110. Wickenburg Stable

Gary

     The next morning by the time we got ourselves outside Gary was feeding and tending to the resident horses.   Immediately we liked him, a warm friendly cowboy, he has to be a cowboy and a good one at that, he's wearing a white hat.    As he walked us over to meet our neighbors he told us about the area.   It seems that luck had brought us to the team roping capital of the world and people migrate here in the winter to participate,  there are at least 5 arenas within 12 miles and one right at the end of main street Wickenburg.   Our new neighbors were Bob and Marilyn and their two horses from Oregon, we started asking our stock questions.  "How long have you been coming here and how do you like the winters?"  they loved it and around 4 years I believe was the answer.  Our questions hopefully will help us find out if  this is the area for future winter trips.     

Lining up a putt or roping?

Gary made us feel welcome and talked about a get together or BBQ while we were here.  Today he was entertaining his son who was visiting, tonight they were going to see a hockey match before he returns to Reno.  We didn't wander far for a couple of days, I must have gotten a little run down on our cold trip down here,  a low grade fever and no energy, some rest and high doses of vitamins, by Monday I was feeling much better.

Definitely neighbor Bob ropin'

     One morning Gary and I were visiting about roping I asked if I could use one of his ropes to practice on the practice steer ( a bale of straw with horns, seemed harmless enough.) He asked if I roped?   I told him at times I have to rope the horses I'm training. Then I gave him a readers digest version of this story.  The only time I roped another animal from horse back I was young, not yet a  teenager.  Living in a rural area I spent many hours exploring the 80 acres of dense woods and pasture land on our family farm.  I'm sure many of my trips to the woods sent my mind to all sort of explorations and adventure.  On this occasion I was riding a very small quarter horse, so I feel confident that I was a cowboy on this adventure.  My saddle was a small western, single cinch and I carried a lariat fastened to the saddle horn (second mistake)  We had climbed a very steep hill probably scouting for buffalo, the hill covered with mature trees, brush, animal trails and rocks.  I came upon my fathers Holstein cows resting and enjoying the shade of the woods.  I can't recall my exact thoughts at that moment, let me see, I'm a cowboy, I'm on a horse, There's the steers (okay cows), why not.  I know I roped a big one, a full grown dairy cow probably because it was slow or resting.  You know sometimes you just don't think ahead

Michelle watched him practice one day says "he never misses."

to the next step.  As soon as that rope encircled its neck it was not slow or resting anymore.  It headed downhill dragging the cowboy and horse behind.  My pony had never been tied to a cow before, especially one that probably out weighed her.  Within a few steps the trailing duo were on the ground being drug through the brush.  I must have been thrown free when my horse went down or I probably wouldn't be writing this today.    Now you have a milk cow forging down the hill not bothering to go around brush, straight line down the hill, the rope around her neck tied to a saddle dragging a buckskin horse on its side and a somewhat slight cowboy chasing them thru the thickets.   It seemed like  I chased them for a long time thinking the worse for my precious horse (no concern for the cow, sorry.) however it was probably only a short distance the cow must have turned to follow a trail, at that point the rope went around a tree wedging the horse and saddle up against it.   I was able to get the rope off the cow, checked my horse over (I'm not sure if she ever forgave me.) and continued on my ride.   I never roped from horse back again and since we all survived felt it wasn't necessary to tell my father about the incident.  Gary gave me one of his old lariats to use, he must have figured I could use the practice. 

