I i
*^$oughest rodeo behind bars
THE BATTALION Page 11
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1977
The cowboy convicts ride again
By KEVIN VENNER
J saliva drooled from the mouth of
the 1500-pound bull as it snorted to a
Kit a few feet in front of the photo-
ITapher. The fidgety cameraman
tried to focus on the bull’s eyes, but
the angry animal was in no mood to
|se for a picture. It charged,
ilhe man scrambled toward the
fence, got one foot into the mesh and
started his ascent. But the bull had
L a dy focused on its target and hit
L man’s rear end. The man flew
Ker the fence scattering persons on
the other side. The man was unhurt,
but it was obvious the bull had taken
t |e best shot.
I This was part of the excitement in
Hie first day of competition at the
Texas Department of Corrections’
Prison Rodeo, held each Sunday of
October at 2 p.m. in Huntsville.
Ither thrills are provided by the
iwboys as they hang onto bucking
ad twisting broncos or as they are
irovvn to the arena dirt by a mass of
mscled frenzy. Spectators shift in
jeir seats as they watch the cowboys
[•rambling from beneath the hooves
nd horns of an angry bull,
i One cowboy though, doesn’t
dodge the livestock as much as
others. The leathery face and hands
of Willie Craig look as tough as the
rchaps he wears. Craig, 57, won the
1976 Top Hand award, which makes
him the oldest to have achieved the
title. He is giving the younger cow
boys some tough competition again
this year. After two Sundays, he
leads the riding divisions with two
first places in the bareback bronc and
a third place win in the saddle bronc
riding.
Craig is currently doing thirty
years at the Texas Department of
Corrections (TDC) and has missed
competing in only seven prison
rodeos since he first entered prison
in 1944. He works with livestock dur
ing the year at a prison farm, but he
says he still gets restless before rid
ing a wild animal.
“I guess I do get nervous, but I’m
always ready to sit down on it (horse
or bull). I want to see who’s going to
win. Am I going to whip it or is the
animal tougher than me?”
This is not the only reason the men
ride in the rodeo. At least 300 in
mates sign up each year to compete
with fellow prisoners and try to earn
some extra money. Others are anx
ious to break the routine of prison
life.
The list of potential cowboys is
first narrowed down by looking at the
inmates’ behavior record. TDC does
not want to take unnecessary secu
rity risks. The list is then checked for
inmates who say that they have had
freeworld rodeo experience.
“We try to choose the best,” says
Gail Monroe, public affairs coor
dinator for the TDC.
Qualifications are held on the two
weekends before the rodeo. The list
of inmates has been cut to less than
200 and divided between the north
ern and southern prison units of the
TDC. Enough stock is provided for
each of the men to ride but it is up to
each man to climb onto a horse or
bull.
Newcomers are often leery of
mounting the live time-bombs that
can send a man flying when they ex
plode from the chute. Some opt to
return to their cells without trying to
ride after they see another inmate
stomped on or thrown on his head.
This gives the veterans a chance at an
extra ride and they are eager to prac
tice before competition begins. The
action is fast and furious with inmate
“clowns” having to maneuver with
more than one bull in the arena.
By the opening Sunday, 50 in
mates are selected to ride the horses
and bulls and twenty women from
the Goree prison unit are paired into
ten teams to compete in goat roping
and the greased pig sacking contest.
Another 40 inmates called redshirts
are designated for the wild cow milk
ing contest and the exciting “hard
money” competition.
The hard money event consists of a
large bull that has a Bull Durham
tobacco sack tied between its horns.
r
ig
ity
or
rl.
lie
ng
ch
ge
Playlist
HITS
Linda Ronstadt “Simple Dreams
Fleetwood Mac “Rumours
Crosby, Stills, and Nash “CSN
James Taylor "JT
Rolling Stones “Love You Live
Foreigner “Foreigner
Rita Coolidge “Anytime.. .Anywhere
Foghat “Live
Yes “Going for the One
Doobie Brothers “Livin’ On the Fault Line
Heart “Little Queen
Chicago “Chicago XI
RISERS
Steely Dan “Aja
Stephen Bishop “Careless
Pablo Cruise “A Place In the Sun
Little River Band “Diamantina Cocktail
Firefall “Luna Sea
Styx Grand Illusion
Jean-Luc Ponty “Enigmatic Ocean
Utopia “Oops! Wrong Planet
Cheap Trick “In Color
Boston “Boston
Pure Prairie League “Live, Takin’ the Stage
Billy Joel “The Stranger
FADERS
Ted Nugent “Cat Scratch Fever
Kiss “Love Gun
Dan Fogelberg “Netherlands
Peter Frampton “I’m In You
Elvin Bishop “Raisin’ Hell
Steve Miller Band “Book of Dreams
Jimmy Buffett “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in
Attitudes
Electric Light Orchestra “A New World Record
Kenny Loggins “Celebrate Me Home
Barbra Streisand “Superman
Supertramp “Even In the Quietest Moments
Be Bop Deluxe “Live! In the Air Age
NEW ALBUMS
Racing Cars “Weekend Rendezvous
Point Blank “Second Session
Caldera “Sky Islands
Artful Dodger “Babes on Broadway
Airto “I’m Fine, How Are You?
