| Cowtown Ft. Worth , TX |
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Fort Worth is a great place to learn about the history of cattle ranching. We got detailed information at the Cattle Raisers Museum, dressed up and got into the spirit of things at the Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History, and whooped it up at the Cowtown Coliseum for a evening of rodeo. Harrison, Amanda and our friend, Bobby, got a real feel for this era of the Great West. We came away with an appreciation for the hard work required in the demanding ranching industry. Today's ranchers are no less dedicated or hardworking than the cowboys of past generations. "Texas was a heaven for men and dogs but a hell for women and oxen." --Noah Smithwick, Texas pioneer |
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"Bobby and I dressed up and pretended to be the cooks for a cattle drive. We made biscuits, potatoes and corn on the cob. We also lassoed some cows on a fake horse. I rode side-saddle in a dress."--Amanda |
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"Sidesaddles were used for women to go on horses with dresses on. It wasn't considered modest for a woman to have her legs open on a horse, or to wear pants. The first real cowgirls wore pants that looked like skirts so they could ride on regular saddles."--Amanda |
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"You have to ride around three barrels, one at a time, and not knocking them over. The rider gets five seconds added to her time when she knocks over a barrel. It didn't look easy, because you had to go very fast, and it looked hard to steer the horses around the barrels. The horses must have been pretty smart, too. I liked the steer wrestling and bull riding a lot, too." -- Bobby |
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"The bull riding competition was the main event at the rodeo, and it looked like the toughest. The goal was to ride the bucking bull for at least eight seconds, having one hand in the air. If he falls off before the eight seconds, he gets no score. If he does make it, the bull and the rider are given up to 50 points each, and the two numbers are added up." -- Harrison |
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Cowtown
is a title given to any town that came to life as a stop on one of the
cattle trails. Fort Worth, Texas, is the most famous of all, and is
the only place you can find a daily cattle drive. Stockyards Station
is home to the Fort Worth Herd of longhorns, which are driven through
the streets twice each day. The skill of handling cattle, which was
once a way of life for many improverished cowboys, is now a tourist
attraction.
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