Infant Industry: Sheepish
Mutton busting: sport of the future?
by Lynn Harris
March 27, 2007
How do you hold on?
Rather than sitting up on the sheep, they usually lie down and hold on with their hands in the fur, like a monkey riding a football. Some of them have spurs — they just hook 'em in and hang on. The sheep will duck and dive and run and stop real quick — they won't spin like a horse — because they like to get the kids under them as fast as they can. A lot of kids don't get out of the chute in the first place, but a lot ride clear to the other end [of the arena]. There is an eight-second clock [as with bull and bronco riding] but they usually don't last that long, and if they don't they're dragging underneath. Usually the rodeo clowns ride along and help pick them up. Or if they make a good ride someone will stop and catch them, too. A lot of times the girls do better than the boys. At that age girls are a little more coordinated.
And then how are they scored?
There's one judge, usually one of the professional judges. Both the kid and the sheep — how hard he is to ride — are included in the total score, just like with the cowboys. But Justin gives a bandana and a belt buckle that says Mutton Bustin' Champion to every kid that enters. The winners at each performance get a new pair of boots. We line them up and announce their names and give them their prizes in front of the crowd
What kind of sheep are these "muttons?"
They use a big white sheep that looks like a Suffolk. Preferably before they've been sheared or trimmed — that leaves nothing for the kids to hold on to. These sheep are range sheep. They're not penned-up sheep. They walk two, three hundred miles to get from one pasture to another.
And they don't hate being ridden?
No, it doesn't bother them. They like it. 
"It's better than a petting zoo." They're just trying to get to the end of the pen so they can eat some more. I've never heard any complaints that it's cruel to them or anything. The PRCA [Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association] has real strict rules and I work real close with the humane people here, so if there'd been any problem, I'd have heard about it. There's nothing tied to them — they just run free. That's why we keep the kids' weight limit under fifty pounds. It's good exercise for the sheep, really. We're more worried about the kids getting hurt.
Do kids mainly do this for fun, or are they starting rodeo careers?
It's mostly the novelty of it at first, but the ones that enjoy it could go on and become world champions. Go on and put in there that Ty Murray started out riding sheep. And he's the seven-time world champion all-around cowboy.
Kids getting thrown off sheep, bursting into tears — there are some parents who'd think this is terrible for kids, if not downright crazy.
It's the best thing in the world for kids. It gives them athletic ability and coordination. It's about mental preparation too. It gets them involved with animals, but it's better than a petting zoo, because they're riding on top. And if they're doing that they're not out there doing something wrong. It's good wholesome fun. The cowboy life's a good life. Rodeo used to be a rough sport, but now it's a nice family sport, and it's getting bigger and better every day.
©2007 Lynn Harris and Nerve Media
About the Author |
 |
Related Articles |
|
Lynn Harris is an award-winning journalist, author of the comic novel Death By Chick Lit, and co-creator of the venerable website BreakupGirl.net. She and her husband live in Brooklyn with their toddler, Bess, and baby, Sam, who are polishing up their Vaudeville act.
|
|
|
-
by Kristin Gangwer
How to make your child multi-lingual (ixnay ora-Day).
-
by Lynn Harris
Mutton busting: sport of the future?
-
by Greg Allen
Boon and Munchkin fight it out in the Target baby aisle.
|
