YESTERDAY SUNDAY OCTOBER 6TH, I WENT TO RIDE IN THE "HUNT CLUB" - NO NOTHING TO DO WITH MY NAME; IT IS A CLUB WHERE THEY PRETEND TO BE CHASING THE FOX, RUN AROUND A RANCH WITH ALL KINDS OF JUMPS TO JUMP OVER OR JUST NOT, AND HAVE A NICE TIME RIDING ALONG ON THE CHASE. OH THEY HAVE TWO PEOPLE IN THE RED JACKETS AND THEY BLOW THE BUGLE TO START OFF; AFTER A REST AS WELL...... ABOUT 2 AND 1/2 TO 3 HOURS, THEN A POT LUCK AFTERWARDS.
GOLDIE MY HORSE JUST LOVED IT, SHE'S IN GREAT FORM THIS YEAR.
DURING THE POT LUCK I WAS TALKING TO THIS MAN ABOUT THE DOG HE HAD, ONE OF THOSE BREADS YOU DO NOT OFTEN SEE, AND I WAS SURPRISED THEY ONLY LIVE ABOUT 8 OR 9 YEARS.....ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER, AND I WAS GOING TO MENTION [DID AFTER HE'D FINISHED HIS REMART] THE GERMAN SHEPHERD [BULLET ROY NAMED HIM] ROY ROGERS HAD WHO LIVED TO BE 17; BUT HEARING THE NAME ROY ROGERS, HE IMMEDIATELY [NOT SURE WHY PER SE, MAYBE HE'S ALWAYS WANTED TO TELL SOMEONE] SAID, "I DON'T CONSIDER HIM BUT AN ACTOR, ENTERTAINER, WHO COULD SING AND RIDE A HORSE SOMEWHAT."
WELL OF COURSE I COULD HAVE GONE INTO A LONG DISCUSSION AND TOLD HIM ALL KINDS OF THINGS ABOUT ROY ROGERS, BUT IT WAS REALLY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CONVERSATION ON DOGS WE WERE HAVING. SO I IGNORED HIS COMMENT.
NOW WHAT MAKES A COWBOY?
WELL OF COURSE ORIGINALLY THE COWBOY WAS SOMEONE WHO TENDED CATTLE, LOOKED AFTER CATTLE ON HORSEBACK, DROVE THEM HERE OR THERE, ROUNDED THEM UP.
SO I GUESS TECHNICALLY ROY WAS NOT A COWBOY.
BUT THEN THOSE WHO MAKE THEIR LIVING [PRO GUYS] RIDING SADDLE BRONC, BARE BACK, BULL RIDING ETC. IN RODEOS.... WELLLL.... THAT IS ALL THEY DO FOR A LIVING, SO I GUESS TECHNICALLY THEY AREN'T COWBOYS EITHER.
BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT THE WORD "COWBOY" TODAY HAS A MUCH LARGER RANGE THAN 100, 200 YEARS AGO. AND THE RODEO GUYS ARE STILL CALLED COWBOYS, EVEN IF THEY ONLY WRESTLE HORNED CRITTERS TO THE GROUND FOR A LIVING, OR ROPE JUST ONE CALF [IF THEY DO NOT MISS, AND EVEN THE BETS ONES DO AT TIMES, SEEN IT]
SO AIN'T SURE WHAT THIS FELLOW WAS THINKING ABOUT ROY ROGERS WITH HIS REMARK. NOW I COULD HAVE GOTTEN UPSET AND SAID, "MY HOW MUCH DO YOU REALLY KNOW ABOUT ROY ROGERS? HE WAS A FARM BOY, BELONGED TO THE 4-H CLUB GROWING UP. HE RODE BARE BACK UNTIL BE WAS A MOVIE STAR, COULDN'T AFORD A SADDLE. HE COULD TRICK RIDE, DO HIS FAMOUS JUMP INTO THE STIRRUP, SOMETIMES IN A RUNNING JUMP. HE USED TO PRACTICE CALF ROPING FROM ONE OF HIS OTHER HORSES HE HAD. HE COULD DO SOME PRETTY FANCY ROPING SPINS AND TRICKS, COULD TWIRL HIS GUNS, ONE IN EACH HAND. ROY WAS A MASTERFUL MARKSMAN WITH A GUN AS PEOPLE FOUND OUT WHO ATTENDED HIS RODEO SHOWS. YES....AND LIKE MANY COWBOYS OF OLD, ROY SANG COWBOY SONGS, YODELED, AND STRUMMED A GUITAR."
SO WITH TODAY'S WIDE USE OF "COWBOY" ROY ROGERS WAS RIGHT UP AT THE TOP WITH MANY OTHERS. AND WITH ALL HIS TALENT COULD BE SAID TO BE "THE KING OF THE COWBOYS."
SO AGAIN NOT SURE WHAT THIS FELLOW AT THE "HUNT CLUB" HAD IN HIS MIND WITH HIS COMMENT ABOUT ROY..... AH BUT THEN THIS GUY WAS A "HORSE POLO" MAN, TRAVELING HERE AND THERE [YES ONE OF THOSE FILTHY RICH FOLKS, WE HAVE IN CALGARY MANY OF THEM - OIL AND GAS CAPITAL OF CANADA] MAYBE TO HIM NOBODY WAS ANYBODY IN THE HORSE WORLD IF YOU WERE NOT A "HORSE POLO MAN."
WELL INTERESTING THE MIND-SET OF SOME PEOPLE. BUT A MIND-SET THAT NEEDS TO GET INTO THE REAL WORLD, AND THE REAL WORLD TODAY IS THAT IF YOU ARE INTO ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE WESTERN HORSE, YOU ARE A "COWBOY" OR "COWGIRL" - THAT IS THE REALITY OF IT PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
ROY ROGERS WAS A GREAT COWBOY, ONE OF THE VERY BEST, ON SCREEN AND OFF SCREEN. WHEN ROY DIED DURING THE 1998 CALGARY STAMPEDE [BIGGEST RODEO PRIZE MONEY IN THE WORLD] THEY HAD A ONE MINUTE HATS OFF SILENCE, THE ANNOUNCER ANNOUNCED HIS DEATH TO THE THOUSANDS AND SAID, "ROY WAS A FRIEND TO THE COWBOY." YES INDEED A HUMBLE DOWN-TO-EARTH COWBOY WHO WAS A FRIEND TO ANYONE.
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