milod Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. is pretty much the de facto beginning of summer and a holiday for most. Me, I'm working - but photography at the state junior high school finals rodeo isn't hard duty. Here's one youngster doing his get-off for tie-down calf roping. I think Cooper's only 12. His folks are both working the rodeo, Dad with livestock and mom with the office computer. It's a joy to see these kids that are barely in the double digits for age keeping up a North American tradition. I say "North American" because there's a good Canadian contingent, too. In the old days you'd see a lot of cowboys age 10-14 on the cattle trails. Some day on behalf of the local museum (I'm on the foundation board) I'm hoping to talk one area family into their ancestor's six-shooter he carried up the trail at age 13 and ended up founding a northern plains family ranch that's still operating and still in the family. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aster1 Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Beautiful photo BTW, When I've had the pleasure to see a cowboy rodeo in WY I was delighted to watch all the young'n parading around with the big hats, boots, belt buckles & such. The "Mutton Bust'n" was about the biggest treat to watch and the rope'n & ride'n too. Loved it. Sounds like fun work Milo!! Aster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 Aster... Well, it's rodeo season. <grin> High school state finals are here June 18-22. Since you're in Des Moines, I'm sure I'll have some kids I know at the 10th annual National Junior High Finals Rodeo. It runs June 19 through 28 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. State high school finals are here June 18-22. Then there's the 95-year-old Black Hills Roundup the week of July 4. Funny thing is that the first big rodeo I went to was in '53. Guy Madison and Andy Devine were in the parade and I can remember it like yesterday - even better than the new hat and boots. Mutton bustin' nowadays at the local rodeo has to be pre-registered and it's mostly local ranch kids. City families are a concern since they don't seem to realize a kid can get stepped on - and sometimes getting stepped on is as much a part of the tradition as a big buckle for the winner. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Great photo Milod! Enjoy the rest of the weekend and tomorrow! P.S. I want one of those hats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Bill Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Monday there will be a ceremony for the veterans where I live. I've been waiting 8 months to have my name added to our tribute wall. It will be a proud moment when I become one with those who have gone before me. (Pics later) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 Tman... The hats are pretty comfortable. I wear felt in winter and straw in summer - and it's almost getting to be summer hat season. Figure a good felt hat runs $200-500 - and up. Most of mine are either locally made to measure, Stetson or Serratelli. My oldest handmade to order is dirty, ugly and a bit over 20 years old, but it's still great in rotten weather or when I'm at a fire 'cuz the brim keeps falling coals from burning my ears. A straw gets about a year's wear, depending if it's a wet summer. Figure $100-200 for a really good one, but most around here get the lower end precisely because they're likely to get stepped on by livestock. Mine included. <grin> Kaiserbill I used to do a lotta first person living history stuff from 1860 to 1880 and was local Memorial Day speaker. It was an odd deal to see my name among local veterans who've passed on. Not me, it's my Dad's. Military wouldn't take me but I did train a lot of military guys and dependents. This year's local Memorial Day speaker is a WWII, Korea and Vietnam Navy vet who's gone to sea duty under sail, coal, oil and nuclear power. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 This year's local Memorial Day speaker is a WWII, Korea and Vietnam Navy vet who's gone to sea duty under sail, coal, oil and nuclear power. Now that's a speech I would like to hear! I bet he can tell some stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 Surf... He's a good friend and yup, he surely can yarn. Get this, when he joined the Navy, since he'd only had an eighth grad education, he was literally shoveling coal into the boilers of an old WWI-era four-stacker. Then he switched to an oil-steam tin can. Later still his background learning telegraphy as a kid in the rail depot near his home came through. Ended up a Master Chief Petty Officer and expert at electronic communications. He took the SAT after he retired and ended up skipping high school to get his bachelor's summa *** laude, then went on for a masters - and a second career teaching in high schools. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Rodeo seems so cool to somebody who's pretty much uninitiated. Other than they used to have some rodeo on TV. Those kids must spend lots of time on the road zonked out in the truck driving between here and there. There's college rodeo, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Bill Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 This morning there was a small ceremony attended by a couple hundred vets and their families. It was short and sweet and very patriotic. Not a dry eye in the house. My name has been added to their tribute wall, and I am very proud to have it there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 Kaiser B... Congrats... -0-0-0 Bad: Yes, there's also college rodeo, although some kids go right from high school into the pro ranks. Casey Tibbs, for example, was just 19 when he won his first world championship in 1949. Marvin Garrett was a bit older when he won his first world championship. Neither went to college. Rodeo is a sport, also a bit of a lifestyle. For the high school kids, imagine parents giving four kids cash, putting them into a $40-60,000 pickup truck hauling a $80-100,000 trailer with more than both vehicles-worth of horseflesh, then wishing them luck at the rodeo and that they'll see 'em in a cupla days... Ain't happening anywhere else I'm aware of except rodeo. And the kids put the horses first, not themselves. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 What a great photo. Enjoy the holiday, y'all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 This has been online since early this morning for anyone wanting to know a bit more about the three-war vet who went to sea with the Navy powered by sail, coal, oil and nuclear. On the Enterprise, he was the command master chief petty officer. Not bad for a kid whose Navy career started literally shoveling coal. He also was on a sub for 17 days but... that's yet another story. http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/communities/belle_fourche/three-war-veteran-is-speaker-at-belle-fourche-ceremonies/article_eb6eaf30-3b90-5e04-82cb-ea0223e35364.html m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Bill Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Milo...great article...I would like to have served with him. An E9 Master Chief Radioman with at least 32 years service. His uniform told me all that. The Enterrprise (CVAN-65) was our sister ship. I served on board the USS Constellation (CVA-64) from Jun24th 1964 until December 16th 1966. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 KB... I've known Harold for well over a decade, served with him on some boards and stuff, have done several pieces on him and - as other friends have discovered, there's always another tale to hear from him every time you have a chance to relax and BS a bit. Oh - he lied about his age to enlist... <grin> And... figure he's now 87 and that's his uniform... that fits. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoya Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. is pretty much the de facto beginning of summer and a holiday for most. Me, I'm working - but photography at the state junior high school finals rodeo isn't hard duty. Here's one youngster doing his get-off for tie-down calf roping. I think Cooper's only 12. His folks are both working the rodeo, Dad with livestock and mom with the office computer. It's a joy to see these kids that are barely in the double digits for age keeping up a North American tradition. I say "North American" because there's a good Canadian contingent, too. In the old days you'd see a lot of cowboys age 10-14 on the cattle trails. Some day on behalf of the local museum (I'm on the foundation board) I'm hoping to talk one area family into their ancestor's six-shooter he carried up the trail at age 13 and ended up founding a northern plains family ranch that's still operating and still in the family. m What a great image! This is wholesome Americana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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