Conversation with a Legend

Last weekend I went to a roping in Salado. I had always seen him around, but never had the chance to talk to him before. I knew he could rope and always had the good partners. He never did anything fast or fancy, but when they called out the teams for the Short Round, he was in there somewhere with a chance to win something.

When Walter Arnold rode up beside me at the roping on Saturday, I took the opportunity. I congratulated him on his introduction this year to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and told him how cool I thought that was. In case you don't know who I'm talking about, here is the video they show when they induct you to the Hall.

Walter Arnold - HOF 2009 - Rodeo UP Video - Official Video Site of the PRCA
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He thanked me and seemed nice, so I stayed after him. I mentioned how after I watched the video, that things are sure different. The guys back then were cowboys and not just "Team Ropers"....myself included. He told me how when he was rodeoing most of the guys he competed with were cowboys for a living. They worked on ranches and then rodeoed when they could, so it was more of a cowboy sport. Nowadays there's folks who work in town during the week and then rope on the weekends. He told me that he won fourth in the Average at the NFR one year and won $400. I was amazed. Heck it takes that much to enter a roping a couple times now. He agreed. In those days he told me you could buy the nicest trailer out there for $600 dollars, and a new truck cost $2,000. We've all heard those stories from someone or another and I'm sure I'll tell my share of them in the future because things are sure to change more.

$400 though? That sure didn't seem like much. Mr. Arnold told me that back then you could buy a chicken fried steak for $1.25. That average check would buy you 320 chicken fried steaks so I guess it's all relative. We sat there for a minute and I tried to think of something interesting to say. I couldn't. I guess I had him thinking though. He looked at me and smiled. "Course there's lots more money in it now." I had seen him get his share of it over the last few years that's for sure!(I also noticed later that he was driving a double cab dually truck that he had won. You bet there's more money in it!)

After our short talk, we parted ways. I enjoyed the visit and it's nice to see these type of guys still out there doing what they love....and doing it so well.

Thanks Mr. Arnold for taking the time to talk to a "team roper".....it was nice.

Walker

Hookin' Buford

For the non-ropers out there a Buford is a roping dummy that is attached to a pivot in the center and with the help of electricity it travels in a circle around the pivot. It has speeds that you can set from slow to pretty fast and they are excellent tools. They look like this.

Cap sat on the porch of the old barn in the corral and watched with amusement. Ely had been showing him how well he had his green broke colt handling. Ely loped him one way, stopped and then turned him around and loped the other. This was only his 3rd week of riding and he was showing some good promise. Ely was sure proud.

"I got him to where you can swing a rope on him yesterday!" Ely announced to Cap from the lot. As he said it he untied his rope from the saddle horn and slowly built a loop. He swung it slowly and the colt, unsure at first, relaxed and accepted it.

"I'll be tracking around on him in no time!" Said Ely.

"Heck it ain't too soon to start right now!" Cap hollered back, smiling as he baited the trap for poor ole Ely. He got up off of the porch and walked out into the corral to get a closer look.

Ely eased his colt over to the Buford which just happened to be located in the same corral he was riding in. The colt, more unsure about the situation by the minute, snorted and shyed away. Ely rode him back up to it and reassured the youngster by petting him on the neck. Ely thought to himself, 'There ain't nothin' this colt cain't handle.'

"Let me turn it on for you. Might help some." offered Cap. He eased over to the machine and flipped the switch. It was set on a pretty slow pace. Ely started off pretty good and the colt followed the Buford around fairly well after some work. He was doing so good Cap decided to increase the speed a little.

Things were still ok. Maybe more speed....Not as good as before but the colt was still hangin' in there. Every time Cap sped the machine up, Ely had to do more riding to keep his colt pointed in the right direction. Finally Ely couldn't do anymore to keep his mount going in a circle and he asked Cap to stop.

"That's about fast enough!" Ely hollered at Cap. They made a few more circles and the colt settled down again finding a pretty nice pace behind the Buford. Then Ely made a fatal mistake. He let the team roper come out in him....and decided to swing his rope. The colt had forgotten about the rope by now with all the new jobs he had. HE DID NOT LIKE IT.

About the second swing, Ely let the rope brush the tips of his horses' ears. Mistake. The very gentle, well minded colt that Ely was so proud of swallowed his head and started bucking. From jump number 2 Ely was out of shape. Jumps 4 and 4.5 he blew both stirrups, was whipped down hitting his head on the colt's head and hit the ground. Hard.

It all happened so fast that Cap couldn't react. He was standing by the center of the Buford pivot and couldn't do a thing while Ely tried to make a ride on a colt that started out pretty gentle, but ended up having the talent of Kesler Rodeo Company's Painted Smile. He rushed over to Ely.

Ely was face down and making noises, which meant he was alive. Cap got to him and asked him if he was alright. He was, or he reported to be anyway. Cap knelt down beside him and put his hand on his back. Ely still groaned. Then he cussed some. He would be alright. About that time Cap heard a noise that sounded familiar. From the kneeling position, he looked over his shoulder only to see the Buford coming around again and it was coming in at pretty hot speed. At the pace Cap had set for the green broke colt, no less.

It nearly hooked Cap right in the rear as he made his retreat. Cap found out he can't run as fast as he used to. That was only half the problem. Ely was in no shape to move. Yep,.. the Buford ran right over the top of the immobile Ely. Talk about insult to injury...bucked off and hooked(more like run over)by a plastic cow. Cap did manage to get it turned off before it got him again.

Ely's ribs are taped down and healing nicely. Cap is banned from operating the Buford.

Don't push your young horses to much boys....they push back,

Walker