This will be a big ol’ roundup, the likes of which you haven’t seen here before.

So circle the wagons, settle around the fire, and grab yourself some cornbread while you slog on through these.

The National Western Stock Show has come to an end. Sadly.

I love walking down the main drag here in Denver and seeing people in Wranglers and cowboy hats moseying around.

I love knowing that only 30 minutes from my house there’s a big coliseum full of horses and cows, sheep, chickens and a very, “old West” sort of culture all ready to be explored and discovered.

The Stock Show is a chance to fully embrace all that the West and Colorado has to offer. It’s a tradition that we don’t all get to tap into very often, but one that should certainly be celebrated.

Below are many, many frames from my 2011 Stock Show wanderings. This will wrap up “Stock Show week.” I hope it will give you an accurate (admittedly scattered) picture of what the Stock Show has to offer.

Oh, and the title up there, really has nothing to do with what you’re about to see. No cowboys were harmed in the making of this post. (Not by me anyway. It was the buckin’ bronco’s fault. No really.) Although, some cowboys you see will be wearing spurs. The post title is just an old cowboy saying (found here) which seemed fitting. Well, more funny than fitting.

And because I enjoyed several of them so much, there will be more interspersed below.

So brace yourself.

“Don’t interfere with something that ain’t botherin’ you none.”

This is where all the rodeo magic happens.

“Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.”

“Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.“

“If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there with ya.“

(The miniature hereford show.)

The location of horse jumping.

Horse jumping competition.

The beginning of the rodeo.

“Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.“

(The team roping competition.)

“Talk slowly, think quickly.“

“Look, Mom, I got one!”

“There never was a horse that couldn’t be rode;
Never was a cowboy who couldn’t be throwed.“

“When you’re throwin’ your weight around, be ready to have it thrown around by somebody else.“

“Sometimes you get and sometimes you get got.“

(This is the barrel that one of the rodeo clowns hides in during the bull riding. They use it to distract the bull once the cowboy has either dismounted, or been thrown, from the bull. The clown will drop down inside of it, and then – if necessary – take the bone jarrin’ hit of a full-grown bull ramming into it.)

The big finale to the rodeo. A little goofy, yes, but still pretty horses.

And scene.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this disjointed look at the Stock Show. We’re 50 weeks away from next year’s Show, but there’s no harm in planning ahead. So put it on your calendar and come on out. It’s an experience.

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learnt something from yesterday.“

-the inscription on John Wayne’s headstone