Sidelined

I have been sidelined by a cold, went from Mike to Sash to Billy-Bob to me.  The kids are feeling better and Billy-Bob will be back at school tommorrow but I am going to take a Benadryl and go to bed.  I am sorry.  I am hoping to do a few scheduled blogs this coming weekend.

Learning and Help

All of the sudden, Billy-Bob got really really serious about mutton busting.  He wasn't so big about practicing at home but mainly because I had no idea how to help him, but behind the chutes Billy-Bob was asking the boys all kinds of questions and trying to figure out how to prepare his riding rope and how to set his feet.  Billy-Bob and I always had different boys helping him in the chute, boys would offer and Billy-Bob would usually ask.  The hardest part was that each boy would tell Billy-Bob different things.
Finally Billy-Bob ended up asking two Jr. Bull Riders, Dakota Thompson and DJ Martin to help him.  Now DJ was at almost every ride so we now had someone consistent to help Billy-Bob.  DJ would sometimes grab another boy to help in the chute as sometimes it is easier to have to people in the chute.  One to maneuver the sheep around, one to help Billy-Bob.  Interesting enough, it still works that way with calfs.  Unfortunately, calfs stomp feet, kick, sometimes try to hook the adult with what little horns they have (if they have horns yet), jump, and buck.  Most calfs will stand still but even those that have been chute trained will have a bad day.  One difference between sheep and calfs though is that calfs need to be hazed out.  I have since learned that, because sheep are small and the chutes are large for the bulls, one adult runs the sheep towards the back of the chute and then turns its head outward. Once the chute is open the adult keeps hold of the child until the the sheep has completely turned and is on a straight shot for a run.  Now, even the young bull riders don't all know how to haze a sheep.
Billy-Bob had a routine set up at home but would occasionally forget things.  One day Billy-Bob forgot his shirt.  We were at Angels Camp only about a forty-five minute drive from home but no time to go back and get his shirt.  Billy-Bob asked the assoc. secretary if he could borrow a shirt, which, because her son is a bit older than Billy-Bob, they did.  One quirk about Billy-Bob is he is shy about his body, I think I've mentioned this before, but most of the boys will change, even their pants behind the chutes, Billy-Bob will not even change his shirt.  Billy-Bob knew many of the older boys and say hi and shake hands but one young man in particular took special notice of Billy-Bob, Patrick Holloway.  Patrick was sitting outside the assoc. trailer when Billy-Bob climbed up to find a shirt, I climbed down and Billy-Bob said "mom, I need to change."  Patrick laughed and told him something along the lines of waiting a few years and then he'll change anywhere.  Then Patrick took a moment to talk with Billy-Bob and told him that he'd help.
After that day, Billy-Bob always had to find Patrick to make sure that Patrick would be there to help.  Billy-Bob even liked to follow Patrick around during the rides.
One thing that I loved about Billy-Bob's first year was the friendships he developed, especially with the older boys.  Most of the older boys, or young men, would take the time to speak to the little ones.  Either before or after the ride.  These little boys look up to the bigger boys and that year was very strong in the mentoring.  The boys wouldn't call it mentoring, they'd call it helping the little boys but I've watched a 5 year olds tears stop immediately when one of the older boys took a moment to stop and talk about the child's ride.  The boys also policed each other.  Yes they are boys and a few girls, with the assorted male humor that comes.  But if Billy-Bob back talked around one of the older boys, especially Patrick, Billy-Bob was immediately but good naturedly reprimanded.  If one of the boys cussed another boy would say something.  One young man objected to his friend saying "nuts" about testicles, around me.  His friend looked at him and said, "she's got a boy, she's going to hear the term sooner or later."
The commadere that develops around these boys is something that will be around for a long time.  That is something that can't be taught but is cherished for a lifetime.

A Brand New Season

Billy-Bob start of 2008 season at BBar Ranch.

Billy-Bob started a brand new season in 2008 with excitement and a little fear.  Mike and I were hesitant to pay for his membership in the W.R.B.R.A and hesitant to find a sponsor for Billy-Bob.  We didn't want to end up like the first year and have him pull out after just a few rides.

One thing was good, he was still young enough to ride on sheep and not calfs yet.  Calfs buck, sheep run and occasionally jump.

