Estes Park Rodeo 2019

Our campground was about 10 miles from Estes Park.  Our typical day started by going into town in the morning to avoid the crowds and do most of our sightseeing and hiking in the cool of the late afternoon.  One morning, we encountered the Estes Park Summer Parade.

I needed a haircut so here it is (taken in the most glorious and large Starbucks I've seen...but there must be bigger) and the barber told me about.....

....the Rodeo.  It's Onions first rodeo!  

There is the rodeo equivalent of a zamboni!

The national anthem was a group sing.  I love group singing and I was moved.  Onions commented that this would NEVER happen in China.

So we start with bareback riding on a horse.

It was particularly funny when the cowhands had trouble roping the horse (or subsequent animal) and we all watched as they went around in circles.

Steer wrestling...this to me makes more sense.  There is actual purpose and a useful skill to have.

So what's the kids version of rodeo?  

Riding sheep!!  It was cute and HILARIOUS.

A REAL CORNDOG that was deep fried in batter.  I think it might be my first ever that wasn't a school lunch of previously frozen.  Alas, while I was standing and waiting for it to be fried, I missed the tandem steer wrestling.

After intermission.....saddle rodeo.  Some of the same names kept popping up....all of them from red states.  Only one guy came from California.

A very funny pairs "ice skating" routine.

The final "lift"

The women participated in a barrel race. This was really exciting and the cheers were the loudest of the night.  The evening concluded with bull riding.....and the crowd went CRAZY when the final rider of the evening was the ONLY rider to stay on for the full eight seconds.