Steamboat Springs- This IS my first rodeo

Steamboat Springs and the Rodeo

  After our road side shower we headed into  SteamBoat Springs not knowing what to expect. The town looked cute and we decided to drive to the end of town before making any decisions. We heard some cheering and turned right to discover a rodeo in full swing. I have never been to a rodeo, but Colorado seems like the place. If you are going to go to a Rodeo this would be it. Its got to be Colorado or Texas to be the real deal. Now I’m a horse person, I have loved them since I can remember. I was a little girl living in Oregon probably 6 or 7 years old and my parents best friends had two horses, Lacey and Ginger. I would do anything to be with them. I always dreamed of having my own horse but coming from a family with five children we were lucky the dog survived, we ate everything else. 

  Fast forward several years later and we owned our own horse. Jimmie one day bought  a cowboy hat, the next week he bought boots and I am pretty sure the next week he came home and declared he bought a horse. I was like What? That’s been my life long dream. We had Dee Dee a few years and we took her to Tahoe with us. That was one of the best memories of my life, riding my own horse through the Tahoe forest all alone in the warm summer sun. It was unforgettable moments I will always remember. But it didn’t last long, two babies later and it was just too much, Jimmie had long lost interest and it was in the best interest of Dee Dee to let her go to a home she would get the attention she deserved. 

   A few years later we found ourselves living in Washoe Valley between Reno Nevada and Carson City.  We bought a cute little house with a horse barn, so of course when the neighbors behind us sold their horses it only made sense to buy them and put them in our barn. They were two sweet guys and they were easy keepers for the most part. I was busy with 3 kids so I would only ride them around the back pasture but I was content with that. Eventually it made sense to sell them also because I was so busy being a mom.

  Eventually we ended up in grass valley Ca and the kids were older. I suddenly had this urge to pursue this life long love of horses. I started riding again with a woman who was willing to train me in her style of horsemanship in exchange for helping care for her brood of horses. It was an exciting opportunity and I jumped at the chance. I was riding all these beautiful young quarter horses and learning so much from her. Getting on these horses in a big arena bare back and just feeling them move under me, gently asking them to move yet learning to be a little bossy when needed. That’s the part I always struggle with. 

  I took Jimmie down to the ranch, I wanted to show him how happy I was in the company of my four legged friends. I was convinced if he saw me he would agree we needed to own our own horse again. Instead I ended up with Cowboy taking off with me and I did a Superman off the back of him and landed straight on my face. Broke my cheek bone, my nose and had a gnarly concussion. That backfired.

  Somehow I couldn’t give it up. I just could not let go of the dream. I ended up leasing a little horse named Rio. The first time I rode her I was so petrified, but she was so kind. She knew I was scared and she took care of me. In time I convinced Jimmie I needed her in my life. My dear daddy had died and she was my consolation. I had kids to take care of, a life to live. Grief was something I did not want to take time for. It was so painful. But when I would go and be at the ranch my brain would stop. It was finally quiet. The only place I would not be constantly thinking. Grief exasperated this life long struggle with a brain that just won’t leave me alone. When I would get on Rio every thought in my mind would disappear. Just the beating of her hooves, that is all I could hear. It was soothing, magical, peaceful. It was my happy place.

  We ended up moving to Santa Cruz and she came with me. We had 4 years of bliss together. We overcame challenges, I conquered fears, I gained confidence and independence. It was my respite from a busy life. A quiet place I would go where I would put music on and just be present in the moment. I got comfortable riding bareback. I would canter around the track, let go of the reigns for a moment, close my eyes, spread my arms out and smile so wide I felt my face could break. It was the ultimate happy place for me.

