Of course you remember last year right?
Lots of horses…
An All American Rodeo…Not Just Any Rodeo But…The Pendleton Round Up!
Get Set…Get Ready…And Let ‘Er Buck! The 102 Year Old Rodeo Officially Started Today With Horses, Cowboys and Cowgirls!
Rough and Tough…Here Comes The Round Up Princesses!
The Pendleton Round Up Queen Follows…These Girls Know How To Ride Fast and Hard!
Bucking Chutes Waiting…
Pick Up Men Helping!
Friday Morning 2011 Westward Ho Parade With 101 American Flags!
Contestants Warming Up…For Their Chance Of Winning Pendleton!
Cowboy Horses…Patiently Standing…Taking A Break.
This Is Pendleton…its boogie time!
Turn and Burn Girl…Rock On and Go!
Traditions And Heritage…Wild Bill Taking The Oxen Through The Westward Ho Parade.
Me Riding My Horse Lottie Helping With The Oxen…Lottie Was 4 Years Old Here And Such A Good Girl!
My Dad On Gypsy…He Was President Of The Pendleton Round Up 1963-1964.
My Mom Attending A Round Up Function…She Is In The Middle Of The Group, In The White Suit.
The Budweiser Horses Came To Visit When Dad Was President….I Got To Meet Them All In Person:):):) They Were Incredible!
Little did I know that Wild Bill and I would move to Wyoming and mange a 110 mile ranch for three partners and one of the partners was Paul, who owned the Melody Ranch in Jackson Hole and whose Mother was a Busch…this picture shows me with the long red hair…to my right is Margo, a lovely lady and friend, to my left is Paul with his Mule “Honey Buns” who was really cool and that is my Wild Bill in the flat hat…actually back then it was a WY. hat…and behind us in the near distance was the incredible Wind Rivers!!!! That is the Continental Divide (not a very good picture of them so I will do a post one of these days on our time there with better photos)
Ok I had to slip one photo in so you could see what i saw every morning and every night and all day long:) The Wind Rivers were incredible and I got to wake up to it every day and watch lightning storms over it every night…I loved, loved, loved Wyoming:) It was the life I grew up in…the American West…horses, cows, mountains and weather, elements of Mother nature…and life…sweet cowgirl life:)
My Dad was asked to be Grand Marshal of The Westward Ho Parade a few years ago…and at the time the main horses we had were younger and Lottie was the oldest, so Dad asked me if he could ride her through the parade. I of course said yes and then I got to work…she had been in parades before but she was only 6 years old and I wanted to be sure that she remained calm with Dad. As soon as I could I got hold of the serape behind the saddle and every late spring and summer evening in Juniper Canyon, I had the serape tied behind my saddle and Lottie and I rode…no make that galloped up and down the hills out here with that serape flapping and rusting against her to get her completely broke to the sound of it and the feel of it. I was worried as Lottie did not like men for some reason…and she would buck them off! Ask Wild Bill…and he is good horseman!
God heard my prayers and Lottie did not buck with Dad…he was the first man ever to ride my mare and not have an issue:) I was sooooo relieved!
This Week I Am Taking Pictures Once Again Of My Hometown Rodeo…Next Week I Will Post What I Shoot So Stay Tuned:) In The Mean Time Let ‘Er Buck!!!
Hot Rod Cowgirl 
Oct 07, 2012 @ 18:16:58
hey from ecuador!
i stumbled upon your blog and really enjoyed your posts. i am a transplant from mississippi, and when i was young, i was forever on a horse. summertime found me barrel racing every weekend.
seeing your posts transported me back, and through your images, i could all but smell the lovely aroma of a sweaty saddle blanket!
thanks so much. i look forward to future posts!
lisa/z
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Oct 07, 2012 @ 19:15:59
Howdy Hi!
It is nice to meet you Lisa/z and wow Ecuador sounds fascinating to this rather isolated cowgirl…what an adventure you are on:) I subscribed to your posts as your life sounds incredible too:) I was blessed to have a cowboy Dad and a long suffering Mom who did not ride horses but she let me ride with Dad…all my life from around 2 years on. I love horses and their smells and their emotions and how perceptive they are…wow…Dad once told me that is a horse can feel a tiny little fly on their back…they feel every move you make. I am happy that I took you back to good times on the back of a horse and the sweaty smells of blankets:) Now here is what is weird with us horse people…I do not mind horse poop at all as well it has to do with a horse but dog poo is yuk and I love dogs too…horses….awe I love their smells:) I look forward to hearing about your life in Ecuador:)
Thank you much for finding my blog…have a wonder night and great week:)
Hot Rod Cowgirl…MJ or Marcy
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Oct 08, 2012 @ 07:47:24
you’re right! horse poop smells like life, and dog poop smells like death! maybe it’s because horses are vegetarians? maybe there’s a subtle message there!
