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University Daily Kansan, June 12. 1980
America's native sport, rodeo, still riding high
By PAUL CARMAN Staff Reporter
He spat, patted his horse's flank and pulled his hat tight on his head.
The steer was restless. He was charming the gate and banging his broken and gargiled horns against the boards. The two men holding the gate and another man over to help close the gap in the gate.
A clown who was standing a few feet away, waiting for the steer, man and horse to come out, made a joke about this steer being a lively one. The audience did not seem to notice.
The cowboy rode his horse out of the stall to the front of the chute.
The steer still charged the gate, trying to climb the barrier the men were struggling to hold shud.
The man on the horse signaled that he was tired of waiting. He would go even if the steer was stuck.
The barrier swung open. The cowboy spurred his horse. The two animals and the man surged forward.
THE COWBoy maneuvered his horse beside the running steer, leaving almost the width of his hooves.
He slid his leg over the back of his horse and dived against the side of the steer, locking one arm around the far horn. Grabbing the other foot with his hand, he rolled the steer over its own momentum.
THE COWBODY, Bill Duvall, Checotah, Oklahoma, in four and three-tenths seconds achieved the best time in steer wrestling during the three days of the Flint Hikes Rodne last weekend in Strong City.
Davall and the other 318 entrants in the rodeo were participating in one of the United States' oldest native sports—rodeo, a remnant of the Old West.
BUT FAR FROM being only nostalgic, the rodeo riders represented a class of professional athletes in what may be the fastest-growing competitive sport in the country.
Unlike the athletes in other major sports, rodeo cowboys earn their livings with their seats in saddles, rather than in executive chairs. They do not have contracts for annual salaries.
The cowboy is often wagering more than just the recovery of the money spent on the entry fee.
the rodeo because of their meanness. Often the
murder is not only to the other men but also to the initiator.
The contestants are also pitting themselves against animals who have been chosen for use in
THE DANGER ALONE would be reason enough for most amateurs to leave rode riding to the professionals, but the decline of the rode is likely to be traced to another familiar hazard—inflation.
Willard Moody, professional calf roper from Wynnewood, Okla., said that the price of gas and the size of the purses were changing the habits of the rodeo cowboy.
"The purses just haven't kept up with inflation," Moody said. "To come up here from my home it would be about $80 in gas, so I try to save a little by riding with someone else from my area. But with the entry fee and the cost of food on the trip I still have to cut back."
Moody's solution to the inflation problem could affect the future of the small-town rods across
"I just don't go to any of the small rodeos anymore," he said.
The stove is high suburbed cowboy also nana a pragmatic outlook on his rodeo future.
"If things don't get better, I just get out of
GENE PEACOCK, former professional rodeo rider and one of the Board of Directors of the Flint Hills Rodeo, said professional cowbys traveled all year to rodeos all over the country.
the business," the former grade-school teacher said.
"It's a fast track," Peacock said, "Some cowbirds ride in four to five rodees a week."
The top riders in each event often make over $100,000 a year.
The Flint Hills Rodeo, which Moody said was average in size, offered $70 in奖金 for each event.
This guaranteed purse with the promise of more, depending upon attendance, attracted 13 contestants who are or have been world champions in their events.
ELMER STOUT, President of the Flint Hills Rodeo Association, said most of the contestants at the Flint Hills Rodeo were competing for international titles in their events.
"Not only do you have to be a professional rodeo cowboy, you have to be a professional in
Bob Mushrush, another member of the board of directors for the Flint Hills Rodeo, said, "The Board has been very supportive."
availability of high school competition and college scholarships these days."
Peacock, who rode professionally for 20 years,
said much of the profession was a family
triage.
"I've known the grandfathers of some of
the best champions. They were riding 20
and 30 years ago."
THE CHANGE from local talent to predominantly professional competition has not caused much change.
According to the rodeo association, rodeo is now one of the major sports in the United States.
"Rodeo is the major sport in our area, growing out of the ranching industry," Stout said. "But its popularity is increasing all over the country. In some areas it is as popular as baseball."
The Flint Hills Rodeo attracted over four times the population of Chase County, where it was held.
None of the five major events of the rodeo is completely safe. Bareback riding, calf roping, bronic riding, bull riding, and steer wrestling all have their own dangers, yet cowboys such as Bill Duvall, the steer wrestler, make it their profession to challenge the dangers of the ring.
Yelling to distract the bull in a rodeo at Strong City, a rodeo clown narrowly misses being trampled by a charging bull.
An experienced rider makes a safe exit from the chute on a massive mound of raging bull.
Entertainment
Shallow plots, vivid images entertain 3-D movie crowds
By VANCE HINER
It's all part of the 3-D movie revival that will return to Wooldruff Auditorium on Friday night when Student Union Activities presents the grade C horror film called "The Maze."
Staff Reporter
In spite of the complex-sounding title, Dan Ullman, author of the screenplay, probably got most of his inspiration for the script after watching a couple of episodes of the Howdy Doody Show. But corn and melodrama are what make this movie such a success.
