2013 San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo: Slack - Days 3 and 4

After the first two days of team roping and steer wrestling slack it was on to calf roping. San Angelo is probably more of a calf roping town more so than any other rodeo event. Every October the Cinch Roping Fiesta is held at the outdoor roping arena which draws some of the biggest names in the sport as well as some massive crowds from across the area. So, naturally, I was expecting more community members to show up for the next two days of calf roping slack at the 1st Community Credit Union Spur Arena. But, to my amazement, there was almost no one in the stands to watch the free event. That doesn't mean that the action in the arena was any less exciting though.

Of the timed events in the sport of rodeo calf roping and steer wrestling are probably my favorite. They are fast paced and requires the rider to dismount their horse which means anything can happen. The cowboy can lose their footing, the horses can be uncooperative as well as the cows. But when everything comes together perfectly it can be quite an amazing sight.

The sport of rodeo has drawn some criticism from animal rights groups touting that it's cruel to put these animals through such traumatic experiences, but it is important to remember that every event in the sport is rooted in real life ranch work that has been around since man first decided to raise animals. Rodeo competitors are individuals that have honed their skills over the years to provide spectators with great action and good clean family fun for all.