One thing about bull riders, even the tiny ones, are the superstitions that develop over time.  Billy-Bob doesn't have any that revolve around his riding clothes, thank goodness, I can wash the clothes after each ride.  Some of the boys wear the same pants or shirt all season.  The clothes become filthy dirty, and sometimes ripped.  Some of the boy have religions symbols on their gear, some wear religious and secular medals, some have different bands over their vest and some have different rituals that they will do before each ride.  Billy-Bob has sheep wool in his vest pocket, for his luck.  He's even had one of the boy's ask "Do you have you're luck?"  In a sport that is dangerous even with safety equipment and bull fighters, judges, and arena men in the arena superstitions are a way for the riders to negate the danger.

For the sheep riders the danger is much less.  The sheep can run the kids into the chute, the gate, or into another sheep.  Billy-Bob's first injury came from being stepped on when his sheep ran between two others, leading to a scrape on his back.  There's also the bumps and bruises from falling off the sheep.  The goal is to ride until the bull fighter pulls you off but there's a lot of skills to put together for that to happen and the reality is falling of... a lot.

Billy-Bob had some other odd superstitions surrounding his rides.   He always looked for the same boys to help him in the chute.  He'd get jumpy if the sheep were rolled to many times.  Animals in the chutes are moved forward, rolled, into open chutes so that other animals can loaded from the alley.  This keeps the pace of the ride moving.  Billy-Bob also got nervous every time he thought he was going to have to ride the one black sheep that the assoc. had.  I really never figured that one out, it did have a tendency to jump when it first left the chute although I don't know if Billy-Bob was aware of that.  All he would tell me was "I don't want the black one, its tougher".

Billy-Bob insisted that I was the one to take him behind the chutes, get him signed in, and help him put on his gear.  Heaven forbid if Mike tried to help put on Billy-Bob's spurs.  Billy-Bob also developed a routine for getting ready.  He would have me hang out his chaps and vest.  I would also help Billy-Bob in getting his rope tied up so that the rope could be rosined.  We always arrived in time for Billy-Bob to get all of that done and then go and play with the other mutton busters.  I found that if we arrived to late to allow this down time Billy-Bob didn't do so well on his ride.

Billy-Bob still has his luck in his vest pocket even though he's moved into calfs.  I am sure he will develop more as the years go on and let others drop to the wayside.  Billy-Bob is already looking forward to the hand me down riding boots that are on their third rider.  They bring luck.

"See Mom I said I wouldn't be scared."

March 2008 before Billy-Bob quit.  It think at Lincoln, Ca.

Billy-Bob said, "Remember mom I said when I'm five I won't be scared" and he wasn't.  He didn't cry or scream or freak or try to climb off.  After Middletown Billy-Bob walked a little taller.  I think that Billy-Bob was proud of himself for conquering a fear.  I don't think that Billy-Bob would have termed it conquering a fear, I don't think he'd really understand that completely at the age of five.
To Billy-Bob, he was excited that he was riding, excited that he was seeing friends again, and excited to get a toy!   Mutton busting was something to do that was a combination of exciting and scary.  For Mike and I, mutton busting was something to keep Billy-Bob busy.
Billy-Bob is my active child, moving full speed from morning to night, his teacher this year calls Billy-Bob her squirrel.  An apropo nickname as we've often compared Billy-Bob to Hammie from "Over the Hedge".
Billy-Bob didn't crawl as a baby.  He did try to pull himself up a few times.  But at eight months and three days Billy-Bob stood up and ran.  He hasn't stopped since!
Billy-Bob exhibitioned in two more rides after Middletown before the season ended.  Billy-Bob never covered the rest of the year but he had a lot of fun and both of us learned.
For Billy-Bob there was the rush to get ready, the grand entry, and the rush to find his sheep.  For me there was a new routine and a lot to learn.
Just getting the sheep rope rosined is an artform in itself.  And trying to learn the knot was beyond me.  All rough stock ropes, from the sheep ropes all the way up to the bull ropes have to be tied in a knot, one that won't slip but is easy to adjust for the size of the animal.  Sometimes the ropes have to be tied into a double knot, which is not twice as hard to tie but about 100 more times harder to tie, if the animals are small for the rope.
Then there is the task of hanging the rope on the animal.  The bells go on the bottom and the rope has to go around but leave the room for the tail to come up to let the Billy-Bob take a wrap and still have excess left over.
Once that is all done it's time for Billy-Bob to climb down and get set.  Getting set is a skill that has to be developed but unfortunately I did not know what to teach.  So it wasn't until 2010's season, Billy-Bob's first on calfs, that Billy-Bob started to really learn what to do when in the chute and when it was time to go.  Normally other older boys helped Billy-Bob when he was riding sheep which was a good thing for Billy-Bob but unfortunately the older boys would contradict each other, which wasn't such a good thing.  Sometimes the dads would offer advice.  This was more helpful.
After those last few rides we had six months to get ready and prepare for the new season.
Then it was time to go and go we did!

