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The
Pickup Men 
One of the Longhorn Rodeo's skilled pickup men, rescues another
cowboy during the saddle bronc competition. Longhorn's two pickup men
are involved with every contestant in every event except the cowgirls
barrel racing. The busiest men in the arena during every performance,
with the possible exception of the judges, are unsung heroes -- the
pickup men. They serve as the rescue squad for the cowboys in the
bareback and saddle bronc competition in addition to ushering the
calves, steers and ornery bulls from the arena after each contestant
has his run. The only time they catch a break in the action is during
the cowgirls barrel racing. There's no prize money at stake for the
rodeo pickup men. To the contestants, the two cowboys on the
dependable, well-trained horses can be essential to survival. While
their job appears, on the surface, to be fairly simple, it requires a
wide array of real cowboy skills. They have to help bareback or
saddle bronc riders safely to the ground. The fact that the bareback
or saddle bronc is kicking wildly while unpredictably spinning and
bucking with all its strength just adds a little challenge to the
job. For the cowboy who is inadvertently entangled in the rigging on
his savagely thrashing mount, the pickup men are manna from heaven.
It's the job of the two pickup men to quickly free the trapped
contestant -- a job that requires a mixture of skill, determination,
bravery and occasionally a dose of luck as well. It's a job fraught
with occupational hazards that requires years of practical livestock
handling experience coupled with a heavy dose of rodeo knowledge.
Both Longhorn Rodeo pickup men have been rodeo performers in the past
and know first hand just what each participant is dealing with. The
job of the pickup men isn't over when the final saddle bronc rider
has been eased to the ground. They remain in the arena skillfully
driving the steers and calves to holding pens after each cowboy
competes. Their final challenge of the program comes during the bull
riding when they must haze the massive brutes from the arena after
each contestant's ride. A strategic crack or two of a 16-foot
bullwhip often eliminates the necessity of roping and towing one of
these cantankerous animals out of the arena. |
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