"Phantom of the Rue Morgue" and "Lumberjack Rabbit" have been draws crowds of New Wave sophisticates every night this year to New York City's 8th St. Plainhouse. The acting is shallow and so are the plots, but the images are deep and the atmosphere in the theater is chic.
The movie's plot centers around a young couple, Gerald and Kitty, whose engagement is interrupted by the sudden illness of Gerald's uncle in Scotland. Gerald rushes off immediately to be by his uncle's side, leaving Kitty behind. Gerald falls asleep from Gerald. He's broken the engagement by volfelong faithfulness to Kitty. Needless to say, Kitty can't leave well enough alone.
WHEN KITTY arrives at the huge gothic castle, perfect for 3-D effects, she discovers that
What follows is a hilarious barrage of objects jumping out from the screen and an explanation of human embryonic development that would make Steve Martin jealous. Something strange is lurking in the castle, frolicking in the maze, and it is well worth the wait for the final five
Gerald will have nothing to do with her. From this point on, Gerald and his various servants take turns giving each other sinister glances and the other staring at them as the shrubbery maze that is on the castle grounds.
The plot finally begins to thicken when, after Kitty has invited some of Gerald's friends to come to the castle, one of the guests discovers a amphibian-like footprint on the castle steps.
minutes of the movie when Gerald lets the audience in on the big secret.
Cumberms glasses, bizarre color combinations and the use of unnecessary action sequences to enhance effect, played a large role in the decline of 3-D movies in the late 50s. Their revelation is symptomatic of Madison Avenue's attentive to cash in on anything nostalgic.
MOST OF THE scenes in "The Maze" would not evoke much laughter if the movie were seen on television. Audience reaction and parody could be achieved with most cult films, adds to the 3-D experience.
3-D movies also fit in nicely with the current New Wave rebellion against the slick, swipe and super trends that dominated the 76s. 3-D movies are an important part of contemporary architects, that's good. This is especially true at a time when, in spite of millions spent by record producers and film directors, the public is often
Unfortunately, for those who like to be at the forefront of trends and fashion, 3-D is arriving a little late in the Midwest. The fad is six months old in New York City and by the time it catches on in Kansas the folks on the coasts will have a lot more choice. You can wear masses. But, if you are quick, you could be the first on your block to have a pair of Hollywood-3-D deep-sea glasses. Get em while they're hot.
Carnival still on road after 72 years of fun
By VANCE HINER
Staff Reporter
“When we go into a restaurant with our uniforms on, we get served last,” the man said as he blow a stream of cigarette smoke from his pipe and sat in the bars, the waitresses act like we’re not there. But I wouldn’t trade this life for anything. Carnival people stick together. We’re on one big team.”
The Show of Tomorrow carnival pulled into Lawrence on Tuesday for a six-day stint at the Douglas County Fair Grounds. It's just a fun occasion, the annual tour of 28 cities in the South and Midwest.
Rows of neon-lit counters manned by pacing, fast-talking "carneys," as they're called in the business, formed a makeshift entertainment market. Some rides, the Spider, Rock-O-Plane and the Eli DeLuxe Scramble were some of the more popular games. Tuesday was a slow night, according to the carneys, even though the grounds were full of
"THEY'RE HERE, but they're just not buying tonight," said a man at a dart board game. "The kids must be saving their allowances for the weekend."
The couple shook their heads and smiled. The man laughed and looked ahead for the camera.
As a young couple stroiled through the grass, a man at the dart-throwing counter said, 'Hey, show the beautiful lady what you can do. Give it a try. You win even if you
At the next counter a light brown rat rushed around a roulette wheel twice before dropping
OVER THE DIE of voices, a man could be heard saying, "Twenty-five cents on the color
and you win a doll. We treat the rats well.
They have wonderful working hours and two bodyguards to sleep with them every night so nobody poisons them."
After the rat fell into a blue hole, a woman frowned and walked away. Her quarter was swept off of the game board. The rat was stung by the steel and put in a wire cage with several others.
"We get lots of flack from the Humane Society about this," the man said. "But they spend $20 million a year just to put unwanted animals to sleep."
'I love these rats and I make sure they get 'love and cared for. I don't see what's so bad about them.'
A woman who was working at the roulette counter asked the man to take over so she could talk to her crying daughter. The little girl had a headache but her mother said she was in the way.
"I THINK THIS is really one of the best places you can raise a child," the mother said. "There's plenty of fresh air and they can learn so much about people. Actually, the only problem is that if you don't watch out, kids will learn too much."
The mother and the man standing next to her had deep tans that seemed very dark under the soft, fluorescent lights. They were the only woman the was only unpleasant part of their job.
"When business is good, though, it's great," the man said. "After a while you get pretty busy and don't want to do that."
Few people see as much of the United States as carnival people. They are confined to small streets.
"I like to compare it to gypsy life," the man said as he spun the wheel again. "I guess you could say that we're modern-day gypsies. It is us, once it is once in your blood, you can't give it up."