Apologies

I apologize to any readers I have that I did not have a new blot up last night.   My internet connection went wackadoo and by the time I got it going I gave up on the computer and read.  I will have a new one tonight.

Equipment: Traditional and Safety

Billy-Bob, Big Vinnie, unknown cowboy.  NorCal Jr. Rodeo Clements, Ca. 2010

I want to take a moment to go over the equipment that is used.  Equipment is important in an rough stock event. 

     Now a sheep, calf, steer, or bull can be ridden in basically any attire but there is a standard that should be followed for both tradition and safety. 

     We'll start at the top and work our way down.  In the youth events a helmet is required.  In the adult events and in the youth events where the child has turned 18 a helmet is strongly recommended but not required and you will see some of the adults just wearing their cowboy hats.  Billy-Bob and most of the kids use a youth hockey helmet, with a bit different face mask.  A hockey helmet is pretty easy to find and we went to our local feed store to order one.  As we've gotten further along on Billy-Bob's adventures we have had a chance to look at all the different kinds of helmets that are worn, from the standard hockey helmets to made for bull riding helmets.  The little kids' helmets have chin straps but as they move up a chin strap becomes a hindrance because a helmet needs to be able to come off if a bull's horn catches the helmet.  Billy-Bob was small when he started and finding something that would keep the helmet up high enough that he could see was not easy.  I padded the top with socks, washcloths, and finally used kotex.  I'm sure that kotex is not something a dad would think off and we did get some funny looks, but with the sticky backing the kotex stayed in place while everything else fell out.  Now Mike needs to adjust the helmet up as it's finally tight on Billy-Bob's head.

     Moving on is a mouth guard.  Billy-Bob likes a mouth guard that attaches to his helmet.  Which for a kid that hits the dirt face first a lot is kind of nasty!  I rinse it out with a water bottle every couple of rides but still that dirt has all kinds of things I don't even want to think about.  On the other hand this keeps Billy-Bob from losing his mouth guard.  We tried everything not to lose the mouth guards and they were kept at various times in the case one came in, in Billy-Bob's vest pocket, and my all time favorite (said sarcastically) in my pocket both before and after the guard had been in his mouth.  We went through about five mouth guards, sometimes buying them on the way to rides and using hotel microwaves to boil the water to shape them to his mouth.  We also found out that Billy-Bob had such a tiny mouth when he first started that even trimming cutting the thing down to fit still left little sores in the back of Billy-Bob's mouth. 

     The long sleeve western shirt is a must.  We live in an area that can get HOT in the summer, over 100 and sometimes over 110, a long sleeve shirt is miserable.  Billy-Bob and I usually carry ours in the car and put them on once we get to the event.  Billy-Bob does not like to change his shirt behind the chutes, amazingly enough he's shy of other boys seeing him, he used to wear a shirt swimming, so he will normally change in the car.  Occasionally Billy-Bob will just put his western shirt on over a t-shirt.  Not wanting the boys to see something they shouldn't, I have learned to change quickly in the SUV.  I open the front and back doors, stand facing the inside of the car and whip off my shirt and pull on my western shirt.  The western shirt is worn not just for tradition but safety also.  A long sleeve shirt gives a layer of protection to the kids when they hit the dirt, sometimes the shirt is ripped but the skin's not even scratched.

     The next important piece of equipment that the rider wears is a padded vest.  These are tailored looking and can adjust to fit, with velcro on the shoulders, and pull tabs with velcro on the sides and they are zippered fronts.  Again, Billy-Bob was so small when he started that his aunt put in extra vecro down the front to get the shoulders to fit.

