A first...

I went to my first rodeo this weekend. The rodeo was 3 days of fun roping, bucking, and wrestling. I was kinda clueless at first, but caught on to the events pretty quickly (most of them aren't too complicated, ya know!) I had heard of most of them before and even seen them on tv once or twice...except one.

Indian relay races. They are very popular and carry some high prize money, from what I hear. Let me try to explain...(If I mess this up, I apologize, but it was rather confusing) A number of teams of Native Americans from nearby (or not so nearby) tribes [teams consisting of 3 horses, a rider, a catcher, and some other people] come into the arena. The rider rides the horse bareback with a bridle around the track about which I am guessing is aout a mile, then changes horses. He does this three times and the one who comes in first wins. Wins like $15,000.

I saw bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, steer roping, team steer roping (although if one person can do it in one event, why have a separate event where two people have to do it...are those people worse??), barrel racing, bull riding...and I may have forgotten something. Hey, it was my first time!

But it was pretty cool. And lots of fun.

And one of the clowns...he had his own special act so he could showcase his own special talent. This man had done the unthinkable. He had tamed and trained one of the world's deadliest creatures.

He had a trained

chigger!

It was amazing!