Thursday, July 31, 1997
Junior riders compete and relax
By KEN ELLSWORTH Senior Staff Writer
SWEETWATER - The competition is fierce, but the 205 young men
and women competing here in the 44th annual American Junior Rodeo
Association National Finals Rodeo are a relaxed group.
Some competitors are under 8. The oldest are 19.
They compete morning and night at the Nolan County Coliseum,
but afternoons are free to those who wish to practice or just
take it easy. Late nights are for dancing.
"Well I guess I'll ride this horse so he won't get sore,
and then I'll go to the hotel and go swimming. If I didn't ride
him he could get sore in his legs and hips," said Jacob Martin,
12, a breakaway roper and a ribbon roper from New Mexico.
Other than that, Martin's Wednesday afternoon was free, though
he had to make sure that his two horses, Freckles and Ugly (pronounced
Oogly), were safe and comfortable while he was swimming.
Martin was on his own with his two animals on the Coliseum
grounds late Wednesday morning. His parents were still at the
motel, leaving the responsibility of animal management in their
young son's hands.
"Yeah, we'll go swimming," agreed Robin Warbois,
16, also of New Mexico. She competes in four events.
The atmosphere in the stands is also relaxed. Parents cheer
for good performances, whether the performances are their children's
or not. Many of the families even bring the family dog to sit
with them in the stands. Some families bring several.
Nearly 600 people in all are in Sweetwater this week due to
the rodeo, which has been held in Sweetwater for the last five
years. Snyder was the AJRA/NFR home from 1976-92.
The competitors represent elite junior rodeo competitors from
Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Their performances this week
will earn points toward the World Champion Junior Cowboy and Cowgirl
standings.
Martin said he had done pretty well. At one time his time in
breakaway roping was the best, but he wasn't sure it had held
up through the morning's competition. He was third in ribbon roping.
In breakaway roping the rider ropes the calf and stops his
or her horse. Once the calf takes up the rope slack, the rope
breaks away and the timer is stopped.
Martin said he does not live on a ranch in New Mexico, but
in town.
"My grandfather taught me how to rope," he said.
In ribbon roping a young man ropes a calf and catches it. A
young lady then grabs a ribbon tied to the calf's tail and races
on foot to a designated point. The event is timed. Boys always
do the roping. Girls retrieve the ribbons and run.
"That's the way it always is, but I think it would be
pretty neat if it was the other way around," Warbois said.
"Yeah, that would be pretty fun," agreed Martin.
Warbois comes from a ranching background.
"I've been riding since I was just 1 or 2. I'm sitting
fifth in breakaway, fifth in goats, and fifth in barrel racing.
I'm just fifthing them to death," she said and laughed. "But
in ribbon roping I was sitting third, but maybe I moved down after
today."
By "goats," she meant goat tying. Girls race against
the clock trying to be the quickest to tie down a goat in a three-legged
tie. Boys who are under 8 also compete in their own goat tying
division.
The AJRA/NFR continues through Saturday. Competition begins
at 9 a.m. daily and lasts until lunch time. Competition begins
again at 7 each night. Other AJRA events include tiedown roping,
team roping, steer wrestling, and saddle bronc, bareback, and
bull riding.
Send a Letter to the Editor about This
Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address) of This Story
to A Friend:
Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
|
