By Karen Wolitzer
There just aren't a whole lot of cowboys in Nassau County-but there will be on February 22, 23 and 24, about 300 of them. "Cowboys and cowgirls are coming from all over the country to compete for world championship points and prize money," says George Runquist, producer of the International Championship Rodeo. "They'll be going head to head in six competitions ... bareback bronc-riding, saddle bronc-riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, barrel racing, and bull riding." For those unfamiliar with these events, bareback bronc-riding is when a cowboy tries to ride a bucking horse, without a saddle, for eight seconds. Saddle bronc-riding is exactly the same, except with a saddle. Steer wrestling is an event in which a cowboy chases a steer, dives from his horse on top of the animal, grasps its horns, digs his heels into the dirt to bring the steer to a stop, and twists the steer to the ground. Ouch! Calf roping has a cowboy chasing a calf. He has to lasso it, dismount, throw the calf to the ground by hand, and tie up three of its feet with a short rope. Barrel racing is a race for cowgirls, where they ride around steel drums on fast horses that can turn on a dime, and bull riding has a cowboy attempting to ride a bucking bull for eight seconds without falling on his head. These events are guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat, but they're just part of the show. The rodeo opens with a musical extravaganza befitting the Broadway stage. While patriotic music plays, cowboys on horseback ride around the arena, waving American flags and making everyone proud to be an American. Trick riders do acrobatics on horseback, and a Roman rider rides two horses at the same time (with one foot on each). "Kids love the trick riders," says George. "They love everything-the fact that they're seeing real cowboys and cowgirls, the music, the clowns and the long horn steer. When the steer come into the arena, the kids go wild. There's a look of sheer awe that passes over each and every face." Of course, kids aren't the only ones who'll love the show. It's fun for the whole family. Joyce Rice, a well-known trick roper and bullwhip artist puts on a show, juggling and cracking her whips, which leaves everybody wondering...how does she do that? And no rodeo would be complete without a rodeo clown. The International Championship Rodeo just happens to have one of the best, Ernie Marshall. Ernie's act includes a miniature horse, a rooster and other trained animals that will have you rolling in the aisles. Another incredible performer is John Payne, the One Armed Bandit. Mr. Payne was electrocuted, pronounced dead and revived. As a result he only has one arm, but that doesn't stop him from riding a horse, cracking a bullwhip and herding several long horned steer around the arena, up onto the back of a truck and onto the top of a specially built horse trailer. "He's won several awards for his act...it's just spectacular," says George-as is the rest of show. This is one of those events that your kids will be talking about for years to come!
