Ranch Roping

Hello friends!


I’m here! Yes, I am alive. Thanks for asking. No, I haven’t found someone knew. Yes, I do still love you. I can’t believe you would doubt my loyalty like that. I am sorry I haven’t written lately. This week I have been super-crazy-ridiculously-extremely-a little-busy at work which is usually when I post so that is why we haven’t talked lately. Alright, now that we have the apologies out of the let’s get down to business- ranch roping style.

Last Saturday John Darrin and I went to a free ranch roping just down from our house in Bolivar. It was at one in the afternoon which is just crazy for the end of July, but it was free so we went. There were 7 teams with 3 cowboys on each team and they competed in 4 events. The events were double-mugging, team roping, ribbon roping, and trailer loading. At a ranch roping there are a few ground rules that apply to every event.

1. Each team gets three loops per event. This means that they get to try to rope the steer three times only and then they are done. If you do the math very carefully you will see that this works out to approximately one throw, or loop, per cowboy. You like that math don’t you?

2. I can’t think of anything else.

Each of the four events are timed and added together to get each team’s overall time which is what the final winner is based on. I will now tell you about each of the events, but to make it more interesting we will be following one team through the entire ranch roping so that you will get to know them a little bit better. This team is made up of Darrel, his other brother Darrel and Bubba Joe, and is completely fictional.

Double-mugging was the first event. In this event one Darrel ropes the steer and then the other Darrel and Bubba Joe jump off of their horses and tie any three of the steers’ feet together. The steer must stay tied for six seconds and then they let it go.

Nice catch Darrel.

His other brother Darrel and Bubba Joe getting ready to tie that dude up.

Nice work, boys.

Team roping at a ranch roping is just like team roping at any other roping- almost. The difference is that in a ranch rodeo there are three ropers and at a regular roping there are only two. That’s it! I think. So, Darrel (the other one) ropes the steer’s head and then Bubba Joe goes for the heels, but misses, so Darrel (the first one) has to do it and he catches! So they stretch the steer out and are done.

Nice catch other-Darrel!

Now your turn to try Bubba Joe.

Got 'em.

In the ribbon roping event they tie pretty pink ribbons on the steers’ tails. Bubba Joe ropes the steer, Darrel and his other brother Darrel jump off of their horses, get the ribbon and Darrel (the faster one) runs the ribbon to the announcer’s box while Darrel (the slower one) lets the steer go.

Nice catch, Bubba Joe.

Get that ribbon Darrel. No, the other Darrel.

Now run like the wind. Wait, you got to let go of the tail first Darrel.
(The faster Darrel isn't necessarily the smarter Darrel.)

And the final event is the trailer loading which is where Darrel, Bubba Joe, and Darrel, load a steer into a trailer. Who da thunk it? Before they get started the people running the show back a truck and trailer into the arena and then unhook the trailer and get the truck out of there. Next Darrel ( I’m confused as to which one) ropes the steer while the other Darrel and Bubba Joe get the trailer open. Darrel ( the one attached to the steer by a rope) pulls the steer around until he gets it in the trailer, then Darrel (the one not attached to the steer by a rope) and Bubba Joe ( the one and only) close the doors to the trailer and the time is stopped.

Los truck and trailer. (Translation: the truck and trailer.)

The Darrel that is attached to the steer is the one on the horse, fyi.

Nice work Darrel-not-attached-to-the-steer-by-a-rope
and Bubba Joe, the one and only.

Ok, time to get out of the trailer, Bubba Joe.

And that is the end of the ranch rodeo. Any questions? No? Good, because I don’t know what I am talking about anyway.

Now I have something for you to help me with. You see this guy on the right?

The one on the right. No the other right ,Darrel, in the black hat.

Well, he is my friend, Daniel's, uncle. And he is also this guy's dad:

The cowboy from Mighty Ducks 2 with Emilio Estevez!

And he was in American Outlaws with Colin Farrell.

So, what you can help me with is doing that six degrees to so-and-so and make it where I know someone cool. And in turn, you can say that you know someone that knows someone that is cool, because you know me!

That started to remind me of that Friends episode where the people are finding out about Chandler and Monica dating and they keep saying, "BUT, they don't know that we know that they know that we know that they know!" Or something like that.

I know, Darrel, it makes my head hurt too.

Adios muchachos,
Michelle