Look at me, I'm a Cowboy.. "Howdy, howdy howdy"

So Nate and I went for round one of the Rodeo yesterday (this round with my parents) and it did not disappoint! I'm always afraid that I will go one time and all of the sudden I won't like it anymore. I am happy to report though, that this was not the case. In fact, this year was a year of firsts for me at the Rodeo and the new experiences did nothing but add to my enjoyment.

Abby's top things to do at the Rodeo (as learned from years past and as added to yesterday :)~

1) Go to the Pig Races. They pretty much end at sundown, but before that they run every hour on the half hour.

2) Actually go inside the Exhibition Hall. You know the one I mean.... it's on your left right after you walk in and it's across from the three incredibly long food tents. Take time once inside to look at the shops, check out the champion quilts, look in on the newborn pigs and cows and stand by the egg hatcher and try to will a chick to take the plunge and pop out of the egg they are wiggling around inside of.

3) Mutton Bustin. I just saw this for the first time yesterday. The premise? 3-6 yr old children are loaded onto the backs of large sheep and are released from a Rodeo sheep chute (one at a time, of course). The child that holds on the longest as the sheep runs full speed around the arena wins. It's pretty stinkin fantastic, I gotta tell ya :)

4) Tilt a Whirl.... nuf said.

5) Go to the actual Rodeo, for crying out loud. Don't think that Rodeo is for you? Give it at least one good try and you may find yourself hooked. It cracks me up that people show up after the Rodeo for the concert while I leave after the Rodeo part and say "no thanks" to the concert.

6) Try to get seats above the bronc and bull riding chutes whenever possible. We were 8 rows up from the chutes and it was by far the coolest Rodeo seats I've ever had. You get to see them prepare and load up on their "rides" and most of the action is right there in front of you.

7) Calf Scramble. While part of the Rodeo itself, it is an experience all on its own. Here's the idea, a large group of FFA students is set free in the very large Rodeo arena with about half the number of calves as students. You catch a calf, harness it, and pull it into the center square to win scholarship money. Sounds easy, right? WRONG. Watch and see for your self as a 13 yr old girl is dragged half the distance across the arena while holding on to the tail of a cow and tell me that isn't good entertainment :) Yesterday we saw a scramble first wherein a boy full on tackled the cow (he was a big boy) and laid on top of it as he harnessed it. When he tried to get it to stand up, however, the cow seemed to have lost it's will to live and wouldn't even move it's head. It was pretty dang funny and eventually, after we were rolling on the floor laughing, the kid did manage to get the calf up and then had to drag it to the square.

Anyways, those are my highlights. I have one picture only in this post because our new Mac hates me and refused to properly rotate pictures. I will post a link later though when I get them up.... you have to see some of the bronc riding pictures..... it's crazy stuff!