Hooked On An 8 Second Ride

The Old Spanish Days Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo of Santa Barbara takes place early August and has quickly become one of my favorite summer traditions.  Built in 1958, the Earl Warren Showgrounds, where the rodeo is held, is an inviting open air arena where in a span of 2 hours you can take in steer wrestling, team roping, bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, team penning, barrel racing, and the not-to-be-missed, mutton bustin'. 

Giddy up

To participate in the mutton bustin', you must be 6 or under...

...and are judged by how long you can stay on...

...a fast and wily mutton (don't you love the red tights?)

This kid has it all figured out

Present-day rodeos offer a unique window into our past.  Tracing its roots to the large ranches and estancias of California, New Mexico and Texas, rodeos evolved after the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War, when Anglo cowboys learned the skills of their Spanish or Mexican counterparts, known as vaqueros.    

Many rodeo events were based on the real life tasks required by cattle ranching, duties that included roping, horse breaking, riding, herding, and branding (and I would argue this still holds true today).  Ranch-versus-ranch contests gradually sprang up, and shortly thereafter, bronc riding, bull riding, and roping contests appeared at race tracks, fairgrounds, and festivals of all kinds.  William Cody, aka Buffalo Bill, created the first major rodeo and the first Wild West show in North Platte, Nebraska in 1882.  Following this wildly successful endeavor, Cody organized his touring Wild West show, paving the way for other entrepreneurs to create what became known as the professional rodeo.

Bareback bronc riding

I could easily take this lovely little Palomino home with me to AZ

 

In my next life, I will come back as a barrel racer...

...and not a bull rider...those guys are nuts

Of course, I didn’t know any of these fun facts as a kid/teenager in San Antonio…I just looked forward to every February when I could stuff my face with cotton candy, Frito Pie, fried twinkies and funnel cake (but don’t do that before you get on the Gravitron).  Reminds me of the time Hubby took my nephew on all the rides, including the Gravitron and the Cranium Shaker, after feeding him everything he wanted, only to see it come back up during the singing of the National Anthem.  But I digress…never heard of Frito Pie?  Oh my friend, get a small bag of Fritos, cover with chili (no beans!!!), cheese and onions, and possibly drink a Dr. Pepper with that, and you will have a taste of Texicana (ok, so not a word, but I am going with it). 

 

Have a gut busting week!

'xo M 

All photos by Marci Symington for texaztaste.blogspot.com, with the exception of the last one, which came from www.steamykitchen.com.