This City Girl...

I am a city girl at heart.  I really don't think anyone would argue with me on that fact.  I like high heels and lots of jewelry, I never leave my house without my make-up on, and I do NOT camp or do any other outdoor type activities that would include me getting dirty in any way.  When I decided at the beginning of this year to be the Den Leader for Mario's Cub Scout den, my own father laughed and said, "You?  A Cub Scout leader? That is just so...  NOT YOU!"  But, we often do crazy things, that are outside of our comfort zone, for the ones we love.  Which is how I recently found myself heading to a Rodeo. 

When you think about rodeos, you probably think about bulls and blood, dust and mud, the roar of a Sunday crowd...  Boots and chaps and cowboy hats...  Wait...  Isn't that a song* or something?  But, what you probably do not think of is a high-heeled wearing, sparkle-purse toting, highlighted-hair New Yorker.  At least, that is not what I ever thought of when the word rodeo came to mind.  Never-the-less, this morning, I found myself packing up my backpack, throwing on a hoodie and wearing my walking shoes (sparkly Sketchers, of course) to head out to the National Western Stock Show with my Cub Scout den and my family. 

As we pulled into the parking lot at the complex, the smell of fresh horse and cow manure wafted through the air.  Now, I am an urban-ite through and through, but I did do most of my growing up in a small farm town, so this scent is not unfamiliar to me.  The Goombas pinched their noses and Luigi got a little excited at the prospect of getting to see "all that poop around here!" 

Although I have been to county fairs before, I have never been to an actual rodeo.  I didn't really know what to expect other than a bunch of animals running around and some guys trying to ride a bull while they get flopped around like rag dolls.  But, I acted excited so that the Goombas would be excited.  Woo Hoo!  Here we go!!! 

Once the opening program ended--which, I must say, was pretty modern and laser-y for cowboys--they started with bare-back riding.  After the first rider came out and managed to stay on that horse for 8 seconds I was HOOKED!!!  Those horses were wild!  Those chaps were fantastic!  And, DANG, those cowboys were sexy!  (Sorry, Bowser, but they were.)

I cannot believe it took me so long to get myself down to a rodeo!  I am actually not sure who had more fun, me or the Goombas and the scouts.  I got really into it, cheering with the crowd, groaning when a score wasn't good enough, and holding my breath when a bull rider would fall off and nearly get trampled.  And, in all honesty, I had heard of mutton-bustin' before, but never really knew what it was.  I mean, what IS a mutton and why on Earth would you want to bust it?  Well, now I know that it is the most adorable thing on the face of the planet!  This teeny-tiny, little 5-year-old cowgirl, glued herself to the back of that mutton and hung on for dear life as it ran down the arena.  The cowboy waiting at the end grabbed the girl by the back of her belt and lifted her up over his head and she totally worked that crowd!  I'm not kidding, if you have never seen it, you should Google it.  Cutest. Thing. EVER. 

Peach totally got into it, too.  She is as girly as they come, and a little bit prissy (like her mother), but she loved the horses.  She begged me for a cowboy hat and asked me when she could start riding the horseys like the other rodeo princesses.  Of course, she got a purple cowgirl hat and I am currently looking up places where she can take riding and mutton-bustin' lessons. 

So, I guess this rock and roll girl has just a little bit of country in her after all.  Right now, in fact, I have Bowser looking up tickets to another rodeo before the stock show is out of town, and I just might even get myself some sparkly cowboy boots to wear when we go.

Cheers!
~Daisy

*Of course it is a song!  Only one of the best Garth Brooks songs ever!  And I never really truly understood it till today!