106 years and 8 seconds

On Thursday we went downtown with Jena, David and Andrew to see the Stock Show parade. It's a tradition stemming from the days when they actually did drive cattle through downtown Denver to get to the stockyards. There are fewer cattle involved these days (and, strangely, more stretch limousines...), but you still get a good sense of the history. We rode the light rail train to avoid having to pay for parking downtown, and the boys loved it.

These dormant flowerbeds made perfect viewing platforms for the boys.

It was a little terrifying to think that those longhorns were only a few yards from us, but those cowboys are the real deal.

Rodeo queens!

Jack got into the swing of waving at the participants while hanging out in the baby backpack.

I'm not sure who these folks are, but it was a crazy long line of horses. As they were halfway past us, Ryan said, "Mama, what do I SMELL?" Horses, baby. Horses.


Then came the vintage tractor brigade:


Then on Saturday it was time for the real deal - the 106th National Western Stock Show. We got a great deal on tickets - $4.95 for grounds admission AND the opening rodeo - and we were excited to take the boys to see what it was all about.

The Sapersteins joined us, and Eli got right in the mood at the pony ride. Despite my encouragement, Ryan was not going anywhere near those creatures, nosirnohow.

I didn't get a lot of pictures of the exhibition hall where we saw alpacas and a junior cattle show (Gelbvieh breed, if you're keeping track), and just when Ryan was getting super whiny, we stumbled upon the Colorado Fiddle Championships.

With only a few minutes until the rodeo, we didn't get to watch much of the competition, but Ryan was absolutely transfixed by the musicians. Each contestant was accompanied by two guitarists and performed three different pieces on a stage decorated with Western boots, wagon wheels, and poinsettias. I see music in that boy's future, for sure (later that afternoon at home he found a wooden dowel, declared it his fiddle-stick, and drew it across the strings of his ukulele).

Finally, it was time for the rodeo (well, after a quick stop for corn dogs). Jack had been cooped up in the backpack the whole time and Sam was fighting a miserable head cold, so this is not the best family portrait - but here we are, ready for some rodeo action (Ryan is watching the cowboys in the arena).


After a very dramatic opening sequence of laser lights, flames, and loud rock music, the rodeo was on. First up was bareback riding, which was just crazy to watch. This was the first round of competition so there were no big purses at stake today. Then came calf roping, some rodeo clowns, the Wells Fargo stage coach with its gorgeous string of six black horses and the Touchstone Energy coach with its enormous Percherons, and then the saddle broncs.

Ryan is still talking about all the cowboys who "all fell down!"

Jack had had enough sitting for one day and wanted nothing more than to roam the arena walkway and climb up and slide down the stairs. Good thing I put him in light colored pants...


We watched trick riders and a cowboy monkey riding a herd dog (I kid you not!) before the boys' attention spans ran out. We didn't get to see the bull riding, but I'd say that was a pretty good intro into the world of spangly chaps, big hats and even bigger belt buckles.