Would you Rodeo in Hawaii lately ?

• Author: Leeborn
• Filed under: Eco-Adventures, Activities & Adventures
• Date: Mar 23,2008

After i have posted about aloha carnival here. We have a saying here: Lucky we live Hawaii! Sometimes we say it in joyous affirmation that this is truely paradise on earth. Other times we’re being a bit sarcastic. Yes, the scenery is lovely, the weather is almost always heavenly and the food is an exotic adventure. And the people - surely the most beautiful people on earth live right here in our islands. There are some difficulties that come with living here, though - primarily the cost of living and the distance from everywhere else we’d like to be! No impulsive road trips for us, other than circling the island.

I miss the freedom to travel! I miss seeing family and friends and I miss being able to go to special events that were, at one time, a routine part of my life. If you’re not a long-time reader you might be surprised to know that one of those events is the rodeo. See, I spent my pre-school years in a small Texas town where rodeo was a way of life. There was a rodeo practice grounds there, so there was no “off-season.” We could go year-round to watch the cowboys and cowgirls putting themselves through their paces and honing their skills.

After we moved to Louisiana we’d go back every summer and the rodeo was always on our vacation agenda. We always had front row seats so we wouldn’t miss a thing. I haven’t had a mainland vacation in a few years, but I went to the rodeo the last time out. I had front row seats again, and was close enough to the riders that hoof-flung mud landed on my face a few times. Ah, that’s okay - it’s all a part of enjoying the show! That same fascination was still there. I felt like a kid again, adrenalin pumping as the action heated up. When I was a kid the participants were mostly amateurs, squeezing in rodeo events when their farm and ranch chores allowed them the time. Nowdays they’re all professionals, and their dedication shows. The livestock are seasoned athletes, too, and bring their drive and enthusiasm to every event. They all work the circuit year round, and the best of the best end up a the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas each year. They’re not just riding for belt buckles these days, either. The payoff at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for 2007 was five-and-a-half millions dollars. I’d love to see the champions claiming their shares of that purse! If I could just jump in my car and go, I’d be in the front row this year. I’d roll into Vegas, pick up my pals Julie and Techie, and get us all Wrangler National Finals Rodeo tickets for the big show. I don’t know if they’re fans now, but they would be by the time the first event finished. You can’t watch the amazing teamwork of man and beast (or woman and beast) and not fall in love with rodeo. What do you say, Jules & Techie? See you in Vegas in December? I’ll buy us all matching bandanas to keep out faces clean, and we’ll cheer and hoot until our voices fail. I’m game if you are!