Rodeo Action at the Black Hills Stock Show
Local News
by
Stephany Beshara
last edited on
Friday, February 05, 2010
PRCA rodeo action has been going on all day at the Black Hills Stock Show.
From bare back riding team roping cowboys have been strutting their stuff. Cowboys were warming up to take on tough horses in the bareback riding competition at the Black Hills Stock Show.
World champion riders say the competition is just one part of why they love to compete in rodeos.
Bareback rider Chris Harris says, "It doesn't matter where you go or where you're at. It's kind of a brotherhood. What we do is very dangerous. What we do you can lose your life at. There’s very few sports out there where a guy can really face the injuries that we face. We're kind of a breed of our own."
This breed of cowboy is tough and fearless.
Steer wrestler Kyle Whitaker says, "You’re on a horse going 25-30 miles per hour jumping on to a steer. It's kind of tough making that initial transition to the horse to the steer when you're going that fast. I've been doing it for a long time so it's kind of second nature."
The skills have become second nature. But it's the tradition of the rodeo that is most important to these athletes.
Harris says, "This is Western heritage. Even though it's not just like it was done out on the ranch but this keeps our spirits alive about being cowboys. And to me that’s the greatest thing in the world is to be a cowboy. I think it's a wonderful thing to get to go ride bucking horses and be a cowboy."
Friday night is the third performance at the Stock Show. The action starts at 7:00 p.m. so be sure to come down and cheer on some South Dakota cowboys.