The Sallisaw Lions Club Rodeo features two trick riders this year. That’s great. Can’t wait to see them. When I was a kid, trick riding was always a featured event at rodeos. Then it sort of disappeared. I’m glad it’s back. Trick riding is spectacular.
In my youth, I did a bit of trick riding, but it was unintentional. It was the intention of my horse, a little cow pony mom had bought me for my birthday. She bought the little mare when she visited a cattle ranch and saw five kids crawling all over her. Little did she know. That cow pony, whom I named Cricket, appeared gentle, but had a mind of her own, big time.
Her favorite trick riding event was getting rid of me, the rider. My little bay Cricket could easily have been one of the first foundation Quarter Horses. She could stop and turn on a dime, a favorite Quarter Horse description. Unfortunately, when she did that, she often left me hanging in air. I didn’t hang for long. I hit the ground pretty quick.
Cricket hated pigs. I think most horses do. Unfortunately, our farm was next door to a pig farm. Farmer let his big old mama sows out in a big pasture. And we shared a fence. On hot days, those pigs liked laying along our shared fence line, hiding in the shade. But, when Cricket and I sometimes rode by they would jump to their feet squealing like, well, like pigs.
That unnerved Cricket immensely. She would promptly do her spin and run move, and I’d be hanging in air again. That happened so many times, I lost count. Consequently, I hate pigs too.
My little bay mare was smart, perhaps smarter than me. And she figured out how to dislodge me any time she wanted to. My own trick riding experiences included over-the-head somersaults. I perfected that move because I thought my cow pony should expand her skills by being a jumper. She disagreed. No matter what tiny little jump I set up for her to sail over, my cow pony would pull her incredible sliding stop maneuver. I unfortunately would continue on and clear the jump all by myself while spinning in midair. As I recall, the last time this event occurred I actually landed on my feet and did not let go of the reins. Cricket was disappointed in her failed attempt to escape.
My most spectacular trick was a death clutch on Cricket’s side after she pulled one of her own tricks on me, and took me under a limb. That was her favorite get-rid-of-rider-maneuver. I didn’t come all the way off, I was just hanging on Cricket’s left side, with my arms wrapped around her neck and my right leg up over her top side.
Cricket took exception to that style of riding, and took off at a run. So there I am, bouncing up and down sideways with every stride, and a death grip on my horse. The strange thing was, I considered my situation even as I hung there. ‘Well,’ I remember thinking. ‘I tried to pull myself up, but that didn’t work. Cricket is headed home at a dead run. Can I hang on here for that long? Probably not. What are my alternatives? I’m gonna’ have to let go, right? Yep. Just gonna’ have to let go.’
No kidding. That all passed through my mind as I hung there. So, I let go. Luckily I bounced and was unhurt. And I had learned my lesson. Never let go of those reins. So I climbed back up on a reluctant Cricket and rode home. Don’t believe I ever told mom about that exploit though.
I never yearned to be a trick rider. From my few experiences, it seems really hard, especially the ground part. I will leave that up to those spectacular riders who enjoy it and do it with expertise. So head on out to the Lions Club rodeo, and watch these amazing trick riders do what the rest of us cannot, or at least survived what trick riding our horses thought we should do.
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