Rodeo Tales & Gypsy Trails: Mud Lake Fair and Rodeo 2012

Hooray for another AMAZING hometown fair and rodeo! This wasn't just any fair and rodeo though....It was the fair and rodeo that I grew up going to every August. The fair that gathers all the surrounding towns together in celebration. A collection of a years worth of talent and hand work on display. Youth actively engaged in agriculture showing sheep, lambs, pigs, beef and more. We are transformed from a spread out farming and ranching community to a bustling fair grounds filled with fine foods, rodeo action and fun!
LOVE this time of year! Truly blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of the Fair and Rodeo!

THANK YOU to everyone who works together to make the Fair and Rodeo a success!
Click Here for a Full Fair and Rodeo THANK YOU!

Here are a few moments from the weekend that made me smile:

Renegade Horses

Renegade horses: 7 am as turn our car towards the rodeo grounds....you can see LOOSE horses grazing by the road. A second look and you can clearly see that they are escaped broncs. Car passengers jumping from all doors to hurry and jog around the culprits and return them to the rest of the herd behind the bars of the powder river panels. Thankful that we were able to get the broncs in without any trouble. Also Thankful to all the timey's who managed to go through the gate and close it without letting any horses out.

Never a dull moment!

After slack, we commenced to go about the rodeo duties. Showing horses the arena and out gate, sorting, ect. While back sorting a young boy is in the back pens and asked if he can help. I remember him from the year before but have to ask his name.

He replies...."My name is Nash. Your name is Mindy, I remember. Last year when we were gathering the Rodeo Bulls from out back....a bull turned back and You had to put me in a tree so I wouldn't get ran over." Yes, surprisingly enough, I had blocked that memory out apparently. What a trooper. He ran slide gates for me all afternoon. Good help too. Thanks Nash!

Sorting in the back pen's big, tall wooden fences

Hanging out with Nash and other cool kids...brings me to my next story.

Coming down the chutes....I don't remember exactly what I was excited about but something had happened that I thought was fabulous. Walking by a bull rider, an adult bull rider, I stuck out my fist and said "Nuckles" ...Yes, I made a full grown adult fist bump...just like I would if I was hanging out with my 5 year old little sister. Hahahahahaha....it was hilarious! I instantly realized how dork that was and that I need to hang out with more adults :) Don't worry though, I didn't let it phase me.

Friday night was our 1st performance and we had our ups and downs. Like the fact that I missed 2 bareback flanks. The good out weighed the bad throughout the evening though. THANK YOU to Champion Stock Saddle Bronc Rider JD Brock for entering! It was an honor to have you here.
Thank You to King Cattle Co for sending some great buckers!!!

Saturday's Rodeo action was filled with more spills and thrills. Huge Thank You to Lynn Smith for helping load and flank. Lynn picked up for Hoggan Rodeo as I was growing up and I will always consider the Smith's to be Rodeo Family!

Let'em Dance in the Big Pen Boys
Flanking Lynn Smith. Also pictured Rodeo Chairman: Dave Burtenshaw and Dusty Peterson
Thank You for EVERYTHING!!!

Thank You to Savannah McGarry for being awesome! Helping hang flanks, sort and just doing whatever needed to be done. You rock!

Adjusting a flank and hanging out with cool cat, Savannah McGarry

Mud Lake was the debut of Bronc Rider, Tiffani Casey! She did a great job, riding two horses over the course of the weekend. Tiffani was better with each ride! Huge thank you to bronc riders, JD Johnson and Garrett Smith for helping Tiffani and showing her the ropes.

Visit margaritahoggan's channel on Youtube to see more bucking horse rides from the night
:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKGn4Af12xA&feature=BFa&list=ULqsl35-nX5go

CONGRATULATIONS to Horse Ropings Champions : J2 Hoggan ( age 12), Pat McGarry and Daughter Savannah McGarry (age 17)! J2 front footed him. It was awesome!!!

Mud Lake Fair and Rodeo, THANK YOU again to everyone who makes this week possible! Thanks for taking the time to travel the gypsy trail with me and if you see me somewhere and I nuckles....just assume I've been hanging out with all the cool kids ~
Happy Trails,
Mindy

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