do something. In Cheyenne during Frontier Days there is a free pancake breakfast on three different days. Thousands are served very rapidly. Everyone is invited. No donations are requested. The only request is do you want more coffee or do you want more pancakes? At Disneyworld there are flags of all nations. And every nationality is equally charged through the nose. By showing other flags their country is dishonored so as to separate them from their money.
At the the Cheyenne Pancake Days the pancakes are not gluten-free, the meat is pork, the syrup is not sugar free, and the coffee is not decaffeinated. There is real butter. That is what is served. No bagels. No English muffins. no bran muffins. No Canadian bacon. No falafel. No offense is intended if you do not like what is served. You come to Cheyenne you get Cheyenne.
Every morning thousands are served. And everyone seems to like it. If there were multiple variations the mission would not be accomplished.
Cheyenne is the Cowboy State. It is also the Equality State. Wyoming was the first government in the world to allow women to vote. Owen Wister's book "The Virginian," is the quintessential book on equality. In high school, I won an essay contest called What Makes Man the Best?" based on the character of the nameless, and most likely black, cowboy called The Virginian.
From its earliest days Wyoming has been the place where it does not matter who you were where you came from. All that matters is who you are now. Race, color, creed made no difference in the past. They make no difference now unless you want everything to change to suit you.
There is a restaurant menu in New England that offers New England Clam Chowder. It also lists Manhattan Clam Chowder with the notation "Take Interstate 95 South."
There is a lot here to think about. Please do so.
David Sneed
The pre-Rodeo event was Kids Barrel Racing. The contestant rides a fast well-trained horse in a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels. The record time at Cheyenne is 17.03 seconds.
Today some of the children in the 10-12 year old range scored in the low 20 second range. One six year old girl, Schuylar McDonnell, had a time of one minute 53 seconds. That's 113 seconds. She is learning and the horse did not move very fast. Schuylar received much applause, not out of feeling bad for her, but because she completed the course even with horse problems. She did everything that would be done by adult champions on exactly the same course.
In rodeo there are no special deals to equalize contestants. An animal is drawn and the contestant must ride or rope or wrestle that animal and must obey all the rules. Penalties are given without mercy. Had this 6 year old touched a barrel she would have been penalized 5 seconds for each offense the same as an adult world champion would have been.
The contestants understand the game. The audience understands the game. The rookie may score well. Last year's world champion could come in last.
The announcer pointed this out. "Where else could a cowboy who has paid a $375 entry fee, score 12 seconds behind the go-round leader and be able to walk back smiling while the crowd applauds?"
I notice other things at The Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo.
The announcer reminds us of the basis of our nation's founding. There is no apology. He does not worry about offending other religions. No offense is intended. He speaks of our spiritual background. He does not condemn other religions.
There are many contestants from Canada and some from other countries as well. Yet there is one flag. The American flag. There is one national anthem. The Star Spangled Banner. This is not meant to offend the foreigners. It is meant to honor this country. As they do in theirs.
Much of the placating of others, other religions, other races, other nations, or whatever, is symbolism over substance. There is the belief that talking about something is the same as doing it. Why not have substance?
What better way to have substance, to show our religion, our nation and our freedom than to actually do something. In Cheyenne during Frontier Days there is a free pancake breakfast on three different days. Thousands are served very rapidly. Everyone is invited. No donations are requested. The only request is do you want more coffee or do you want more pancakes? At Disneyworld there are flags of all nations. And every nationality is equally charged through the nose. By showing other flags their country is dishonored so as to separate them from their money.
At the the Cheyenne Pancake Days the pancakes are not gluten-free, the meat is pork, the syrup is not sugar free, and the coffee is not decaffeinated. There is real butter. That is what is served. No bagels. No English muffins. no bran muffins. No Canadian bacon. No falafel. No offense is intended if you do not like what is served. You come to Cheyenne you get Cheyenne.
Every morning thousands are served. And everyone seems to like it. If there were multiple variations the mission would not be accomplished.
Cheyenne is the Cowboy State. It is also the Equality State. Wyoming was the first government in the world to allow women to vote. Owen Wister's book "The Virginian," is the quintessential book on equality. In high school, I won an essay contest called What Makes Man the Best?" based on the character of the nameless, and most likely black, cowboy called The Virginian.
From its earliest days Wyoming has been the place where it does not matter who you were where you came from. All that matters is who you are now. Race, color, creed made no difference in the past. They make no difference now unless you want everything to change to suit you.
There is a restaurant menu in New England that offers New England Clam Chowder. It also lists Manhattan Clam Chowder with the notation "Take Interstate 95 South."
There is a lot here to think about. Please do so.
David Sneed
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