Program from the show!
No one would ever guess what I did this weekend, and who I did it with. I already know that because the news has been greeted with astonishment by those who do know me pretty well. Favorite cousin and I went off to Greensboro to see the Jerome Davis Challenge. Not a craft show, obviously. Nope, it really was bull riding!
Favorite cousin is a big fan of the Professional Bull Riders and follows the season closely on satellite. I promised awhile back to go with her to the show if she was feeling up to it. So Saturday we loaded up and headed for the big city to a huge and posh hotel where the shuttle bus would take us to the Greensboro Coliseum in plenty of time to settle in for the night's show. It was a hard trip for RJ, but mountain gals have plenty of determination.
We settled in after greeting a Floyd County boy I've known for years who happened to be sitting three seats away from us. Funny to see him, although not a surprise that he would go to the show. His dad was a horse trainer for years and we all used to ride together around Buffalo Mountain. I wondered how many other people might be there that I had seen over the years; lots of people from the Greensboro area come to the mountains on weekends.
The show was amazing; I didn't really know what to expect. We had fairly good seats in the lower section, but it was too far away to see faces, except for on the big screen TVs above the arena. It was just as entertaining to watch the bulls as the cowboys for me; they seemed to know the score and some of them seemed to enjoy the show as much as the riders. One circled the arena looking for all the world like he just wanted to show off and wouldn't run right into the gate like the others. I'm sure there are people that don't approve of this sort of activity for the sake of the animals, but it was obvious that these creatures were well cared for and the cowboys came in for more abuse from the bulls!
The goal is for the rider to stay on the bull's back for 8 seconds. It's amazing how long that seems when you're watching. Several riders managed to stay on and the crowd went wild every time. It was pretty exciting. There were two "home town" boys among the contestants. I think one did fairly well and one had a bad ride. One young fellow injured an arm but no one was hurt badly, which was a relief to me.
Spending time with RJ is alway wonderful, even with the added bonus of an adventure. We spoiled ourselves with good meals and were spoiled by plush carpets to walk on, elegant chairs lined along pleasant halls with interesting art where we could rest, piles of fluffy pillows in a bed I didn't have to make up in the morning, and loads of hot water in a shower that didn't dribble water at me. If I had thought to bring a bathing suit I bet I could have found a hot tub.
It was nice to come home, though, even if the house is a little shabby and I had to wash a pile of dishes this morning. Lily greeted me with plaints and lamentation, although I know she had been well cared for and had managed to sneak an extra meal. It was lovely to get up this morning to the chores, walking through dew fresh grass that soaked the hem of my skirt while I tended the creatures, gathering handfuls of fresh hay from the bin for bright eyed rabbits. Crisp air and mist on the fields, a romping half-grown puppy hurtling through the weeds at break-neck speed, purring cats welcoming their breakfast and a cheerful cockatiel breaking the day with shrieks and coos.
1 comment:
I would believe anything of you girl! Hopefully you won't decide to ride bulls yourself. We have several bull riders in our family. But being as we are Texans, that is not unusual. HUGS!
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