Rodeo fun!

Mikko and I went to the Driscoll ranch rodeo in La Honda, Ca. Last weekend. It is a small town rodeo and lots of fun. What we learned was that the real bull riders start at the age of as young as three, riding sheep. Yes, real woolly sheep. The kid is lifted on the sheep's back in the bull shoot, then they open the shoot and the sheep runs out as the kid hangs on for dear life until finally falls right under the sheep's feet. I was totally astonished about what cow people do with their kids. Then when the kids are I think ten and older they ride steer. It's just like real bull riding, only with little bulls and little cowboys. And those steer, man, they buck hard. So that's how they teach the cowboys to grow up tough. At some point in their late teens, I guess, they start riding big bulls.

It is very interesting, that the bulls life journey in the rodeo circuit is similar to the cowboys. They start by being roped as calves, then they are used in steer wrestling and, apparently, steer riding for little cowboys, and then for real bull riding... until they end up on someones dinner plate.

Mikko and I decided to try this bull riding ourselves. See the video clip! Mikko actually did very well on the bull. Me, however... well, you could say, that I'm lacking some serious muscle power in my legs.

I have to lift my hat for those cowboys, this stuff demands some serious skill and athletic ability. (Although I did cheer more for the bulls, I think they did awesome job bucking off cowboys.)

It was a fun day! And Mikko looked very handsome in a cowboy hat.