Muttons being busted
Tonight’s big event in the Grandstands is Bull Riding. Weeeee! Always a favorite and always guaranteed fun and unpredictability.
As something of an appetizer to the riding of the bulls, tonight’s 7:00pm show will kick off with another favorite: Mutton Bustin’.
If you aren’t familiar with this only-in-America past-time (ok, maybe it’s in Canada, too), it is a timed competition of little kids riding sheep. The kids – usually under the age of 8 or so – are placed on a woolly sheep and told to hold on tight as the sheep runs as fast as it can to join its buddies on the other side of the show ring. It’s adorable, it’s hysterical, it’s full of dirt, and it’s mostly safe.
The first run of the sheep happened today at 2:00pm. Many riders fell off within the first couple of seconds. One brave kid rode the sheep backwards and made it to tonight’s finals. Several others got style points for starting on top but then riding as a side-car.
Arrive in the Grandstands by 7:00pm tonight to see which brave woolly rider gets to go home with a trophy taller than they are.