Why Rodeo Isn't Just a Sport
by Taylor Lagasse
"So you like, play with horses
in your spare time," and, "Why do you travel so far every weekend to
go to a rodeo?" are two questions every die-hard rodeo kid gets asked
frequently. Maybe it is just me, but it drives me CRAZY. I know the concept of
rodeo and roping is not something everyone fully understands, but it is not
like every other sport. It is a lifestyle.
Everyone has that one special talent
and a lot of them show that talent throughout their high school years in school
sponsored sports. Only a few kids actually continue past high school with their
obsession with the sport they play, and even fewer past the college level. I guess my parents must have known I would
never be coordinated enough to hit a volleyball or dribble a basketball. They have
always pushed rodeo, and I ate it up right from the start. I still can't decide
if my obsession with expensive head horses and traveling all over the country
"chasing white lines" to the next roping is a blessing or a curse,
but it is something I will have for the rest of my life.
In high school sports you learn all
about the concept of teamwork, but until you have tried, failed, and tried
again to make something happen in sync with a thousand-pound animal, you don’t
know the first thing about teamwork. If I had had $5 for every time I heard
someone say, "It can't be that hard," I would probably be able to
enter twice as many events as I usually do at a roping. If it was easy, everyone
would be doing it.
Even though my dad refers to rodeo
as "legalized gambling" and says it is probably the worst addiction
we could have, there is nothing as a family we would rather invest our time
into. Growing up around horses has taught me responsibility and most
importantly the value of hard work and dedication. Rodeo is not just a sport or
hobby I will grow out of, it is a way of life and something I intend to pass on
to my children.
No comments:
Post a Comment