Tuesday, May 16, 2006

''CONGRATULATIONS''( TEAL )


The Sheridan, Wyoming, Elks Youth
"The Elks Magazine", February 2006
RODEO RIDES AGAIN
SARA L. MILLER
Reprinted, with permission, from the February 2006 issue of The Elks Magazine.
© The Elks Magazine.

girl on horse Five-year-old Teal Scheuber, from Big Horn, Wyoming, keeps a whip handy just in case her very large horse shows signs of slackening the pace. The 2005 Sheridan Elks Youth Rodeo, sponsored by the Sheridan, Wyoming, Lodge was held August 27–28, 2005. PHOTO: DIANA VOLK
Just east of the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming, the city of Sheridan lies between two of this country’s most romantic and distinctive landscapes: the Rocky Mountains and the northern Great Plains. It is an area rich in history, rich in land, and rich in cattle. Out here, “cowboy” is a real occupation, and rodeo is not just a sport, but a way of life.

Small Hats, Big Hearts
That way of life often begins at a very early age. On a hot, blindingly beautiful weekend last August, boys and girls in cowboy hats and boots sat astride sturdy horses on the edge of two rodeo arenas, maneuvering their animals in a series of quick turns, full gallops, and abrupt stops. On the sidelines, a couple of 5-year-olds amused themselves by lassoing a few innocent trailer hitches. Slowly a river of calves snaked into view, accompanied by its very own dust cloud and a signature scent. The calves didn’t know what was about to happen, but the youngsters did. And they were ready.

Posted at: 3:16 PM


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