Elgin Stampede

Last weekend was the Elgin Stampede, a regional rodeo with all sorts of cowboy things. For those of you that know me, you know that means I'm there. For those of you that really know me, you know that the previous statement was ridiculous. That said, I really enjoy going to the rodeo because it's entertaining, fun, and exciting. We attended the bull riding, but there were two other events: Barrel Racing and Wild Cow Milking.

A little background. The PA announcer kept saying, "Sign ups for the wild cow milking are still open, anyone can join." You are supposed to do it in teams of two and, because I was with Garron, I tried to convince him to do it with me. When he declined I tried to get my friend Matt to do it. He said no. It was probably a good thing.

When the Wild Cow Milking event began a bunch of legit cowboys ran out there with the intent to milk some cows (see below). One partner was on a horse roping while the other wrestled the cow into submission and then milked. I have plenty of heart... but no skill... or hat... or belt buckle. So when I saw real farmers/ranchers struggling I realized it would have been quite the spectacle to have me out there. While I'm sure the few thousand spectators would have loved it, it's probably a good idea that we passed.


There was also barrel racing and bull riding, both of which you can check out below. Only three guys made the entire eight seconds and one was carted off my ambulance. I'm not sure if that's what you call a "good night."



I should mention that the rodeo clown's prop was named Hillary Clinton and there was always a good laugh had by all when the bull would crush it. Pretty stereotypical. It's disappointing on so many levels.