Casa Grande Cowboy and Indians Days

Cowboy and Indians Days was a week long rodeo event held in Casa Grande in February.  Different events were held each day; participants included cowboys from both the US and Canada, and Indians from various Native American tribes.  The day we went was "Ranch Rodeo" day, where the riders were teams of individuals from actual working ranches around the area.

   The day started with shooting, where riders on horseback rode through a prepared course and had to shoot balloons mounted on posts along the way. These were timed events, and points earned or lost depending on how many balloons broke and whether the course was followed correctly.

   After this event, the rodeo "zamboni" (little blue tractor with a drag behind) smoothed the field.  Other events that afternoon included catching a wild horse, putting a saddle on and riding it to a finish line; roping calves from a herd and pretending to brand them; catching two calves and loading them in a trailer; wild bronco riding, and finally, roping a wild cow and milking it.

    Lunch was served from a circle of "chuck wagons"...each wagon had a slightly different menu but all had to include beef, beans,and biscuits.
 
 This was a different sort of rodeo to watch, but the events were entertaining.