my father was an outdoorsman, and my mother an indoor person as well! like your mother, she never held us back (four girls!) and let us run/roam like wild indians while she taught school, played bridge, read books and lived a sweet quiet contrasting life. i never remember her complaining about the muck that came to the back door via boots/jeans during the winter season!
we’re lucky to have had such rich childhoods. mine prepped me for life in latin america, and every day i am back in my childhood and embracing every minute!
thanks, amiga. i look forward to your posts as well!
z
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Oct 09, 2012 @ 13:20:22
🙂 Yes we both have been very blessed and loved:)
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Sep 14, 2012 @ 16:25:59
Oh, I just love this! I hope to be able to attend a rodeo one of these days. My little one gets to go with her school to the local rodeo each year, and me, I’m always working. But…one of these days…:-)
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Sep 14, 2012 @ 16:43:37
I hope you get to go with your daughter too:) Watching the rodeo in itself is amazing!!! Our town population goes up from 15,000 to around 50,000 and that part is not fun. The traffic and crowds are amazing for a sleepy little cowboy town most of the year:) As locals we all know that it is part of what makes Round Up, Round Up:) I do enjoy seeing the people I know that I only see at Round Up. I will hope with you that you get to go to a rodeo…you deserve to go:) Happy Weekend:)
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Sep 16, 2012 @ 10:04:02
Thanks, HRC! So far…the things I put on my bucket list seem to be working out, so I’m hopeful this will, too. Sounds very exciting, too!
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Sep 16, 2012 @ 18:31:31
I will keep my fingers crossed and I am sure you will go and you both will have a fun time:)
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Sep 14, 2012 @ 13:04:07
Cool post! Thanks for the great pics, enjoyed! 🙂
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Sep 14, 2012 @ 13:24:16
Thank you much:)
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Sep 14, 2012 @ 03:25:48
I really like the opening image. The way you framed the horses and the lines of the corrals are spot on. All in all an excellent image.
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Sep 14, 2012 @ 12:03:29
Thank you so much:) I appreciate your encouragement and comment:) Have a wonderful day!
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 19:42:19
Can’t wait to see your images!! Thanks for sharing your memories with us 🙂
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 21:43:13
You are welcome and thank you….I am still learning…and wanting more…and I love your photos and insights…I need pointers and insights:) I love your work…your heart with the animals and life…I hope to one day publish a book like you have:)
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 16:13:40
Awesome shots!! I love western!! 😀
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 21:41:11
:):):) Thank you so much….I love taking the shots:) As always thanky to yous that you visit my post:)
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 14:09:53
Sigh, Nothing better than a real rodeo – outdoors and close up like it should be. Thanks for the pixs
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 21:40:01
You is welcome and Pendleton is way worth it:) It is incredible to see and be part of. When we lived in Wyoming in the little town of Pinedale we had a nightly rodeo and it was the real deal. I loved it as it was real people with real horses who had not been trained yet but were in the process…incredible for me to be part of:) Loved Wyoming:)
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 08:26:39
Darn, I just checked the dates and it looks like I’ll miss that rodeo again this year. I live in Portland so it’s certainly in driving range. I’ve never been to a rodeo but I can only imagine how much fun it would be to photograph. You did a great job on your posted pics. Thanks for sharing with your blog.
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 21:36:44
Oh ok you need to check out the calendar for next year…and then call the Pendleton Round Up Office next week and get quality tickets…you will both love it and hate it…lots to see and lots to photograph…and in the end you will be glad that you saw and did it:) And photos are amazing and great:) I love going and just shooting and shooting more:) Pendleton is awesome when it comes to the Round Up…come to it next year ok:) You need to do it:)
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Sep 14, 2012 @ 00:19:14
I fear I’m poorer than a church mouse. Paying for tickets to anything is out of my budget at this time. I’ll remember the general time of the year and get the dates for the roundup next year. Maybe I’ll win the lottery. Thanks for your comments & posts.
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Sep 14, 2012 @ 11:53:48
I was reading your blog today and I saw the post on your cameras….I would love to have all four of them:) I am getting addicted to photography and cameras:) I love it:) Will keep my fingers crossed that you win the lotto and can come see the rodeo!!! I love your incredibly beautiful photos…
Let ‘Er Buck! as we say this week of Round Up…and have a good weekend:)
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 05:56:04
Wonderful photos! I love the one of the parade with all the American flags. Your heritage is amazing.
