Friday night all the recruits went to the PBR Touring Pro event at the arena. Less than a week before we were watching the Laredo Bucks play hockey on ice which had since been covered with a few hundred tons of dirt. Pretty incredible transformation.
The arena smelled like it looked - a barnyard. Not entirely unpleasant, but certainly distinct. We sat in our section which turned out to be great for hockey but terrible for bull riding. We were nice and close to absolutely nothing. A few at a time, we crept over to some better seats and as the last few sat down were were singled out by the rodeo clown in the pen; 'I came all the way from Kansas and I got here on time...what happened to you?' Hah, we'll we got here on time too - we're just stealin' seats now, sir.
Big beer in hand I watched cowboy after cowboy get tossed from bull after bull. It got a bit monotonous when not one rider could hang on for more than three seconds. Those boys were soon replaced by another more capable group of riders. It got better. By the end there were a few that hung in there for the buzzer. Eight seconds is a hell of a long time to stay on top of a bull. Impressive stuff.
At halftime our Bravo group leader hopped the fence into the ring when the clown requested volunteers from the audience. Complete a series of tasks designed to make you look foolish and you win a pair of boots. Sounds easy enough. Of course it was rigged. Although he won fair and square (not to mention with the most charisma) the boots went to the girl not the big Canadian. Good show anyway Travis.
The following day I decided to take a little drive down San Bernardo to see what authenticities I could find without crossing the border into Narco Laredo. I found some nice hand blown glasses, tin Christmas ornaments, silver trays for everything from fish to eggs, los dios de los muertos figures, gaudy mirrors, giant tin chickens flanking a giant tin Christ on the cross, skids of cow skulls and finally more taxidermy than the ROM. It was a sight to behold. If ever you've wondered where you could buy a stuffed lion, two zebras fighting or the bust of every bovid to ever trot the earth, it's here at Art by God.
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