  One day on a trail ride it all ended. I was riding with a friend, just the two of us. It was the first cold day in the fall. She felt frisky. I did not turn her out first like I should have. We were having a great ride in the hills above Santa Cruz. It was a sunny cool crisp day. Perfection. We were doing a fast trot through a open meadow area. We rounded a corner and the trail closed into a small grove of trees, I was behind Joyce and I pulled the reigns back to slow Rio down. Without any warning, at least that I could tell, she bucked. Her back legs flew up and I flew off. I remember the sensation of flying through the air. I was afraid she would step on me so I tried to cradle my head. She jumped out of the way trying not to step on me. I hit the hard ground. It was November 2018 and we had no rain. The ground was like concrete. I felt a snap. A sharp pain sudden and fierce, then nothing . Nothing. I sat for a few moments. I tried to move and couldn’t. I thought maybe I might be paralyzed. I played out my life in my head. Wheel chair from here on out. I quickly accepted the idea actually weirdly enough. Now I had to decide what to do now. I tried to move again. I wiggled my toes. I thought if I can wiggle my toes I am not paralyzed. I think I smiled. I managed to roll over and use my elbows to drag myself a few feet to the grass. I hoped I could give it a little time maybe I was just badly bruised?  Nope, I couldn’t get up from that spot. No way was I going to be able to ride my horse down off that mountain. 

  Long story short, paramedics picked me up and put me on a board. They tied me in the back of a pick up truck and drove me down to wilder ranch where an ambulance was waiting. They thought I had hurt muscles in my back. Any movement or jolts from the truck ride caused me to sweat and scream in agony I had never experienced before. I was embarrassed because they thought it was a pulled muscle. As it turned out I had broken 5 vertebrae. My dream had come to and end. It was a scary and terribly painful experience but there was some positives. I had never really had an accident before. Its not something you want to set out to do but you sure find out how loved you are. My best friends all showed up at my house to look after me and encourage me. I had this new found appreciation for movement. I knew one day I would recover and I would not take the simple act of walking for granted. 

  I recently sold my sweet Rio. It was bittersweet. She had been a comfort to me for so many years. She was my friend when I needed a quiet space for my overly active brain. She gave me some of the fondest memories of my life. Trotting in the hills on sunny spring days I was living my dream,  but in the end,  it just made sense for me to let it go. I started riding again and I still enjoy it very much but the passion I once had for riding was gone. It was replaced by a constant awareness that at any moment life can change in an instant. A bird or a deer jumps out,  another horse spooks and I could come flying off again and not be so lucky next time.  She went to an amazing life long home where she will spend her days like a princess. The commitment of horse ownership does not blend well with the traveling van life. I know in my heart it was the right decision. 
Back to the rodeo. Put me around horses and I am still the giddy little girl who is nuts about horses. I am fascinated by cowboys and Indians. I always have been. So when we rolled into Steam boat Colorado and we heard the cheering and the announcer of a rodeo I thought this is perfect timing. I have never been to a rodeo. We got there just as the last few cowboys were chasing the little calf’s around the arena. The poor little baby cows would run for their lives and the cowboys would lasso  them, quickly jump off, tackle them to the ground and tie them up. I loved watching their amazing horses who knew exactly what to do next. They would back up and drag the baby cows. After I watched a few helpless calves get tackled down like this I found my self rooting for the calves,  RUN RUN …. 

Next up was the barrel racing cow girls. We stood near the gate where the horses would wait to run out around the barrels. It was so exciting!!  I know enough about horses to tell which ones were going to really kick ass in the arena. The ones with the crazy eyes. One horse in  particular was a huge muscular beast with a half black face that looked like a Indian war horse. He came into the gate area breathing smoke like a dragon, he bounced around this way and that way and the pretty girl who rode him fearlessly did what she could to hold him back, the bell rang and they were off like a bolt of lightning. He had a job to do and he fired around those barrels so fast then back through the gate where we stood kicking up mud into our whiskey and cokes. I felt such a rush watching this! Some horses I knew were just not cut out for this work because they had kind eyes. You could tell they aimed to please and did the best they could but they just didn’t have that little look of crazy evil eye the others had. One little paint horse went in the gate and even though the horse was much smaller than the others I saw the look. Crazy horse.  That little paint bolted around the arena and flew by like a little train. ‘They won with a 16.3 second ride as I recall. 

