Open the gates guys!

Rodeo's have special memories in my life.  My Mother was a Rodeo Queen.  She also rode in rodeo's.  My Grandpa Robertson helped put on the War Bonnet Round Up rodeo in Ammon, at Sandy Downs.  I remember one year my parents worked the rodeo concessions with my Aunts and Uncles and earned enough money to buy us a trampoline.   We always attended the War Bonnet Round Up, and the most exciting time was the very last event...the grease pig chase.  All kids who wanted to came down into the arena and chased a greased pig, if you could catch it you could keep it.  I remember running so fast, but never being able to catch it.  One year, my older brother Rhett caught the pig.  We raised it and later had lots of ham and bacon.   During the clogging years, we would clog at the rodeo's.  I remember the kids I taught after I got married danced at the rodeo.
Mom and Aunt Diana rode with the flaggers.  I remember helping them with some of the drills when one of the ladies was gone.  Riding a horse and holding a flag wasn't as easy as it looked. 

My brothers and I would play rodeo in our coralls.  One of us would say "Open the gates guys!" and we would run out on our pretend horse a buckin and goin crazy until we would fall off.  We had the boots and chaps and the hats...even spurs.  It was so real, I loved riding my pretend horse around the pretend barrells. 

Joel and I decided to attend the Caldwell Night Rodeo.  We had heard what a great rodeo it was, so we had to see for ourselves.  And indeed it was great!

Summer just isn't summer, without a rodeo.

My dream job~

Joel wearing his Hawaii hat to make all the Bronco fans mad.