Most people who have known me a long time could not believe it when I got involved in gay rodeo. They had generally assumed that I was more the type to protest rodeos than to join in an enjoy them... never mind be rodeo director. But I did, and my experience as director of Little Rock's annual gay rodeo was one of the highlights of my life. I was reminded this weekend of exactly why I enjoyed it so much.
I arrived in the city on Thursday night: walked across the river to one of local gay bars: Sidetracks. I have to admit that I was a little worried when I first walked in; what if no-one recognized me? Worse, what if no-one cared that I was back? I need not have spent an idle moment's thought on it. Not only did everyone I hoped remember me (as well as a few I had forgotten), but they were excited to hear of my successes and experiences in Toronto. Although not all my time in T.O. has been completely beneficial, they were interested in how my time in Arkansas helped me to prepare.
So the first day was spent visiting friends. I ran some errands to get some of my banking stuff cleared up; I visited the library where I used to work; we went to Juanita's for cheese dip and I even had time to visit the rehab hospital were I recovered from my coma. It was a blast. Saturday was spent all day at the rodeo; it finished about 5:00, then I snuck in a quick nap before dinner at 7:00; the party and dance at the fairgrounds went until about 11:00, then we actually closed down one of the local bars... at which point my flight left at 6:00am so Bruce convinced me (with little arm twisting) to stay up until my flight. I was excited to be working through my first all-nighter in over a decade: then on the flight my neighbour fell asleep and kept drooping on me, so I got no sleep there, either. In fact, I was able to finish a library book I've been hoping to get done: Between Two Worlds. (Now I just have to write about it!) All in all, it was a successful end to a successful weekend.
I uploaded some of my pictures (~50) to Gather: more are under my profile on Flickr (>150).
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Comments: 23
I just finished Between Two Worlds, also (the one by Zainab Salbi?). Great book.
Glad you had a good weekend.
Gay rodeo changed my mind. Many arguments were presented to me. At this point I try to look into individual situations with an open mind, as I think we should do with everything.
Jumping onto the back of a bull or bronc and digging spurs into it's sides.....roping a calf and having the horse stop dead in it's tracks, yanking the calf off it's feet......bulldogging....to name a few events is all part of rodeos. Gay or not. It's abuse.
A new director took over and closed the show. He felt that it was not natural. Maybe not, but those chimps enjoyed performing. No one was mean to them. They were sent to other zoos and I wondered if they missed show business.
I just liked to watch the sexy cowboys working up a sweat.
Oops, did I say that out loud?
Te he!
Thanks for sharing them.
then you know the story of my long time love affair with my Tennessee walker stallion 9not literally love affair!0 till his death 22 years down the road.
We would ride into the Equestrian Centre when the Gay Rodeo was on here in Burbank. the animals did seem more serene.