     For the next 21 days we were immersed in team roping,   Mornings we would wake up to see Gary, Bob and Marylyn or one of the other roper's trailering their horses from the stable to an event or practice.  We were out west and I was loving it.  Even the Laundromat had a life size picture of Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, John Wayne and a sign warning you not to wash your saddle blanket in the washers. 
     One morning Gary told us to jump in his truck.   A short drive down Wickenburg main street and we were at the downtown area.  Had I known more about the sport I would have realized how fortunate we were to be here on this day.  Besides the normal Wickenburg resident and visiting winter  roper's their were high caliber professionals using this event as practice for the National finals rodeo coming up in Las Vegas.  One of the teams was Jake Barnes and Junior Nigeria.  This is what I have learned about this team.  Their story is the stuff movies are made of.   Junior was born in Brazil learning to rope from his father. With a dream of someday roping in the United States.  That dream came true when he came over for a visit in 2013 with $500 in his pocket and no rope.  He met one of his roping idols seven time world team roping champion and member of the pro rodeo hall of fame, Jack Barnes.  Barns came out of retirement to team with Junior and in this Juniors rookie year they are heading for the National Finals Rodeo.  Quite a feat, kind of like starting a new football team and competing in the super bowl the first year.    It was a great morning and thanks to Gary's patience we learned much about team roping that day. 
     After a few days I checked my Craigslist ad and found out all the posts had been deleted,  trying to figure out what was wrong I reloaded one in Phoenix with out the blog address on it.  That must have been the problem because that night I got an inquiry from a Jaime in Glendale.  We took a ride down to check out the situation.  We will call them the mystery horses.   Jaime and her husband Ted had purchased them many months prior with the understanding that the seller would not only train the horses to ride, and also the new owners to ride and care for the horses.  Unfortunately after the money changed hands, the seller disappeared.  This was a match made in heaven.  We were given the choice of staying in their home or a motorhome parked on their property.  This looks to be a fortunate meeting for all of us.  We made arrangements to return after our Christmas trip back home, move in and train both horses and riders.  This should be a more stable winter trip for us, we will have a base to return to as we do short trips out to explore the south west.
     December 1st,  Back in Wickenburg we decided to check out the downtown area.  We parked  across from our stopping point on the very first day.  I found out my "homeless" man was one of several statues located around town with audio telling the history of this unique village.  This one was representing the "jail tree" , they used to chain prisoners to it until they sobered up or did their time.   Ruthie found it quite humorous when I confessed that I thought it was a homeless man sitting by the tree.  I'm not going to mention any names however I know at last one other fella from Minnesota thought he was real. This is what our friend Randy would refer to as a "walk about town" lots of things to see do and visit within a few blocks.  We visited the Desert Caballero Western museum, besides having a very complete western art and bronze collection it gave a glimpse not only into the founding of Wickenburg but this area of the southwest came to life.  In the lower area they had recreated how the original town would have looked.  Henry Wickenburg immigrated from Prussia (interesting to me because that's where I've been told my ancestors came from. ).  Many legends about his past and how he came to this area however the one thing we know is he discovered the Vulture mine which was one of the richest mines every found.  Unfortunately he sold it before its true value was known.  He still went on to be quite successful with an orchard on his ranch.    A dam had been built upstream on the Hassayampa river  to provide water for placer mining and crop irrigation.   It was built out of rocks strategically placed, their were two flaws with this dam the amount of rocks used in the dam area and the spillway was to small.    In 1890 It rained for 3 days up steam because of the 

"Thanks for the rain"

small spillway water started flowing over the dam.  The story goes that they sent a blacksmith as a courier to warn the residents below.   He got as far as the local saloon and never made it any further.   When the Damn broke at two am on February 21st it was the most water every released from a dam.    In the box canyon the water was 80 feet high and even 30 miles downstream in Wickenburg it was 40 feet high.  Somewhere between seventy to 100 people perished that day. (who says alcohol wont kill you.)  Can you imagine seeing a hearing a wall of water coming toward you and your loved ones?  Mr Wickenburg's orchard was destroyed as was much of the area's rich topsoil washed away.  He and others filed a lawsuit against the owners of the dam, no claims were ever paid and in 1905 he used his colt revolver to end his life.    The Walnut grove dam disaster is still known as Arizona's worst disaster.   One of the features that made this museum so interesting was the live narration you carried with you, it told you in as much detail as you desired at each exhibit.  One of the displays that caught Ruthies eye was in the days before indoor bathrooms it was the child's duty to empty the chamber pot each morning, she said her and sister Bonnie used to carry the chamber pot and cover up to their great grandmothers room, as a reward they each received a cherry hump candy.  Strange the things you remember.  The display also mentioned that little boys were in dresses until their 5th birthday when they got pants.  The bedroom also showed a bed frame with ropes woven thru the frame, it was common practice to tighten the ropes on the bed, hence the phrase sleep tight.   They placed the four bed posts in cans filled with water to keep insects out.  One of the things that always irritates me is the no photographs rule in museums.   As a result I will mention two displays that caught my eye that I wish I could share a photograph of, the first is Kim Obrzut's Hopi art the sculptures lines are flowing and comforting I looked at them for some time.   The other is a bronze by Arizonian artist Bill Nebeker entitled "If Horses could talk".   While there were many famous bronzes depicting the old west on display.   This one incorporates a little humor.  It shows a cowboy sitting on a rock ledge using binoculars to scan the horizon for his prey.  Behind him his  horse is peering over the other side of the rock ledge watching as the prized game sneaks away.  Look them up I think you will enjoy them.    I decided there was so much to see and do in Wickenburg that I will do another post while here. 



Neighbors Marylyn, Bob and Palomino watching Gary do a turn.