PRESIDENT - KERA LAMB VICE PRESIDENT - CARLI RAWLINSON SECRETARY - PAISLEY PIERCE
STATE DIRECTORS / REGION OFFICERS AMBER BASS 6808 Cedar Hill Road • Brenham, Texas 77833 979.851.9553 amberbass@greatertexasfoundation.org
STUDENT OFFICERS
DAN SIMPTON 24543 SH 6 • Navasota, Texas 77868 936.870.5779 • dansimpton@yahoo.com
Region VII
SECRETARY - NENA BOETTCHER PO Box 833 • East Bernard, Texas 77435 281.468.8973 • region7thsra@gmail.com
SCOTT SHOOK 5750 FM 360 • Needville, Texas 77461 713.851.9553 • sshook@troyconstruction.com SCOTT SHOOK 5750 FM 360 • Needville, Texas 77461 713.851.9553 • sshook@troyconstruction.com
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PERFORMANCE REPORT
Behind The Scenes
I
By JAYCI LEE BYLER
– Performance Reporter
n every rodeo competition, we keep our focus on the competitors. We watch in high hopes that the roper’s loop hits its target for a fast catch to win the rodeo. In the rough stock events, we sit on the edge of our seats watching as riders try to stay aboard a high kicking bronc or a spinning bull for eight seconds. In the steer wrestling, we see cowboys from a propelling jetlike horse jump down onto a steer for an impact of technique and strength. We watch rodeo for that particular purpose. But I would like to focus on who works behind the scenes to make those rodeos happen: the stock contractors and the directors who do the sorting.
The stock contractors are a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to putting a rodeo together. Weeks out before the rodeo the stock contractor is busy doctoring sick animals, putting out hay and moving stock onto fresh pastures. They make sure that every stock animal is vaccinated and any sick animal is medicated.This is to ensure stock is healthy and strong for upcoming rodeo. Stock is selected in the weeks leading up to the rodeo. In the few days prior to the rodeo, the stock contractor will be responsible for loading animals in stock trailers to be safely transported miles away from their home pastures. Even through rain and sleet, they make sure that the animals will get to their destination. As soon as the stock animals are unloaded from the big trailers and placed into open pens on the rodeo grounds, the work begins to fill water troughs and to put out grain and hay. This reduces the stress of hauling the animals. The next important piece of the puzzle is the directors/parents and judges who sort through the stock. This gives them an opportunity to pull off any animal that does not fit the majority of the stock (bigger in size or too weak). A hour or so before the rodeo starts, the directors/parents & judges are already starting to work to run stock through the arena. Bucking stock are turned out in the arena then pushed through the side chute to get them use to the stock exit gate. Cattle are turned out of roping chutes and lined down the center of arena to the stripping chutes. When the rodeo begins the directors/parents are who are sorting and loading the bucking stock and the roping stock. They make sure that all the stock is sorted according to what the secretary and judges drew before the rodeo. If an animal comes through and has a lamenes or is showing to be ill, they notify the secreatary and replace the animal with the extra one on the draw sheet. This keeps the stock even for all competitors. Thank you Mr Davis, Mr & Mrs Seay, Mrs Kenney, Mrs
