Hot Rod Cowgirl

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!!!