Rory Block “Intoxication So Bitter Sweet
Zbigniev Seifert “Zbigniev Seifert
Chico Hamilton “Catwalk
Hummingbird “Diamond Nights
Nick Jameson “Already Free
The Domenic Troiano Band “Burnin’ At the Stake
Karla Bonoff “Karla Bonoff
inos
nter
Turkey Sales
Alpha Zeta, the National Agriculture Honor Society,
will be taking orders for Thanksgiving & X-mas
Smoked Turkeys, from Oct. 10 - Nov. 11. Turkeys
available in 8-10 lb. range, at $1.50/lb.
Proceeds used for student Scholarships to Service
Projects.
To place your order, call:
845-3964 on weekdays from 6-11 p.m.
PRESENTS
The Munchies’
9-12
WITH
Free Food - .50 Beer - Vfe Price Drinks
EVERY
THUR., FRI., & SAT.
4:30-7:30 C Q
(DISCO 7:30 - CLOSING)
watch tv, films, slides, play games, dance, drink
The sack has cash in it and the red-
shirt who can get the sack can keep
the money. The event is held twice
during each rodeo. The first bull car
ries $25 in the sack and during the
first rodeo this bull promptly ran
over a couple of inmates. Afterwards
other contestants were so careful
that the 5-minute time limit ran out
before another inmate would even
get close to the bull.
“That’s all boys,” said announcer
Bill Bailey, who works with radio sta
tion KENR in Houston. But one in
mate didn’t like the idea of the bull
keeping the money and ran toward it
to grab the sack. The bull knocked
him down and almost gored him.
The inmate lost interest in the
money and tried to get up and run
but fell in front of the bull. The bull
hit the man again and the man coiled
up in the dirt and lay motionless.
Clowns and inmates distracted the
bull while others ran toward the
man, but the man uncoiled, got to his
feet and was one of the first out of the
arena.
A bigger and meaner bull is used
for the second hard money event of
each rodeo. It carries $50 between
its horns plus any unclaimed cash
from preceding events A nice incen
tive, but not a nice bull. This is the
bull that tossed the photographer
over the fence during the first day of
competition.
If you’re still not convinced the
hard money event is rough business,
ask Jimmy McCombs, who is lying in
John Sealy Hospital in Galveston
with a fractured skull, how rough it
is. McCombs was trampled by a bull
in last Sunday’s first hard money
event.
Danny Fleming wasn’t stomped
by a bull, but you won’t be able to
recognize the handsome baby face of
this 20-year-old inmate. The 6-foot
blond wears grease paint on his face
and a clown’s hat. This is Fleming’s
first year with the rodeo and he is
proud to have been selected as one of
five inmate clowns.
Fleming says he knew the compe
tition for rodeo clown was going to be
tough. So when he went to the qual
ification events he was determined
to show the officials he was willing to
risk injury to himself in order to pre
vent fellow inmates from being hurt.
But no cowboys were getting into
any trouble so Fleming started swat
ting at a bull with a broom, running
around it and keeping the bull’s at
tention. He began to tire though and
the bull started coming closer to him
with each pass until finally he tried to
cut away from the bull, slipped and
caught a horn in the back.
He says that he was sore for a
week, but he thinks the incident may
have been a factor in the officials’
decision to allow him to participate
in the rodeo. The inmate clowns are
paid $7 a day and work under the
supervision of two freeworld profes
sional clowns.
The cowboys don’t get paid unless
they place first, second or third in
one of the riding events. The bull
and saddle bronc winners for each
Sunday receive $52.50, $36.50 and
$28 respectively. Bareback bronc
winners get $50, $35 and $28 each
rodeo and the overall money winner
for the month of October will be
named Top Hand. He will receive an
engraved gold and silver belt buckle
acclaiming him “All Around, 1977.”
Belt buckles will also be presented to
the top money winner of each major
riding category.
The cowboys tend to the business
of preparing their gear for a ride,
unless one of the inmates spots an
attractive woman in the stands.
