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!

A change

Back at the hotel we got take out pizza and Mike got down on his hands and knees and had Billy-Bob get on his back and practice hanging on.  He seemed so enthused.
The next day we were back at the rodeo grounds.  Mike was going to go back behind the chutes with Billy-Bob.
Big mistake.
Billy-Bob is exactly like Mike and even at age four, when they locked horns, they stayed stuck.  They are like two bulls facing off.
Billy-Bob, again freaked behind the chute.  He was NOT going to get on that sheep and he screamed and yelled.  So did Mike.  We could hear him clear across the arena then we saw them climbing down and into the alleyway.
Mike was so angry with Billy-Bob.
Billy-Bob though still got that toy.
We watched the rest of the kids and then packed up and drove home. 
Mike stewed while Billy-Bob insisted that he was going to ride again.
Silent from the driver chattering from the backseat!
Oh well.
After a lot of talking and trying to decide if Billy-Bob was going to ride or not I sat down and talked with Billy-Bob.  Well as much talking as you can do with a four year old.  Basically I told him that his daddy and I had decided that if we entered and paid Billy-Bob was going to ride again.  Billy-Bob said uh-huh but really can a four year get the concept.
So we entered him and drove to the next ride.
It was my turn to go with Billy-Bob and get him ready and on the sheep.  Getting him geared up, getting the rope hung on the sheep, and getting him down and on the sheep.  Again Sara helped and this time she had her sister get down with us.
The rope was hung and we started to get Billy-Bob down in the chute, where he started crying.  At least no screaming.  The girls really worked with Billy-Bob to get him to stay on the sheep but he refused to take one hand off the rope.  At this point we just told the man who pulled the gate to go!  Billy-Bob again came off immediately
Day two went basically the same but this time I told Billy-Bob that he wouldn't ever have to ride again if he would just get on and ride this time!
Small lies that mommas tell!

Taking a moment to organize

I have been trying to find pictures from Billy-Bob's first forays into the mutton busting arena.  Unfortunately, due to a fire in 2007, I am missing almost all the pictures from that time.  We have been hunting and scanning pictures from my mom and in-laws the last week or so.  I am going to try to post on Sundays through Thursday nights so that I can be consistant and take Fridays and Saturdays off.  I am hoping that I can add more pics as I go and find them.  Right now I am not sure where Michael has scanned and saved them to.

On with Billy-Bob's tale.
As of January 1st of 2005 Billy-Bob was listed as a 3 year old for the Northern California Bull Riders Assoc., even though his birthday is in the middle of January.  So he was riding as a 3 year old when he was actually 4.
My mom and my in-laws drove up for his first ride of the year with gear and all.  I took him again behind the chutes.  What was nice about this assoc. was that the older boys and girls, yes girls, were all willing and eager to help with the littler ones.  All I had to do was ask what do I do.
I handed Billy-Bob down into the chute to Sara, a bull rider, and climbed down in with them.  Billy-Bob cried and cried this time as soon as he sat on the sheep.  Sara was very good with him and we finally got the chute open.  Billy-Bob didn't make it very far, I don't think he even made it out of the chute before he fell off, but at least we had another ride down.  I had to go and carry him out.  I wasn't sure what the heck we were all getting ourselves into or if he'd ride again.
The answer, of course, was....

Toys.
You thought I was going to say Yes huh.
All mutton busters get a toy.  They also compete for a buckle but no money and really at 3,4,5, and 6, toys are great!
We watched the bull riders and back to the hotel we went.  This was a 2 day event. 
In my head is still the picture of Billy-Bob wiped out asleep in the hotel bed with his Elmo Blankie and Pooh Bear, alas, that was on the computer that burned.
My little cowboy and my little boy all rolled into one.

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!

First Ride

Billy-Bob's first ride was truly an adventure, not only for him but for us. 

We made arrangements to borrow gear for him and calling in his entry.  Getting a hotel room for the overnight for us and my in-laws and my mom and her boyfriend were driving up to watch. 

The ride was supposed to be at the Sheriff's Arena in Yuba City, a three hour drive for us, the end of June 2005.  When we pulled in there was a lady standing at the closed and locked gate with a small sheet of directions.  Something had happened with the insurance rider and with communication with the association so the ride had moved to someone's ranch in Wheatland, right off the busy two lane highway, about half an hour away.  This led to a bit of a confusion trying to find how to get from where we were to where we had to be.

We did make it and parked in the field across from the house area.  Billy-Bob was excited as we checked him in and wandered around to find the mom who was loaning us gear. 

I have to take a moment here to mention two things important but telling facts.  Billy-Bob was and still is a bit of a mama's boy and my husband, Mike, is a photographer.
The time came to get Billy-Bob read to go.  Get him in a helmet and vest with a sheep rope.
Then came the climbing over the fences to get to the back of the chutes.  Billy-Bob took that moment to freak out, daddy was definitely NOT going to be the one helping him, mommy was.  Mommy also made the mistake of promising to be with him the whole time.
  Still snuffling Billy-Bob was up and over the fence and a young bull rider offered to help us.
He told us that since it was Billy-Bob's first ride it would be ok if I got down in the chute with Billy-Bob along with the sheep, a dad who was going to help and the young man.  Everything started off ok but as the young man was giving Billy-Bob instructions, he started crying.  He didn't want to hold the rope with one hand.  He was panicking fast.

At that point there's a choice to be made, get him off and pass or have him ride.  I went with let him try.  He talked and talked and talked about riding bulls so this was a first step.  Some may think it was mean but after entry fees, a hotel room, and everyone making the drive, it was important that mom, dad, and especially Billy-Bob have the chance to find out if this sheep riding was something he was going to do again.

Boy have we had some trials to get to where we are now and this was the first.

 Of course toys always help!

You may ask...

You may be asking why would a mom encourage her son to ride calfs? Why encourage the beginning of bull riding? Sure riding sheep is cute, but calfs? He could get hurt!

Billy-Bob was a deceptively calm and quiet baby, only three sleepless nights in the first year.

Of course that was just to lull us into a sense of calm.

Ignore the fact that he was starting to roll over at 3 days old. I thought he was a bit ahead on his milestones but the doc. didn't, he didn't try to crawl, pull up, or walk.

But at eight months and three days I get a call from the hubs. Guess what Billy-Bob did today... He stood up and ran!

OMGosh help.

He hasn't stopped since. Although the boy sure can sleep hard. We've had to find something for him to keep him busy.

Along came a young man that bought our colt. He was a nice young man, Nic Lica, with a bit of a hard life. My oldest knew him from riding lessons, he was in junior high and both boys immediately idolized him. Nic worked off his colt by doing chores and exercising horses for us. He also wanted to ride bulls. Eventually Nic was going to ride steers in Jr. Rodeo and asked us to come watch him. Billy-Bob was three and was enthralled. He didn't want to leave the fence. At the next rodeo we talked with another parent who told us of an association that had sheep riding.

Thus starting our adventures.

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!