The Real Rodeo: One Last Time

Hey guys!

Thank you for stopping by once again and for following my blog throughout this adventure! Last week I told you about the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign. Rodeos across the country have worked to bring awareness and rally support for breast cancer victims. If you missed my last blog and would like more information about the campaign and how you can contribute, click here.

Unfortunately, this is going to be my last blog post. I have learned even more about an industry that I am so passionate about. Thank you for hopping on this ride with me! I hope I have been able to provide you with news and information about the rodeo world. I also hope that I have been able to inspire you to find what it is you’re passionate about and tell the world about it.

The following poem is from the movie 8 Seconds. Lane Frost, Tuff, and Cody are flying over Cheyenne on their way to a rodeo. Cody recites the poem “Cowboy Is His Name” which is actually a shortened version of Baxter Black’s poem “Legacy of a Rodeo Man” (“Poems,” Lanefrost.com).

“Cowboy Is His Name”

There’s a hundred years of history
and a hundred before that
All gathered in the thinkin’
Goin’ on beneath this hat.

The cold flame burns within him
‘Til his skin’s as cold as ice
And the dues he paid to get here
Are worth every sacrifice.

All the miles spend sleepy drivin’
All the money down the drain,
All the ‘if I’s’ and ‘nearly’s,’
All the bandages and pain,

All the female tears left dryin’,
All the fever and the fight
Are just a small down payment
On the ride he makes tonight.

It’s guts and love and glory,
One mortal’s chance at fame.
His legacy is rodeo
And cowboy is his name.

©Baxter Black

For anyone who has watched the movie, this moment is so touching. I won’t ruin the ending for those of you who don’t know the story but I strongly encourage you to watch it. I guarantee you won't have dry eyes by the end!

I believe this poem embodies what it means to be a cowgirl/cowboy. So much must be sacrificed if a person decides to make the sport of rodeo his or her life. But like the poem says, all of the blood, sweat, and tears are a small price to pay for the result.