The End....

Where'd the sheep go?  March 2008

Well I had lied after the last ride and told Billy-Bob that we were done for good.  But those danged toys the mutton busters got kept drawing him back.  Billy-Bob was after me to take him to another one.  So I finally gave in and signed him up one last time.
I'd like to say that things went well, but really they didn't.  They went mostly downhill once we got to the arena.  Billy-Bob started getting freaked out being behind the chute.  I really didn't know what would happen but I kept reminding Billy-Bob of our rule, once we pay, you have to ride.  Billy-Bob kept nodding yes but wouldn't talk to me or any of the other kids. 
The ride before, the one where Mike tried to get Billy-Bob ready, one of the bull rider dads and I had talked about a dad that kept bringing his son to the calf rides and making him get on when he was screaming and crying.  Then the first dad looked up and asked the boy's sister if she wanted to ride.  She did and kicked butt!  The dad of the calf rider never brought his family back.  I didn't know if this was a subtle hint about Billy-Bob or a story about girls or even a story about how his son was taking to bulls but I did a lot of thinking in the interim.
Back to the ride and behind the chutes Billy-Bob was much quieter than he had been before.  I was getting worried about how he would do and if he would even go or not. 
It was time to get ready and Billy-Bob got into his vest and chaps for grand entry.
Well we made it through that time and Billy-Bob was smiling.
Then it was time to line up for a chute.
Theoretically sheep riding is normally a chute draw.  Which means if you're number four on the list you get number four chute, if there's five chutes and you're number eleven then you would get chute two on the third loading. 
Notice I said theoretically?
For some reason chutes are not usually numbered the way the chute or arena director seem to think they are, even when they are lucky enough to have a number on the back of them.  What seems to always be the case is that number one cute is the opposite chute, even if the chute that everyone thinks is number one is really number five.
Then you have boys, really, even if they are calf, steer, and bull riders, helping younger siblings, friends, and just newbies in general.  Add to the mix a lot of fathers that used to ride bulls, still ride bulls, or have been around rodeo a lot and things get really mixed up.
Adults that want their kids to get certain sheep, or the stock contractor that brought the sheep saying that one's for so and so.  Also, the sheep can vary, so larger kids need a bit larger sheep.
Then you have me, I had no idea what to do behind the chutes, and while the older boys helped, there were a lot of different and sometimes contradictory opinions about what to actually do and even how to ride!
Confused yet?
I was and sometimes I still am.
A little background on me, I was always horse crazy, but didn't get lessons or a horse until high school.  During college I volunteered at a youth ranch and became a horse leader in 4H.  I can tell you how to saddle a horse and how to get one ready for a show, but where to put a rope on a sheep or even hold a sheep still, that was WAY beyond my comfort zone.
Lets just say that I sweat more and more as the time for Billy-Bob's rides got closer.
Mike and I had talked about Billy-Bob's attitude over and over and really worried over taking Billy-Bob to that last ride.  Earlier, Little Mike, our older son, had tried calf riding in NorCal Junior Rodeo.  On the way to the rodeo, Billy-Bob looked at his brother and said in a very worried tone, "You know, if they pay, you have to do it."  Just one clue that of what was going through Billy-Bob's mind.
Well it was time now for Billy-Bob to get on his sheep.  With Sara helping, I hauled Billy-Bob up and handed him over the back of the chute.
Billy-Bob was not a happy camper.  He screamed, he cried, he said NO NO NO, he kept letting go of his rope.  The arena crew moved onto the next kid and I calmed Billy-Bob down.
Then I threatened, I pleaded, I begged, and finally I told him that this would be the last time, for sure, I promise, but he had to go ahead and ride.  We'd paid already and that was the rule.
Billy-Bob calmed down although he was still crying.
The arena boss came back and the guys got ready to pull the gate.  Billy-Bob started ramping up his screaming and kept trying to let go.  I reminded Billy-Bob again, that this was a done deal but "We'd never ever come back and he would never ever have to ride again.  Never!"
Finally Billy-Bob got settled enough, one hand up in the air, one on his rope, that the gate was pulled.  He didn't go far but he did get out the gate!
I also will never forget that this was the first time that any of the dads acknowledged me, a mom.  The arena director looked up, shook my hand, and said "Nice job getting him to go" and walked off.
Well after the ride was done, the tears dried, and the toy was given, Billy-Bob looked at me and said "I want to do it again!"
"NO!"  I said "NO! We are done!"
Billy-Bob said "I'll do it again when I'm five!"
Yeah Right!