Original Stock Yard Building
Opening flag presentation and Star Spangled Banner
Draft Horse and Mule Competition / Show
Obstacle Course Team Pulling Competition - Mules v. Draft Horses
Teams competed against each other and against the clock. Two person teams. Driver and stacker. There was a set course that each team had to follow, picking up bales of hay and stacking them on the sled on the way down and off loading them and stacking them in the arena on the way back. Points were given for time and retrieval and replacement of bales in accordance with competition guidelines ... in other words, if you didn't grab them and get them on the sled in a timely fashion and unload them neatly you were penalized.
4 Mule hitch - yes I know, I only got 2.5 of the mules in the picture.
Half a 6 mule hitch
Draft Horse Driving Competition - 2 horse hitch on a wagon
The "jewelry" these guys wore was unbelievable. All I could think was "glad I don't have to clean and polish those harnesses ..." ! According to the announcer, the cost for the show harnesses the "performance" (v. working or pulling competition) class horses wear is about $10,000 PER horse. Yikes!
The wagons were no run of the mill in off the farm wagons either - these babies had shocks and springs and I wouldn't be surprised if they had bells and whistles while they were at it.
Percheron, Clydesdale, Belgian - all the draft breeds competed. There were wagons and carts, single horse hitches, 2 horse, 3 horse, 4 horse and 6 horse hitches. I wish the arena had been a bit bigger, it was really quite a show and very impressive.
One Armed Bandit Show
Buffalo don't look like such a big deal from this angle and yes, that is two buffalo and a man standing on a mule on top of a stock trailer.
The guy in red going down the ramp off the trailer is the One Armed Bandit and he really does have only one arm. He rides a mule and his show is all about the mule and the buffalo. 
You can see how big the buffalo are .... and he had them trained down to the last move!
Barrel Racing
The horses are moving so fast, the barrel competition seems to almost "flash" by.
Mutton Bustin'
Mutton Bustin' cracks me up. It is a competition for kids. The competition by both age and weight, with I believe for the safety of the sheep, weight being the deciding factor. I want to say the weight limit is 57 pounds and the age limit is 7 - and if I'm not exactly right, I'm close. They strap miniature bronc bustin' helmets on to the kids, lift them up and put them face down hanging on as well as they can on the back of an unshorn sheep and cut the sheep loose in the arena. Who ever hangs on longest wins. The kids are lucky if they hang on for 2 or 3 seconds - most don't make the count of two. No sheep are harmed in the running of this event, the kids and the crowd have a blast!
Bronc Riding
This particular horse and cowboy were pretty darn funny .... you know how on the TV they always show broncs and bulls bustin' out of the chutes, the ride seems to begin even before the gate is swung open? Well, not for this cowboy.
Gate swings open - cowboy is ready, horse is on break.
Another second passes and the cowboy is raising the reins kicking his heels .... "come on brother - we've got a show to do, wake up and move!!!"
Horse gets the idea
Appearing none to happy to be nudged from what seemed to be a relaxing break in the chute, I can almost hear the horse thinking, "You want a ride brother, I'll take you on a ride ....!!"
Which just goes to prove - you can put a horse in a chute, but you can't make him buck until he is good and ready.
Steer Wrestling
Hmmm. They call it steer wrestling, looks more like steer "tipping" to me
I think the steer won this go-round
Rodeo Clowns
Check out INSIDE the barrel ....
Barrel seems to have sprouted cowboy hat and feet ...
Equines and Bovines
The End - for now.
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