April Event: USA
Stick Horse Rodeo-
Background Information:
Rodeo comes from the Spanish word "rodear" which means “to encircle
or to surround.” To the Spanish in New Spain (now Mexico) in themid-16th century, a rodeo was simply a cattle roundup. It’s hard to say when rodeos began. Cowboys working on the ranches would compete against one another at roundups and during their free time. Who could rope a calf the fastest? Who could stay on a bucking bronc (wild horse) the longest? Who could perform fancy tricks while riding a horse at full speed?
In the American West, cowboys were responsible for getting huge
cattle herds across the open range from ranches in the west to stockyards
in Missouri and Kansas, where the nearest trains were available. From
there the cattle went by train to slaughter houses in Chicago. Once the ranges were fenced, many cowboys were out of work. The Wild West shows gave them a place to show their skills and pick up some pay. Soon rodeos or cowboy contests became part of Western county fairs. Contestants traveled from one competition to another. Some cowboys
became rodeo stars, and, later, movie stars. Today rodeo cowboys are professional athletes who compete for a living.
Stick Horse Activity:
If you wish, have students color and cut out the horse head
pattern included, or have them draw a simple horse head on one side of a large brown paper bag, and cut through both sides. Students can decorate
each side of the horse head with an eye, a nostril and a mouth. Students can cut an additional strip of the paper bag and fringe it to look like the horse’s mane. Staple the two sides of the head together, with the mane, and stuff it with tissue. Tape the head on a cardboard wrapping paper tube or meter stick. You could also punch a hole under the mouth to add a string for the reins so the student can hold on to the stick horse.
Timed Barrel Racing Event:
Set up three coffee cans or cones in a triangle ten meters apart for each rider. Show students how to ride their horses around the cans in a cloverleaf pattern. The rider must ride around all three of the cans. Use a timer and record the times for each rider. There will be a 10 second penalty added to the time for each can that is knocked over. Record the times for each student.
