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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2006)
JUStjOUtja COWBOY 101 These are traditional rodeo events found at most rodeos (gay and straight). POLE BARREL RACING: This is the only professional rodeo event for each side) must cross a finish line some 70 feet away. While this sounds women—so listen up, lesbians. In gay rodeo, both men and women com funny (and is), it is also dangerous. During the 2003 International Gay pete, but women can generally trounce the guys in this event, where con Rodeo Association Finals in Palm Springs, Calif., one drag queen caught a steer’s horn in the face and broke her jaw! Luckily, her makeup remained miraculously intact. © BENDING: This event has nothing to do with bending your testants vie for the fastest time running a cloverleaf pattern around three own pole. It is also a “regular" rodeo event, so it’s not just a gay thing. The barrels in a triangular formation. Knocking over a barrel results in lost horse and rider run a linear pattern through six equally placed poles 21 points. To compete you need to be a strong, expert horseperson and, urn, feet apart. This challenges the horse to change direction as it weaves have a horse. through the poles. Riders receive a five-second penalty for knocking over FLAG RACING: a pole and disqualification for breaking the pattern. Flag racing (not fag racing, which is an entirely different sport) is an event utilizing two barrels and a pole. Atop each bar BULLHIDING: You may not have ridden a bull before—and the rel is a weighted bucket; one has a flag with a pole in it. The riders must ability to spout bullshit is not yet a sanctioned event. However, bullriding bring their horse as closely as possible to that bucket, grab the flag and is rodeo’s most dangerous event and a spectator favorite because of the then deposit it in the second bucket at the far end of the course. Penalty added danger factor. Because of the bull’s erratic and powerful twists and points assessed if bucket, barrel or pole is knocked over. leaps, only the toughest contestants can endure the six seconds. Contestants may not touch the animal, rigging, their hat or themselves. CALF ROPING (BELOW): (Touching yourself is for after the event, not during.) lasso goes completely over the calf's head and catches around any part of Contestants rope a calf when their its body. There is competition on foot and on horseback (called “mount BAREBACK BRONC HIDING: You knowJustOut always pro motes safe sex, so dispense with the barebacking references right now. ed breakaway”) as well as a pair’s competition with two cowboys and one calf (called “team roping”). In this time-honored event, the rider mounts the horse in a chute, grasp ing a rigging that is strapped around the horse. With a single handhold These are events found only in gay rodeo. Yippy yay-hoo! and no reins, saddle or stirrups, the contestant must ride the horse for six seconds. (In pro rodeo the duration is eight seconds.) Up to 50 points are STEER DECORATING: awarded to both the horse and rider: power and bucking pattern (for attached to a steer’s horns and with the first contestant anchoring the horse) and strength, form and spurring action (for rider). This is not a rope. When the steer leaves the chute, the second contestant has to tie a sport for the meek or mild: During the International Gay Rodeo ribbon to the steer’s tail (called “decorating” in cowboy slang). Once the Association Finals last year in Las Vegas, one female bronc rider’s back ribbon is tied to the steer’s tail, the first contestant must also remove the was broken in this event. rope from the steer’s horns. It’s more dangerous than you think: Some The competition begins with a rope have seen cowboys catch a steer’s hoof in the face during the “decorat STEER HIDING: This event is similar to bull riding, but on small er animals with better temperaments. (Think of it as twink bullriding.) ing” part of the competition—and with steers weighing as much as 500 pounds, that's a lot of hoof. Recommended for newcomers to participate in before moving up to the GOAT DRESSING (RIGHT): bull league. This event often takes longest at each rodeo because of the number of contestants. Teams of two must run to a goat tethered to a stake. (Imagine the trauma to the poor goats at the sight of a herd of faggots running at them like in the battle scenes in Braveheart.) One contestant raises the goat’s hind legs into the air while the second contestant fits on a pair of jockey shorts and pulls them up into the “dressed” position. Both contestants (here comes the hard part) must then run back to their original starting point before the goat “drops his drawers.” Usually, the embarrassed goat just stands still in the BVDs, hap py to see the homos running away. WILD DRAG RACE: This event embraces the entire queer com munity, as it requires a three-person team: a man, a woman and a per son in drag. The cowgirl stands 10 feet away from the chute holding a rope attached to a steer by a halter. She must hold the steer in place while the cowboy helps the drag queen onto the steer’s back. Hilarity ensues. The team with the drag queen fully astride the steer (one leg on Jerilyn Lowery going for that classic winter combo? Cell:(503) 860-0342 jlowery@reyreece.com Volkswogen CerWìed Pre-Owned Upive with Pptóe REY REECE VOLKSWAGEN 122nd — ▼ ~ Onw a. xm * 3 b East Burnside (503) 256-3700 (800) 283-0592 n Visit us online at: www.reyreece.com or schedule your appointment.^/ Want to make it safer to play? 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