Got Grit?

Cowboys are tough. Feisty. Gritty, and yes, a little Grimy. A friend and I went to a ranch rodeo over the weekend and got a firsthand refresher course in just how tough they can be. The horses were excellent at this rodeo. There were several qualified rides, but more often than not, the horses won the round, and it wasn't for lack of try on the part of the riders.

This cowboy got pile-driven into the arena dirt. He was scrambling to get away, when the horse looped around and came back on him like a freight train. The horse and cowboy were both fine, but he did give an excellent lesson in speed crawling. If that would have been me, I'd parked my fanny in the bleachers, but he gamely got back on in the second round.

This cowboy probably felt like he'd tied onto an alligator and was riding out the death roll. That horse was wicked quick and unpredictable. Ol' Tex got him covered, but it was close.

This was another awesome horse, with huge belly rolls. Yes, the cowboys do get bonus points from the judge for "fanning" the horse with their hat. He probably would have gotten more points if he hadn't lost his way-cool aviator glasses the next jump, but he still rode him out through some amazing moves.

This guy gets my vote for the coolest ride of the day. That little gray horse was spectacular, ducking, dodging and kicking the entire ride. This guy was an amazing rider and stuck to him like a tick, until the back cinch popped and sent the saddle catapulting up on the horses' neck. You can see it mid-slide here. Cowboy did a faceplant about .5 seconds later, but never quit riding until he hit the dirt.

Got Grit? These guys do...