Torres Tackles: My appreciation for rodeo

When I took this job as Sports Editor, I had no idea what rodeo was nor did I ever think I would be covering it.

This summer has proved to me that although I still don’t know much about rodeo, I have come to respect the athletes who participate in it. I have grown to appreciate the sport, or rather, the lifestyle that is rodeo.

Rodeo, or as I jokingly called it, the Cowboy Olympics, is a yearlong commitment. These cowboys and cowgirls have to train constantly to stay competitive in the sport.

I’m sure doubters will claim that athletes from other sports have to train even more throughout the year. That may be true, but with rodeo, there are events that happen every week that keep the cowboys and cowgirls busy.

There are too many differences between rodeo and sports like football or basketball to make comparisons in terms of training. So to say that one sport requires more time and effort than the other would not only be incorrect, but it would be silly to even mention. However, you cannot dismiss the costs and commitment it takes to have a successful career in rodeo.

For the July 20 edition of the Gonzales Inquirer, I was able to talk to Loni Kay Lester, a local cowgirl, about rodeo. She educated me on the costs of competing in rodeos by mentioning the running list of expenses such as medical bills for the horses, entry fees, gas for the vehicles, etc. As singular as rodeo can be, it takes more than the individual cowboy or cowgirl to succeed in the rodeo world.

One of my favorite events to watch actually takes two people to compete in. Team roping, which is pretty self-explanatory, involves two cowboys who have to rope a steer in order to get timed. The first roper usually is the one who goes for the head or horns while the second roper hopes to rope the back legs of the steer.

As Lester mentioned to me, rodeo is different than something like football because in rodeo you are competing with a horse as opposed to competing with other humans. You can learn to communicate with the horse in different ways, but a cowboy can never be 100 percent sure in the way their horse is going to react because of the different mindsets.

With that said, imagine the difficulty of having to deal with not just your horse but your partner and partner’s horse in team roping. In my mind, the level of difficulty is definitely increased and I am always amazed when I see the athletes make it look easy in the arena.

Yesterday the Gonzales Pro Rodeo sanctioned by the Cowboy’s Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) began with the slacks. I am looking forward to attending the performances today and tomorrow at the JB Wells Arena. I may still be a little lost when it comes to figuring out how everything works in rodeo, but I’l be sure to appreciate it anyway.