My first rodeo! I've been dying to see one for
a while. Horse trailers and big trucks crowd the field like overgrown shopping
carts on one aisle of a store.
The huge arena is already speckled with cowboys
and cowgirls warming up their trusted steeds. I notice two dogs pacing on their
tie-outs by the gate. One sturdy Border Collie and an Australian Kelpie mix, mostly black.
When the dogs are released they shoot all the
way to the other end of the arena in a blur of motion. Whoosh! Under the fence
and around the small herd of calves they go. A man's voice sporadically directs
them in a conversational tone, but for the most part, the dogs know what to do
on their own. Within moments frisky cattle await in an orderly line in a narrow
chute to be released towards cowboys with lassos.
For a moment I forgot about those riders. I
can't wait for the dogs to work again!
*This photo is posted courtesy of Carolina Kelpie Cow Dogs
No comments:
Post a Comment