6 Year Old Is "The Goodest Sheep Rider In The World, Except For Jesus"

[matcom]

<snip>

WINCHESTER, Idaho -- Koby Blunt gently lowered himself into the rodeo chute, climbing down the white fencing until he straddled his opponent: 250 pounds of bleating ovine.

He wedged his right hand under the riding rope wrapped around the sheep's chest, squeezed his legs tight around its shaggy flanks and positioned his boots, spurs at the ready. He lifted his left arm into the air and instructed his assistants: "I'm ready, boys, let him out."

When that gate flew open at the Winchester Open Rodeo earlier this month, it was a bittersweet moment in Koby Blunt's career. The rodeo was one of the last times Koby will compete in mutton bustin', the event he has dominated in Washington state and the Idaho panhandle. He can't compete after this season because he hit retirement age on July 6: 6 years old.


"I'm the goodest sheep rider in the whole world," Koby says. Then he catches himself and adds: "Except Jesus."

Wannabe rodeo stars start small. They ride sheep. Like bull riders, mutton busters are scored on a scale of 100 points. The rider must stay on the animal for six seconds, at which point the judges award half the points for the style of the rider and half for the aggressive qualities of the sheep. Some sheep refuse to leave the starting chute. Some go for a leisurely stroll in the arena. But some leave the chute in a fury, trying to get rid of the weight on their backs. "If the sheep runs out and starts bunny-hopping, you'll have a nice score," says Koby.

In most rodeos, mutton busters can't compete after they turn 6 or weigh 50 pounds, whichever comes first. When they get too big, they have to move on, usually to calf riding, which leads to steer riding, which leads to junior bull riding, and finally ends with senior bull riding -- eight seconds of chaos on the back of an angry 2,000-pound mass of muscle, horn and hoof. Tony Mendes, No. 6 in the Professional Bull Riders Inc. standings, started his career on sheepback at age 3. His career winnings now total more than $600,000.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB112191115402891748-IdjfoNnlaF4o52uZXuIaKaEm4,00.html

[TlalocW]

1. Steer riding leads to junior bull riding which leads to

Being the high school janitor after graduation.

TlalocW

[meegbear]

2. Holy MST3K Batman!

[TlalocW]

10. Yep, we sure had ourselves a Junior Daredevil Rodeo

And nobody was happier about it than old-timer Billy Slater.

TlalocW

[Shell Beau]

3. Weird, but hey, $600,000, that is a lot for any 6 year old to win.

[SquireJons]

4. I wonder how many fingers he has left? n/t

[Shell Beau]

7. I certainly don't know much about this sport so

I was hoping that they wouldn't allow children to do something that could really injure them, but hell, you never know. These people can take this stuff pretty seriously.

[TlalocW]

12. In my posts above

I'm referencing a short film from the 1950s that was spoofed on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (where a guy and two robots are forced to watch bad movies). It was called Junior Daredevil Rodeo, and it featured mutton busting, and those kids were thrown pretty hard, and some of them limped off the "playing field" or whatever the hell the fenced in area is called in a rodeo.

TlalocW

[Shell Beau]

13. I would never subject my child to that (when I do have a child).

Some people make strange parenting choices. :shrug:

[Hamsta1]

5. I think the guy who has won $600,000

is a professional bull rider.

[Shell Beau]

9. You're right. That is what I get for just skimming the article.

[StopTheMorans]

6. i didn't know Jesus was Scottish

:shrug:

[SquireJons]

18. Hey Hey McCloud, get off of my eue...

:evilgrin:

[peekaloo]

8. Jebus rode sheep? Well, kiss my ass.

:shrug:

[WhollyHeretic]

11. Oooh, I think I see a new Jesus sports figurine in this

http://www.catholicshopper.com/products/inspirational_sport_statues.html

[noonwitch]

15. I like Hockey Jesus best

The very idea of Jesus helping teach children to beat the daylights out of each other with long sticks is kind of funny. Oh, yeah, hockey is about scoring goals. I keep forgetting that.

I don't know about all this sheep riding. When I was a pledge in a sorority, I was told I would have to ride a goat at my initiation. It turns out that half my pledge class got to ride goats the night before at a nearby frat house. Or were ridden by goats, depending on your perspective on drunken, frat-boy sex. I didn't fall for that one, plus I had a very nice boyfriend who was a member of that particular frat.

There was no goat riding as part of the initiation ceremony. They did get us really drunk, blindfolded us, and spun us in circles a couple of times before reading a bunch of silliness to us that was allegedly sacred.

[WhollyHeretic]

16. I like the football one

With the kid tackling Jesus. Tackling his lord and savior might not be the best idea.

[Akoto]

14. Jesus rode sheep?

Couldn't he like, snap his fingers and make a race car? Or is my understanding of Christianity somewhat exaggerated? :D

[Dukkha]

17. I don't think he'd win the grammar rodeo

note to self: never visit Winchester, Idaho.

[LeftyMom]

19. I thought jesus rode a donkey. nt