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This entry has nothing to do with saving money |
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just about a unique experience I recently had.
As I may have mentioned before, my dad is a cowboy. He lives on 40 acres in Chowchilla, CA with my second mom Linda along with horses, Turlock, Sugar and Red the dog.
My dad, who team ropes, competes in the Chowchilla Stampede each year. Unfortunately, his foot slipped out of his stirrup a few weeks back and he fell and broke his arm. He wasn't able to compete this year, but he was able to participate in a very cool Stampede ritual, and he asked me to join him. For the last 50 years, the longhorns used in the Stampede are driven down Robertson Boulevard through downtown Chowchilla. School children, shop owners and residents line the street to watch.
Since this was the 50th anniversary of the Stampede, it was an occasion upon an occasion. In fact, there were almost as many cattle drivers as there were cattle.
It had been a long time since I had been on a horse, but the basics came back to me within a few minutes. I did have a few cowboy moments where I struggled to keep my seat. I was riding Turlock who hadn't chased cows since Dad broke his arm. Turlock thought it was his duty to be right on top of the cows. It was a struggle keeping him with the rest of the cattle drivers, and a lot of fun.
As you can imagine in an event like this, there were many characters. I rode alongside Mr. Manuel Cordoza, a 94 year old cowboy whose family comes from Terceira, the same island in the Azores as my mom's side of the family.
Mario, the Mexican cowboy who proudly wore his sombrero and straddled his wooden saddle is a local celebrity. He is the manager of his brother's very popular Mexican restaurant. Everyone greeted him as he pranced his horse Benito down the street.
We were joined by the Madera Method Wagon Train. The wagon train was started by former Madera teacher, Bill Coate as a hands-on way to teach children about history. The wagons were pulled by mules and filled with sixth grade children.
Unlike the year one of the cows went through a store window, our ride was smooth and uneventful. Dad did enjoy helping chase down one of the few strays that tried to escape.
It was an extraordinary experience, one that I plan to do again next year. And yes, we had breakfast at Pioneer Market!
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