Tag Archives: Crow

Sweet Nothings

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The highlight of any Indian rodeo is the Indian Relay Races. That event alone is worth traveling just about any distance to see. These races must be held out doors as the excitement generated at one of these races will simply blow the roof off any building you try to hold them in. I know, these are bold statements, but once you see one of these races you’ll be a convert. To see more about these races visit this post http://www.bigshotsnow.com/crow-fair-2015-indian-relay-races/ to see it in action.

The intensity of the races builds to a fever pitch with horses, riders and even those in the grandstand filled to the brim with frenetic energy. Sometimes the excitement gets to the point where the horse loses control and begins to act up because it wants to be out on that racetrack running its heart out. But it isn’t its time yet. It has to remain here in position so that when the relay rider comes in, it is ready for him to mount and race away, hopefully winning the race.

What you see here is a brief moment in time where the handler has an intimate quiet discussion with the horse explaining to it that it needs to remain calm. If it does it will have its chance in a second and that if it just stays calm a little longer it’ll be out on that track running like the wind and it will be the winner. A horse among horses. King of the stables. Or something like that. It was hard to hear over all the screaming from the grandstands.

Surprisingly the horse calmed right down and patiently waited for the rider to come in and make the exchange. We’d like to report that this horse and rider did win the race but unfortunately that didn’t happen. He came in second. There is only one winner in a horse race and this wasn’t this horse’s day. But there’s always the next race, the next rodeo, the next chance to be a winner. They’ll be back.

Crow Fair 2015 Rodeo

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Rodeo! This is the adrenaline rush of the Crow Fair. As usual the colors are displayed to open the rodeo, then the action gets under way. The rodeo grounds are adjacent to the Crow camp but set back off the river aways on the hot dusty plains. This seems fitting for the activities about to take place. There was no wind today thankfully, although the temp was up near 100°, but for those missing it and the wind-blown dust it carried the events occurring provided all the dust a person could want.

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The first event was steer riding which is sort of like Bull riding 101. It’s one of the events the younger riders use to graduate to riding the big bulls.

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Don’t be fooled by the smaller size of the steers. Think of it as the difference between being hit by a bus and being hit by a Yugo. They both hurt.

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While waiting for the next event to be set up one of the pickup men that work the arena salvaging cowboys and herding loose stock back into the pens, puts his horse through some fancy footwork.

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Saddle bronc riding is the event all rodeos are built around. This is where you see some of the most classic poses in Western art. Thousands of paintings and photos have been published showing cowboys pitted against bucking horses.

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The horses leap into the air in long-running jumps

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They crow-hop

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and they often convince the cowboy that the fun is over.

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But the contest goes on with each member of the event giving it their best shot.

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This seems like it could have interesting consequences as the cowboy appears to orbit around the horse.

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Sometimes it’s just time to call it a day.

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This bucking strap lying on the arena floor is a story in itself. Is the cross on the bell for the cowboy or the bull? Or both? Is it a prayer for the bull to be at his best so the rider looks good at the end of his 8 seconds or a prayer that his insurance will cover the damages. There are dozens of stories attached to this simple rig, we’ll leave it up to you to fashion the one you like best.

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With bulls there’s no fooling around. They’re ready from the moment they enter the bucking chutes. The cowboy gets on, the bull politely asks the arena men to open the door, then back up everybody, it’s about to get hairy in here.

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It’s not over when the bull bucks the cowboy off. As ar as it’s concerned there needs to be a little more stomping, and perhaps some perforation involved, then it might be done. That’s why the rodeo clowns are paying such close attention. Think of them as mediators.

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It doesn’t seem possible for the bull to contort into as many positions as it can in such a small space and in such a short period of time. But ask any bull rider, they can and do.

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They also have the ability to spring straight up into the air. That’s close to a ton of steaks leaping like a gazelle. It’s going to hurt when he lands.

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As previously noted the bull is very focused on removing the cowboy from its back. This usually doesn’t take very long as there are not a lot of completed 8 second rides. But the real fun for the bull begins when the cowboy hits the ground. Then he’s in the bulls world.

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And the bull tries to make it personal. This is what it looks like when it is bull vs. cowboy. If you are one of those who think, that doesn’t look that hard, that bull riding thing, then it is suggested you study the above image some more. Or better yet try it. With experience comes wisdom.

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The rodeo finally came to a close and it was getting dark fast. The smoke from the western fires began to move in and it felt more like an eclipse as the sun burned a deep red and slowly settled below the horizon. A fitting sight for an exciting day.

CrowHeart Butte

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As you drive up that magical highway, highway 287 which runs from Port Arthur, Texas to Choteau, Montana, you will find many amazing and curious things. As the song said “You can’t get to heaven on 287, but you can get as far, as you can get by car.” Along the way there are landmarks and geological features and places where famous and infamous events took place and this is one of them.

This is Crowheart Butte, a place famous for a huge battle that took place here in 1866. The event took place, but exactly how it played out, is still open to discussion. There are several versions of the story but the one that has the most legs is this one I’ve passed on below.

Crowheart Butte is located on the Wind River Reservation somewhat East of Dubois, Wyoming. It is the home of the Shoshone tribe but this wasn’t always the case. In 1866 the Shoshone considered the entire Wind River area their own hunting grounds and vigorously defended it from any incursions by other tribes. The Crow who chose to also hunt here disputed that fact and lay challenge to the Shoshone that they would hunt here as they pleased and the conflict took shape. There were several tribes involved, The Shoshone, the Bannock and the Crow. The Shoshone and Bannock were allied against the Crow. The battle commenced and lasted for five days during which there was great loss of life on both sides.

The chief of the Shoshone, Chief Washakie, challenged the chief of the Crow, Chief Big Robber, to a duel to the death to reduce any further loss of life on either side. The chiefs would fight on the top of the Butte and whoever was the victor would decide who the valley belonged to and the other would leave to hunt there no more forever.

The one who was victorious would cut the heart out of the other and eat it as a symbol of his strength and power. Chief Washakie was the ultimate winner and defeating Chief Big Robber did cut his heart out. This is where the stories differ. Some say he did indeed eat his opponents heart and others say that he impaled it on his lance and brought if back to prove his victory. Supposedly when asked about the incident later in his life he replied “One does reckless things when you are young.” Regardless of the ending of the story regarding what was done to Chief Big Robber’s heart, the Shoshone were now the owners of the valley which later became the Wind River reservation as it is known today.

Because he was so impressed with his enemies fighting abilities, Chief Washakie chose to give Chief Big Robbers tribal name, the Crow, to the butte and the small town that grew up near there. Crowheart butte is visible from miles away and is the prominent feature in the area. It can be seen clearly from highway 287 as you travel from amazing place to another.