**For Immediate Release**
Stick Horses Included in Festival
-released by OPSU Campus Communications 03-20-2006
Goodwell, Okla. - As part of the Festival of the Horse,
OPSU will sponsor a Working Ranch Cowboys Association Junior
Ranch Rodeo on Friday, April 28. Doug Smith of Panhandle,
Texas, also known as “Pokey the Clown,” will
preside over the event designed for children from 4-16
years old. The competition teaches the youngsters the ways
of working ranch hands as well as team work. It also provides
great family entertainment for participants and spectators.
The junior rodeo features calf branding, a pony express
race, wild cow milking and wild cow doctoring. Instead
of livestock, the participants use stick horses and wood
cattle represent the stock. In the pony express race, team
members “ride” a stick horse around four barrels,
then hand off saddlebags to the next team member in line.
The clock stops when the last member rounds the fourth
barrel and drops the saddlebags into a bucket.
The wild cow milking begins when team members take positions
at the starting line. The team captain rides a stick horse
down the arena leading his teammates to the cow, which
is mounted on skids. One child steps onto the skids at
the back of the cow while the captain, on a stick horse,
grabs the rope on the cow and the other two team members
help pull the cow back to the milking line. The child on
the back, who has been holding the tail while being dragged
across the arena, steps off the skids, picks up the milk
bottle from a pail, and “milks” the cow. Once
there is liquid in the bottle, the hand races across the
finish line to stop the time, and the official verifies
there is milk in the bottle. The wild cow doctoring works
much the same way, except the teammate on the back of the
cow picks up a marker and marks tape on the side of the
neck to stop the time.
In the calf branding, a team member stands in the branding
circle with his branding iron. The captain, riding a stick
horse, and the other two members line up at the start next
to the brander. Two calves stand at the end of the arena,
and the captain and the other two members race to fetch
one. One member goes to the back of the calf to make sure
it is standing, and then the captain and the third member
drag the calf to the branding circle. Once inside, the
calf is flanked and the brander “brands” the
calf. Then the calf is put back on his “feet.” The
team goes after the second calf and completes the same
process. Time stops when the second calf is branded and
the iron has been returned to the “fire.”
There are three age groups in junior ranch rodeo including
Pee Wee for ages 4-7, Junior for ages 8-11, and Senior
for ages 12-16. Each team is comprised of four members
and ages are calculated by the age of the child on January
1, 2006. One adult coach per team is allowed.
The competition stresses team work, finishing a task despite
obstacles, and having fun. The rodeo will feature teams
from the around the area, and Terryll Gloden, an OPSU equine
science instructor, hopes new teams from Texas County will
join the fun. Those interested in entering a team in the
first annual OPSU junior rodeo may contact Gloden at 580-349-1517
or Doug Smith at 806-537-5245.
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