Kids make the best crash-test dummies, they’re flexible, have very little motor control, and their permanent teeth haven’t grown in yet. So watching kids wipe out, I mean totally eat it, is awesome; there’s all the glory of the hard landing but with little to no permanent repercussions. Well my friends, Milli Vanilli wasn’t the only awesome can’t-take-your-eyes-off-it train wreck to come out of the 80’s, let me introduce you to mutton busting – or as I like to call it – Kid-Crash-Bonanza. For those unfamiliar with mutton busting, it’s a rodeo sport where little children are sat on sheep and told to hang on as long as they can.* There are prizes for the kids who stay on the longest, but everyone we saw ended up on their face.
No, adults are not allowed to ride the sheep (even if they promise to be gentle), so, more than likely, you are out of contention of the mutton busing blue ribbon. However, just because mutton busting wasn’t around when you were a kid doesn’t mean you miss out, there are literally years and years of elegibility for your children, grand-children, and possibly grand-children’s children. While I think just any old kid hitting the dirt is pretty funny, I bet there is a special humor, a pride filled joviality, to watching one of your own kin get slung to the ground by a sheep.
I know what you’re thinking, “where can I behold such a wonderus sporting event?” The rodeo. More specifically, this particular set of photos came from our trip to the annual summer long Snowmass Rodeo, totally worth the trip. If you make it out to Snowmass, an evening at the rodeo is actually a great family event, with a petting zoo, really good BBQ, barrel racing, bull riding, and, yes, mutton busting galore.
*Now, my first reaction was very similar to many of yours, “What about the poor sheep?”. There are weight limits in place and, at least at the Snowmass Rodeo, it seemed like those in charge were more worried about the safety of the sheep than that of the children.
This post is a part of Budget Travelers Sandbox, Travel Photo Thursday. Make sure to check out the other bloggers photos too!
