Broc: "I just heard someone use the word "shindig" in an actual sentence"

Last night Erin, Broc and I went to the Gunlock Rodeo.

Gunlock is a really small town about fifteen minutes away from Santa Clara. 

 Small town rodeos always bring back memories for me of being fourteen and going with my friends to the rodeo to meet hot fourteen-year-old cowboys by using sweet pick-up-lines like "oh. uh. is this the line for snow cones?" 

 As we were parking and walking in we heard the announcer say, 

"This rodeo funds our entire town for the next year." 

That is real. 

On Gunlock's wikipedia page, under "Events" it says: 

"Gunlock, Utah is the site of the Annual Gunlock Rodeo."

And that is it. 

The only real point for this next picture is to show you what the children of Gunlock look like and to say that children in boots and belt  buckles are incredibly darling. 

Erin. Me. Rodeo. 

Pictured next is the Chicken Chase, the second funniest event of the Gunlock Rodeo. 

My camera died before I could get pictures of the first funniest even, which was the donkey-watermelon race. 

It's hard to describe how hilarious it is to watch fifteen donkeys, each with two riders, run into each other and throw off their riders who are trying to pick up a watermelon and ride them back across the finish line. Only one donkey actually made it back and it was with a boy wrapped around the front of his neck and one laying stomach down over his rear end, watermelon held above his head. 

I guess I described it anyways. 

But trust me, seeing that event in person is bucket-list worthy. 

The picture above is the 0-6 year old children lined up for the chicken chase, and below is them taking off. 

Essentially all they have to do is catch one of the ten or so chickens with their incredibly uncoordinated hands. 

Once they have caught one, the announcer walking around the arena will bring the microphone to them and ask them their name. 

Announcer: "What is your name son?" 

4 year old: "Chicken!" 

Announcer: "But what is your NAME?"

4 year old: "Chicken!!" 

Announcer: "I see that. You've caught a chicken. Great job. But what is your name??"

4 year old: "CHICKEN!!!!" 

You never know, in a place like Gunlock, the kid's name might have actually been Chicken. 

The suckiest part about a rodeo is how as soon as you throw your rope and you miss, it's all over. 

It's sad to see the kids who you know have been practicing for months just to throw this rope at a little cow that is running away from them. 

And when you put it that way, the concept of a rodeo is actually super bizarre. 

I pointed this out to Erin who enlightened me on the subject. 

"I bet there was this guy with some rope, a cow, and a horse and he thought 'I bet I could put all of these together and do somethin' with em'." 

And I thought, if that's how this goes then I want to meet the guy who came up with the donkey-watermelon race.

The good news is, my cousin Mitch, who was roping in his first rodeo, threw his rope, from his horse, and caught that cow. 

We were so proud. 

Happy 4th everyone. 

God Bless America. 

And God Bless Gunlock. 

Love, 

Katie