I can probably count the times on one hand that I have been on a horse. I do enjoy a good rodeo. And yes I also can stomach a good country concert. But with this kind of resume it is hard to believe that anybody in the Esplin family can become a rodeo champ!
Unless you move to Castle Dale!
Every year Castle Dale City sponsors a kid rodeo for the community. There are stick horse races, chicken chases, and some good muttin' bustin' competitions. Up until this point we really hadn't been to one seeing as how rodeo isn't really in our genes or in our jeans. But this year we decided to give it a go.
So Parker gets his trusty stick horse that he purchased from a rodeo he went to when he was 2. Keep in mind that this horse has never lost but that of course is because it has never competed. They called out all of those in the age category of 2-4 to bring their stick horses and come to the middle of the rodeo arena. We ran down to the starting line where Parker and his baseball cap was going against real cowboys and cowgirls of Castle Dale. Being the Pro Rodeo champ that I am I gave him some pointers to "stay on the horse (meaning keep the horse between your legs) and run fast". With his addidas sneakers he ran off into the sunset as the gun went off (or somebody saying go, I was too caught up in the moment to notice).
Mom was in the grandstands videoing this historic moment. Parker got a good start and a kid sprinted out ahead of him (no worries, he didn't have a stick horse so he was just a rabbit in the race). Kids started falling into the dust a little bit but Parker kept moving forward. Nearing the finish line he was neck and neck with another girl his age when right right before the finish she falls and Parker crosses the finish line in first place thus claiming our very first Rodeo title in the Esplin family!
Having dusted his trusty stick horse off he went to the booth to claim his prize. It was $25 bucks for this buckaroo. When Jeremy Jewkes asked him what he was going to spend it on he said, "some horseshoes".
Parker was won proud baseball cap wearing, addidas shoe sporting, cowboy when he went and got congratulations from his mom and brother who were enjoying the show and later some good sno cones!
*****After reviewing the video (and it is a classic) it appears that Parker might have tripped this girl towards the finish line but after close inspection it is clear that Parker is not in the mix. It is obvious that Parker does look back when he sees her fall to which I asked him, "Why didn't you help her up?" To which came this great response from a rodeo champ "Then I wouldn't have won!"
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