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 21:32:51
Thank you much D….I do know that I am very blessed to live the life I have and to experience the cowgirl/cowboy wild west life…yes the 100th year of the R-Up was incredible and they decided to add one more flag every year to the parade…and it takes your breath away when you see them…my Melody is in the picture with her original Mom…and she did great:)
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 05:13:11
As always I love your photos & your post 🙂 But I don’t like Rodeos, it might be fun for humans, but not for the horses there neither for cows nor bulls…For sure not all Rodeos are bad..But how can anyone like to see bucking horses which are tortured with electric shocks? It s a shame that it s still allowed 😦 That s not the only point why I don’t like them, it s just the important one for me…
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 21:57:44
Truthfully I do not like them either…BUT…my hubby helped with the Pendleton R-Up for many years and he educated me on the bucking horses we have…they cost a lot and are worth a lot and the owners take care of them. It is like a signal to them to buck as when they put on the flank strap…it means buck…I have not seen anyone in Pendleton shock or stun them…no way..they are treated with grace and royalty as they have great worth to the owners. I can not speak for other rodeos as I do not know what they do…but here all the livestock is given great care and grace and worth. With my Dad involved for over 30 years of my life and then my hubby being involved for 25 years I knew that the animals were ok…even the oxen that WB was in charge of…they were scary but we treated them with grace and respect.
I guess where I am at with horses and sports is that I grew up moving cattle in the mountains horseback and it was good…horse racing…english jumping…steeple jumping…fox hunts…rodeos…endurance races…oh come on…every one of those sports causes the horse to suffer and they are susceptible to being injured so come on…it is ALL BAD…ALL OF IT…my thought is just ride and find a job to do with your horse…I grew up that way…we had 800 cows and every day I had a job to do with my horse…the events of horses and humans doing crazy things is not natural….so no….none of it is sane at all!
I agree…and I am with you in thought:)
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Sep 14, 2012 @ 01:08:00
I could not have said it any better 🙂 Respect for living creatures, no matter if it s a horse, a cow, or a butterfly, and to treat them best way you can is what counts.
Hugs & Happy Weekend
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Sep 14, 2012 @ 12:01:39
I know it is a mixed bag with rodeo. Having grown up in this rodeo etc. I do enjoy going to the rodeo not so much as to see the events but to see old friends that I see only at R-Up as they live out of town. I barrel raced when I was young up until I saw that it was not good on the horses…..I have loved cutting horses and reining events but it is the same with those events…..ramming and jamming your horses…..that is why now today for the last 15 years I have been a student of natural horsemanship…..I admire the Dorrance brothers teaching, Ray Hunt and also Clinton Anderson and many of those horseman who do it the right way with their horses by treating the horse with respect and dignity….learning the horses ways and working with the horse with building a good foundation of trust and partnership:)
Huggies back and have a happy weekend:) Thank you always for checking out my posts:)
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Sep 15, 2012 @ 00:03:18
PS I like Barrel Races & the ones around the Poles too, but as you said before, it s not good for the horses. There is one rider out of 1000 who can do this with his horse without yanking on its mouth or bumping like a bag of potatos on the poor horses back…
PS PS I enjoy your posts *cuddle*
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Sep 15, 2012 @ 00:15:19
I love cutting horses and cutting cows…and reining horses….what it is to ride a horse who knows how to cut…all I can say is hang on tight or you will be off on the ground and your horse will still be cutting the cow…love that sport but it is like all horse sports as in some trainers hands they start them too early before their bones are hard and solid or too young for the ram and jam stuff. Look up Stacy Westfall and watch her videos on riding her horses bridleless…you will love it..first time I saw it I cried as she and her horse were one:)
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Sep 15, 2012 @ 00:32:37
Go watch Stacy and Baby Doll….I just did again and it makes you cry as they are such a beautiful team.
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Sep 15, 2012 @ 05:33:21
That s how it should be 😀 And those sliding stops are just wow! 🙂 The last minute of the video reminds me of how often horsie & I were chasing each other in the “arena”. Was so much fun to play with him 🙂
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Sep 15, 2012 @ 09:38:01
Isn’t that cool:) Once they are hooked on to us it is an amazing thing….I did ride Hobby without a bridle in my round corral….I would work on transitions….walk to jog…to post at the trot to loping her….I loved it as all I had to worry about was my seat position and my legs…she is the horse I am hugging in the picture that identifies me on the blog:)
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Sep 15, 2012 @ 10:00:10
Awwwww ❤
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Sep 15, 2012 @ 10:10:02
🙂
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 04:31:34
I dreamt about a cowgirl life when I was growing up, while you were living it and still do. Such an interesting post, Cowgirl. Loved it.
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 21:29:52
Thank you so much:) It is my life and always will be…I love the life of the west and animals…horses and cows…living on the edge of isolation and learning to be ok with the sound of silence and hearing the sounds of life:)
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 03:16:05
What a beautiful place to live and what a view 🙂 going to a rodeo is on my wish list someday :).
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Sep 13, 2012 @ 21:28:15
I do feel very blessed to live here and to have the history in this house…the heritage and memories:) The Pendleton Rodeo is good but has changed a lot in my lifetime…a small town rodeo is better as you are closer to the action:) I am blessed to see the Pendleton R-Up too but just saying a better rodeo is a small one where you are almost in the arena:)
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