Ropes are checked and resin applied
to gloves, saddles, chaps and ropes to
provide a better grip for the rider.
Many of the innates have their own
gear from working at the TDC farms
and most of the cowboys with chaps
have made their own or designed
SENIORS
Check Our
Special Prices
On
Boot Pictures
University
Studio
115 College Main-Northgate
846-8019
Samson **
George Ann Hoke, Judy Fondy,
Kathy Grimes, Vickie Matthews,
Judy McCann.
(not pictured: Jane Kroll)
PROFESSIONAL
HAIR
DESIGN
1510 Holleman
College Station
693-1772
SEBRING
The Best Pizza in Town (Honest)
presents
THE BEST CONTEST IN TOWN (HONEST)
WIN $ 100.
If you’re a protege of Jimmy-the-Greek, have infinite psychic
powers, or just want to have some fun, come by Wednesday
night between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. When you pickup your order
we’ll mark your guess of the A&M vs. Baylor score, on your ticket.
(KTAM will be here broadcasting live, so bring a group and we’ll
let you tell the world how bad A&M is going to beat Baylor.) At
11:00 p.m. we will draw 50 guesses. The closest guess to Sats.
actual score will cash-in on $100.
Need not be present to win, no purchase necessary, rules on display at Mr. G’s.
them and had the chaps made at the
leather shop at a prison unit. If they
don’t have their own gear, they bor
row it.
When the riding begins, the
casual talk stops and all eyes are on
their fellow inmate. They cheer each
other on and enjoy seeing someone
stay on for the 8 second time limit.
When one of the cowboys is thrown,
the other riders are silent but you
can hear the announcer Bailey quip,
“Ah, too bad for that cowboy today.
but he’s got the rest of his life to come
back and try again.”
And try again they do. Each year
50 inmates strip their regular white
uniforms and don the traditional
convict black and white stripes. It’s
all part of the show and the inmates
don’t mind the jokes...much. One
rider said, “Even if we didn’t like the
things they say and do, we re not in
much of a position to do anything
about it. Besides, we could always go
back to the unit if we don’t like some
thing, but it’s better to be here.”
Elephant survives trip
United Press International
HOUSTON — A 9,000-pound In
dian elephant Tuesday broke from a
downtown parade, sideswiped sev
eral cars and slammed into two
buildings before being brought
under control by a 100-pound pa-
trolwoman.
Ten patrol cars gave chase as Big
Lydia fled through an open garage
door at Jack Carswell & Co. funeral
home, where officers said she be
came lodged between a hearse and a
parked car.
Witnesses said she tore up the fu
neral home garage and “left a horri
ble mess” before bolting back out
side to meet Officer Wanda Boehm,
who simply grabbed the elephant by
the trunk, settling her.
“I don’t know how to make out an
elephant-fixed object report, a traf
fic officer complained afterward. “1
can see no possible violation on the
part of the elephant.”
Carl Bussells
~iamond Room
Our Intelligent
Approach to
Large Diamonds
is applied to even
our smallest
Diamonds.
MEMBER AMERICAN GEM SOCIi l'i
3732 E. 29th
Town & Country Center
846-4708
I
The HOME of the
$ 2 00 Steak
All Day 11:00 a.m.-ll:00 p.m
7 Days a Week
STEAK HOUSE
I
|
i
Sizzlin Jr.
Sirloin Steak, Baked
Potato or F.F. or Hash
Browns, Texas Toast
plus coffee, tea, or
soft drink.
Round-Up
Steak on a Stick, with
or without mushroom
gravy. Baked Potato or
F.F. or Hash Browns,
Texas Toast plus
coffee, tea, or soft
drink.
%
Your Choice: *1"
for Lunch or Dinner
1701 S. Texas Ave. Bryan
READY
FOR
FALL
TM
WINTER
Mens
and Boys
Heavy Denim
JEANS s 8.99
Values to $16
BOYS JEANS $ 5.99
Assorted pocket
stylos. Lengths
to 38 long.
Mens
^and Boys
RUGBY SHIRTS
$ 7.99
BOYS *5.99
Insnlatood, 100%
Fortrnl polyostor,
assorted stripes.
LADIES
BLOUSES
100% G00SED0WN
JACKETSGVESTS
Reversible *44*
(Reg. S00)
Reg. Jacket *39
(Reg. SM)
Vests *24**
(Reg. $46)
Men’s Brushed Denim
SPORT JACKET
(Reg. $45) *16
NAMt'BffaWP.CtOTKlMC
Mon-Sat. 10-6
itsz mu m.
(CROSS F*0N a CHICO