Competitive rodeo takes a certain type of person. You must be fearless, have a death wish, and have an affinity for danger, oh and be an adrenaline junkie. Yes, there are other personal traits that you probably need, and it helps to have a conflicted personality when it comes to animals. In fact, it helps to be an animal yourself, or so the joke goes. With that famous bumper sticker; “save a horse, ride a cowgirl.” Now then, I’d like to talk to a little bit about the grueling hours of practice that must be put in to be a competitive rodeo rider, because their skills don’t come overnight, and they don’t come without heartaches and headaches.
Further, you better have a good health care program or be on the A-List for ObamaCare. Very rarely do the winnings of competitive rodeo riders compensate for the medical bills. You have to do it for the love of it, because you’re a little bit crazy and because you want to prove something. Too many in the crowd you will prove that you’re out of your mind, and to others you will prove you have superhuman strength and agility, magical. To yourself you will prove that you are tough enough at least to live another day.
Now then, about that training – you are going to need some decent music to listen to, but it’s almost impossible to keep an earbud on when riding an animal. Secondly, you need to listen and get a feel for the animal, and it’s hard to do that with the music blaring. Nevertheless, music does help in the heat of battle, and the more intense the music the better. Some rodeo riders actually listen to heavy metal, hard rock, and techno-rock. Many believe that they listen to things like Garth Brooks, and other country music. Now, they do probably listen to that, but only when they’re trying to mellow out coming off an adrenaline high.
Chances are if you are reading this article you aren’t cut out for the rodeo, certainly not competitive rodeo. Many of the competitive rodeo riders will not bother going on the Internet and reading endless dribble about their sport they are too busy doing it, they are real bad asses, real men, not pansy ass article readers. Does that mean I want you to stop reading this article? No, you’ve come to the end, why don’t you go out and ride something, and ride it like a man. Talk is cheap. That’s all for now.