  I was almost shaky with excitement the whole time. The fearlessness of those cowgirls I admire so much. I had to laugh at myself when I thought of me and Rio “barrel racing” around the arena at home, a fast trot at best. She was so good to me. She had to be bored to tears half of the time we spent together. At one point the Rodeo announcer said “ there’s two kinds of riders those that have fallen off and those that will” I had to smile to myself a little because though Ill never be the cowgirl of my childhood dreams I was by the rodeo announcers own words a “rider”. I have taken 3 spills, 2 that ended with me in the hospital one just left bruises but I got right back on and rode all three times. I think that makes me a not very good rider but a rider none the less and if that is the best I can be Ill take it. Like so many other things in life its fear that can hold one back. I loved what horsemanship taught me. Don’t be afraid to try new things, don’t worry about being the best or better than anyone for that matter. It can apply  in many areas of life,  art for instance. Another hobby ( a much safer one) I enjoy. My frustration with art is I don’t have the patience to be technical like my mom and brother. My art has always been sloppy and so I have put down the paint brush to busy comparing my self to others. But what a shame, The fear of making bad art will remove the hope of ever making good art. I just need to pick up the brush again. Get back in the saddle. Do my personal best. 

  The rodeo was a great date night and steam boat springs was a perfect place for my first rodeo. 

  The next day we rode bikes to a  beautiful botanical garden. As we rode along the river we saw these little public mineral springs. Now apparently you can visit strawberry springs I think its called and pay 20 bucks to soak in the mineral pools and word has it its awesome, but we couldn’t get a reservation and Jimmie is all about saving twenty bucks. So after having our lunch on the park grass we rode over to the stinkiest pool of water we could find. Funny how no locals were using this on such a nice day? The smell was that sulfur rotten egg fart smell. At first I thought it was the out houses that lined the street for the big bike race going on. Nope it was that water we were about to soak in. They had built a little deck so you could sit there and contemplate what you were about to climb into. Black floaty weird things accumulated in one corner of the pool. They were unidentifiable. We assumed maybe leaves and debris that  were transformed by the minerals into there own life form. There were two big springs in which the water bubbled up from under the ground. I sat on the deck and drank some nice Greek  white wine to gather a little liquid courage. Soon we were both soaking in the stinky rotting leaf pond. It felt pretty good actually. There was a sign that told us the Indians used to bring there horses here to soak before a war. They felt it would give them power. Early settlers would soak here to cure ailments like arthritis and skin conditions. I just hope we don’t get any skin conditions after our soak. Another new adventure another memory that will be ingrained with that unforgettable smell. A side point our skin felt wonderful after.

  Colorado weather is so incredible to me. It was hot and sunny for our soak then out of nowhere this wind kicks up. Thunder clouds rolled in and it started raining. We road our bikes back to the camper to get dry but when I got there Jimmie wasn’t right behind me. A few moments later he rolled up and told me he found a break in the fence for the finish line of the bike race. Its the world east biggest gravel bike race from what we were told. 144 miles. People come from all over the world equipped with fancy bikes and those ultra manly revealing bike shorts. They finish the race covered in mud and exhausted from there long journey and here comes Jimmie my crazy husband in his trunks,  no shirt, Beatles music blaring,  a bike basket with a wine bottle on his rickety old beach cruiser through the finish line. He said the crowds went nuts cheering him on. No one seemed to mine his good humor.  The announcer said “look at that 144 miles on a beach cruiser!” I love him so much for his fun silly side that is fearless. He may not wear a cowboy hat or those skin tight wranglers like a cowboy but he has no fear in life. He approaches life with the fun and fearlessness of a bull rider and I love him for it