     A glove for the riding hand is a must.  Billy-Bob started with a TeeBall glove but has since moved into a youth bull riding glove.  We had such a hard time finding these gloves.  Linda down at our feed store spent a lot of time and energy trying to get Billy-Bob a glove ordered.  We took measurements and once Linda even called a company while we were standing there.  The first glove that got ordered was from a company that, after promising we would get the glove in time, never did send anything.  The next glove we ordered was way to big and got sent back.  The glove Billy-Bob now wears finally fits him.  It spent a year in his gear bag until Billy-Bob's hand grew enough to wear and still has to be taped onto his wrist to make it tight.  The gloves are made out of leather and Billy-Bob's goes down his wrist and has a tail of sorts that tightens on and velcros in place.  The problem with a too big glove, especially in calf riding, is that the child can not get a good grip on his/her rope and the fingers can bind under and get hung up in the rope.  Not a safe issue at all.

     Most cowboys wear a belt with a belt buckle.  But you will notice that the riders don't normally keep the belt buckles on.  This was not a big thing in mutton busting but once Billy-Bob moved up to calf riding, the belt needed to come off for safety.  We had a bit of a problem as Billy-Bob is usually in slim pants and still needs the belt to cinch them tight.  A young man that rode NorCal Jr. Rodeo this last season, Lane McNearny, showed Billy-Bob a neat little trick.  Take a piece of two of the fringe from the chaps and use that to tie two belt loops together.  This keeps the pants up safely.

     Onto pants.  Would any old pants do?  Why only wear jeans?  The answer starts in tradition but ends in safety.  Denim material is pretty thick and can withstand a hoof scraping down the side of it, mostly without tearing.  Sometimes, with the older boys, it can hold up to a bull horn also.  Not that I'm saying it won't rip or tear, one young man two years ago got the seat of his pants ripped out by a bull's horn, but the skin under was still intact.

     Chaps look like they are just for decoration don't they?  All prettied up with fringe a-flying?  Some boys don't use chaps or are saving for chaps.  Chaps are made of leather and depending on how fancy they are stamped depends on the price.  Billy-Bob's going on four years with the pair of chaps he's using, he started with them way above his belt and now they have been dropped below.  I am hoping that he'll win something this year that will have chaps as a prize, otherwise he will need new ones next year.  Chaps also play a pretty important role in safety also by adding an extra layer between the foot or horn and the skin. 

     Boots are traditional and safety wear also for the riders.  You may notice the cowboy lifesafers, the bull fighters, wearing tennis because they need traction, but the riders will be wearing boots.  Boots give the foot more protection for being stomped on and we have come to learn, instead of boot ties, long lacers are the best.  Boot ties are straps that go  around the boot to tighten the top of the boot so that the boot does not come off during the cowboys ride.

     Two last important pieces of equipment are the spurs and the mutton, calf, steer, or bull rope. 

          The spurs are traditional but they are very functional also.  Spurs have three parts, the spur, the rowel or the jangly part at the end, and the boot strap ~ the part that goes over the top of the boot to hold the spur in place.  The rowels on bull riding spurs are not supposed to move.  Billy-Bob started with a generic pair of child's spurs.  These are smaller roping type spurs, where the rowel moves.  In riding and training horses rowels need to be able to roll so they do not inflict damage on the horse but still work as an aid in cueing the horse.   But bull riding spurs need to stay fixed in aiding the rider to get a better grip on the side of the animal . We used a piece of baling wire to fix Billy-Bob's rowels from moving.  This last year we bought Billy-Bob bull riding spurs.  Linda again went through the catalog and found the smallest pair of bull riding youth spurs she could find, with a 45 degree tilted inward angle.  Mike still had to heat them and squeeze them smaller to stay on Billy-Bob's feet.

         Finally the rope.  Billy-Bob got a brand new hand tied Pro Calf Rope from Tom Scrivner owner of Reata ropes this last season.  It has a half sized handle, for his smaller hand, a braided handle, to keep it from rolling over, and a braided tail, to keep the tail from twisting.  Billy-Bob's first mutton rope came again from a catalog order.  Just a basic white cotton rope.  The year he was going to start exhibitioning in calfs, to get ready for the step up from sheep, we bought a calf rope for twenty dollars from a steer rider, unfortunately, I didn't know this, the handle was starting to roll over, which will get a kid hung up.  Then we ordered a calf rope online, the one that came was so small it would have fit the sheep he'd been riding and it was not in the color shown, red.  Finally a steer riders dad showed my his son's rope and we ordered the Pro Calf Rope.  I don't think that Tom had made a Pro Calf Rope before as he kept referring to it as a Pro Steer Rope, but it is a nice rope and was reasonably priced!

