"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!

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!

Decisions Decisions

Well the first ride was something of an adventure but would it be beginning or the ending?
At first Billy-Bob said an emphatic "No!" to ever riding again.  Then he changed and said "Yes!"  Of course the toy that the mutton busters got really helped!  But should we encourage him or discourage him.  Yes sheep riding is cute, but bull riding?  Yikes!
We had several months to think and talk with Billy-Bob about mutton busting.  He just kept saying he wanted to ride bulls "like Nic!".
So when spring came back around and Billy-Bob was technically three we signed him up.  Signing up meant finding a sponsor, something neither Mike nor I had ever done or worried about doing.  Signing up meant getting gear.  Big shout out to our local feed store, Oakdale Feed, as I walked in and said, "Um Billy-Bob's going to ride sheep and he needs a helmet and vest".  Little did I know that the helmet was a hockey helmet.  The vest was a bit harder.  Leah, one of the ladies that works at the Feed store, went through her catalogues and I started searching online.  A lot of places have combos of vests and gloves but they are the kind that kids can play dress up with.  Not the real padded ones that Billy-Bob needed.  Then we asked his aunt if she could embroider his name on the vest, which she did!
Finally we had in hand a sheep rope, a helmet, and a vest and we were off to the first event for the Northern California Junior Bull Riders Association, held in Lincoln, Ca. at the High School Rodeo Grounds.
The association held a meeting first, in the grandstands.  One dad, who was on the board apparently, was very adamant that long sleeves, long pants, boots, and a western hat be worn by anyone behind the chutes.  This was very important I would later learn not just for safety but for gathering sponsors, as pictures are taken of not just the kids, but the adults as well. 

Ok shorter post tonight as I have to get ready for work!  Need to find some more pictures also!

Hello!

Welcome!
Thanks to my sis-in-law, Cathy Chapin, for recommending that I start this blog.
My son Billy-Bob rides calfs in rodeo. He started riding sheep on and off when he was three. He's eight now and just finished his first full year competing on calfs.
In Billy-Bob's first year of calf riding, he has made the Youth World Bull Riding Finals in Texas this year, www.YBRnow.com , the first week in Aug.
Join me, if you will, on Billy-Bob's adventures this year.
Share in the stories of a mom in the back chutes.
Watch as Billy-Bob grows in his sport and in his maturity!