Day 14: Ponies and Cowboys

Day 14 of "30 Days of Farm Kid Stories"

Place a child on a pony and a bowl-full-of-Skittles smile will follow. It’s a grin where the corners of the mouth are extra high.  Eyes sparkle.  No frowns at dismount time… Just a little guy staring at a horse in awe.

Ponies.  Puppies.  Cowboys will surely follow soon on G’s list of admirable things. 

Today’s farm story could soon be a G favorite.  In the book Cowboy Rodeo James Rice tells the story of how cowboy contests of roping and riding skills developed into what we know as rodeos.  Each scene is commentated by Texas Jack, a watchful, long-eared jackrabbit with a cowboy-dialect. 

 “Texas Jack sez thar warn’t much money in the Southwest then, jus’ a few million cows runnin’ loose and free for the taking, but no local market.”

Rice uses straight-line hatching techniques to draw cartoon-like ranchers, cattle, horses and the occasional interested dog.  Pages 4 and 5 show a cattle roundup: a blurry scene of hustling cattle, hazy dust and flying lassos.    

Expressions of scowls and gritted teeth suggest the rough life of a cowboy.  An exciting life, for sure.  

These days when G pretends to ride a horsey on the sidewalk he yells a “YAW YAW” as if on the western frontier.  In a few seconds G becomes distracted and points to the red truck in the parking lot. Back to 2012.

What is your favorite rodeo event?

Lauren

My Library List:

Preview Day: 30 Days of Farm Kid Stories
Day 1: One Moment
Day 2:  Perfect Pizza
Day 3:  Our Heartland
Day 4: Pasta Fistful
Day 5: One Fast Grower
Day 6: Farmer Seuss
Day 7: Just One Cookie?
Day 8:  Frowns Turn into Smiles
Day 9:  BOO-HA
Day 10: Big Red Barn
Day 11: Magic with Vegetables
Day 12: Call to Action
Day 13: BOOM

Our blogging host Holly Spangler writes  “30 Days on a Prairie Farm” this month on her blog: My Generation.