     There you have it, all the gear a mutton buster, calf, steer, or bull rider will use for each ride.  They all carry other things in their bags, water, food, good luck charms, wire cutters, wire brushes, rosin, glycerin, pliers, wire, phones, and toys to name just a few.

Everything has a use and an importance.  Unfortunately due to my lack of knowledge in the area and Billy-Bob's young age, it's taken us a long time to learn the ins and outs of the usage of a lot of the equipment.  Just ask Billy-Bob now though, and he will give you a demonstration and a lecture why he uses each piece.

A New Beginning

We thought we were done.
Billy-Bob gave it a try and was done, less traveling, less money spent.
A lot less money.  We'd paid out the sponsorship fees and entry fees and had even ordered jackets for all of us, but I gave up on ever getting them.
The holidays came and went and Billy-Bob turned five.
We passed other milestones and finished out preschool.
We had a house fire that destroyed a lot of stuff and what wasn't gone was put in storage.
Then Billy-Bob looked at me one day and said "How come I'm not riding sheep any more?  Remember I said I would again when I was five."
Um, really?  Really?  NOW!  That's what went through my head what came out of my mouth was
"Oh ok, really, are you sure"   I mean we were living in a trailer rented from the insurance at this point and dealing with any schedules just threw me.
Billy-Bob was sure.  I kept trying to put him off.  But one thing Billy-Bob is, when he gets something in his head is, to put it nicely, insistent.
I finally started looking around and trying to find the association info again, but didn't have any luck.
I had no contact numbers for anything.
Then it dawned on me, the lady who originally told me about the Northern California Junior Bull Riders Assoc., N.C.J.B.R.A, had been a substitute teacher in my older son's class, her son was riding calfs at that time.  411 to the rescue!
There was no longer a N.C.J.B.R.A., apparently the secretary was being investigated for embezzlement, gee no wonder we never got our jackets, from the association.
What there was now was W.R.B.R.A., Western Regional Bull Riders Assoc., which, after a lengthy conversation with Brian Moniz, was started when N.C.J.B.R.A. had to fold, leaving a whole lot of kids with no place to ride.
I got Billy-Bob entered for a ride up in Middletown, a beautiful but really long drive through Napa Valley (some day I'd like to actually have the time to stop and enjoy the places we drive through!)
Now for hectic phone calls, unanswered phone calls, and phone tag with the laundry company that was storing our clothing.  Trying to find Billy-Bob's gear bag, rope, vest, chaps, helmet, and boots.  Instead of having the items delivered to us, that would take up to two weeks, we drove the hour and a half to the warehouse to pick up the items.  The gear bag was missing but at least we had the other important equipment.  Although  my boots were missing.
Off we drove to Middletown with a nice lunch stop in Napa itself.  Although, the grade from Napa to Middletown is incredibly twisty and Billy-Bob gets car sick.  Wish I had known that ahead of time.
We got a little lost on the way to the arena, which for such a small town shouldn't have been hard to find!
One thing that one of the men had gone over the year before, was proper attire for the kids and the parents.  They were very serious about long sleeves rolled down for the parents, boots, hats, and jeans.
When Billy-Bob got signed in I was again reminded of the clothing requirements.  Of course I had no boots but was given a pass for this ride.
Mike and I were really worried.  We didn't join or pay anything but the entry fee.  Billy-Bob was going to ride exhibition, which meant no accumulation of points.  At this point there was three rides left in the season before finals.
Several of the dads remembered Billy-Bob, "that kid with the long hair" and Billy-Bob said hello to several of the kids.
We got Billy-Bob's gear set up and ready to ride.  Sara was no longer riding with the assoc. so I needed someone to help.  Dakota Thompson, a Jr. Bull Rider, helped now and while Billy-Bob got a little stressed he still rode.
Billy-Bob didn't go far and he did finally let go but he seemed to have conquered that fear.
Oh No What are we getting ourselves into!