Recently, a friend was in Abilene watching her grandson team rope in his region’s high school rodeo finals. It was a nasty day. Rainy, 46 degrees, 25 mph winds, in a covered pen but not really indoors. It made me start thinking about some of the rodeos and ropings we took the boys to. It mostly made me wonder about our sanity.
We went to every jr. rodeo association there was: ProYouth, Region 3 High School rodeos, AJRA, CTYRA, KJRA, FCCA along with USCRA calf ropings, USTRA team ropings, Coors ropings, and any other jackpots within a 100 mile radius. They started out at Dublin and Morgan Mill playdays. Morgan Mill prepared us for ProYouth. They usually ended around 2am. Dublin prepared us for searching for them when it was time to compete. Karen Fincher, Jennifer Finstad and I seemed to take turns searching for our kids out behind the arena where they were running their horses through the dark playing cowboys and Indians.
This will be way too long to write in 1 post but I will start with 1 of the most insane things Jacky and I ever did. There was a ProYouth rodeo in Decatur the same weekend that Clay was supposed to compete in a GT math event in Austin. We took him to “slow youth” on Friday night and I imagine we left Decatur sometime in the wee hours of the morning. Jacky drove to Austin and pulled into the hotel where his team and coaches were staying at about 6am. Clay had slept in the truck and I had slept off and on. We left him there to clean up and head to his math competition, traded drivers and I drove us back to Stephenville. We put Clay’s horse up, took a nap, cleaned up and then loaded up Jake and his horses and drove back to Decatur for him to compete on Saturday night. Honestly, as I write this, I am in amazement that someone didn’t turn us in to CPS. We did this because both boys were chasing points. Really, did those saddles mean that much? Well, to those boys they did. Would I do it all again? Yes, although I might have to reduce the number of associations we went to, but probably not. That’s just what we did and we were not alone.
Clay’s 1st saddles 
Jake’s 1st saddle
I do miss those days but it makes me tired thinking about them. I miss getting the boys in the truck and talking, I miss my rodeo mom friends, and I even miss working the chutes and untying calves. I don’t miss staying up until the wee hours, saddling horses in the rain, freezing cold or feeling like I was having a heat stroke. I couldn’t begin to do it now, but I’m glad we did. Stay tuned though, more insanity to come.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
Proverbs 4:6
I think we probably did forsake wisdom but I know we had to have Him watching over us.
I can so relate to those types of days and the unforgettable time spent as a family. I miss it and would also do it again. Not really sure how we got everything done but we did. Now that they are grown I sure miss them and my time with them. Love them both so much!
I treasure those days….but don’t really want to go back. I remember leaving after a 7th grade football game….driving all night so Dryce could rope at a US roping in Waco. Left him there with friends, so I could take my parents back to Fort Worth to watch my brother be inducted the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. When we got back to a friend’s house we were staying out, found out Dryce had won roping. A few years later, drove him and 2 friends to Laughlin, NV…one of the funnest trips ever!! Which included a stop at a few truck repair shops to get the Freightliner running over 45 mph!! Wouldn’t change a minute of it!!
Amen. Like you, I treasure those times but don’t want to do it again.