This work celebrates a great national pastime and tradition. Taking the reader ""behind the chutes"", Wayne Wooden and Gavin Ehringer reveal the essential character of rodeo culture today and show why it retains such a strong hold on the American imagination. As the authors detail, contemporary rodeo has evolved into a much publicised big-time phenomenon even as it strives to stay close to its fundamental cowboy roots. The Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) now sanctions 750 to 800 annual rodeos, worth more than 22 million dollars in prize money, attended by nearly 20 million spectators, and watched by millions more on ESPN and TNN. The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) alone offers more than two million dollars in prize money and is attended by 170,000 spectators in Las Vegas every December. Filled with telling anecdotes and insightful observations, the book highlights rodeo's glamour and glory, hazards and hardships, while clarifying its many dimensions as sport, profession, business, community event, family tradition, and pop cultural icon. Bareback and bull riders, calf ropers and steer wrestlers, barrel racers and saddle bronc busters, bullfighters and arena clowns, stock breeders and local organisers, judges and journalists, the famous and aspiring, winners and losers - all are given their due in a work that reflects the enormous allure and demands of rodeo life. Based on research and interviews conducted at the National Finals, as well as at rodeos large and small in San Francisco, Denver, Houston, Cheyenne, Calgary, Dodge City, Pendleton, and Prescott, among many others, ""Rodeo in America"" provides a guide for aficionados and novices alike.

For today's horse owner, a truck and trailer are as essential as a saddle and bridle. A proper rig greatly expands a rider's horizons. Riding in the isolation of a home arena or on nearby trails gets old fast. Soon enough, the rider wants to venture out and enjoy riding, with other horse people. For that the horse person needs comfortable, reliable, and safe transportation. This booklet details how to find the right truck and trailer for the particular horse person's needs and budget. Also, it offers good advice on properly selecting, using, and maintaining the equipment. Much of the information is intended for the novice horse hauler, someone who hasn't spent a lot of time behind the wheel of a truck and horse trailer. Divided into two sections, "The Rig" guides you through some basic knowledge: how to choose a tow vehicle, how to mate it with a trailer, and how to keep both on the road. Also covered are advantages of gas versus diesel engines, gearing, cooling, optional equipment, and different types of trailer-hitch designs. The second section, "On the Road Again and Again and Again," delves into the subjects of trailer loading, trailer handling, and over-the-road safety. Other topics include truck and trailer "lingo," equipment maintenance, and trailer storage.

A thought-provoking and surprising book that explores the ever-evolving relationship between humans and domesticated animals.The domestication of animals changed the course of human history. But what are the consequences for these animals who have abandoned their wild existence in exchange for our care and protection? Domestication has proven to be a wildly successful survival strategy, but this success has not been without its drawbacks. A modern dairy cow’s daily energy output equals that of a Tour de France rider. Feral cats overpopulate urban areas. And our methods of breeding horses and dogs have resulted in debilitating and sometimes lethal genetic diseases. But these problems and more can be addressed, if we have the will and the compassion. Human values and choices determine an animal’s lot in life even before he or she is born. Just as a sculptor’s hands shape clay, so human values shape our animals—for good and or evil. The little-examined, yet omnipresent act of breeding lies at the core of Gavin Ehringer’s eye-opening book.

This work celebrates a great national pastime and tradition. Taking the reader ""behind the chutes"", Wayne Wooden and Gavin Ehringer reveal the essential character of rodeo culture today and show why it retains such a strong hold on the American imagination. As the authors detail, contemporary rodeo has evolved into a much publicised big-time phenomenon even as it strives to stay close to its fundamental cowboy roots. The Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) now sanctions 750 to 800 annual rodeos, worth more than 22 million dollars in prize money, attended by nearly 20 million spectators, and watched by millions more on ESPN and TNN. The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) alone offers more than two million dollars in prize money and is attended by 170,000 spectators in Las Vegas every December. Filled with telling anecdotes and insightful observations, the book highlights rodeo's glamour and glory, hazards and hardships, while clarifying its many dimensions as sport, profession, business, community event, family tradition, and pop cultural icon. Bareback and bull riders, calf ropers and steer wrestlers, barrel racers and saddle bronc busters, bullfighters and arena clowns, stock breeders and local organisers, judges and journalists, the famous and aspiring, winners and losers - all are given their due in a work that reflects the enormous allure and demands of rodeo life. Based on research and interviews conducted at the National Finals, as well as at rodeos large and small in San Francisco, Denver, Houston, Cheyenne, Calgary, Dodge City, Pendleton, and Prescott, among many others, ""Rodeo in America"" provides a guide for aficionados and novices alike.

For today's horse owner, a truck and trailer are as essential as a saddle and bridle. A proper rig greatly expands a rider's horizons. Riding in the isolation of a home arena or on nearby trails gets old fast. Soon enough, the rider wants to venture out and enjoy riding, with other horse people. For that the horse person needs comfortable, reliable, and safe transportation. This booklet details how to find the right truck and trailer for the particular horse person's needs and budget. Also, it offers good advice on properly selecting, using, and maintaining the equipment. Much of the information is intended for the novice horse hauler, someone who hasn't spent a lot of time behind the wheel of a truck and horse trailer. Divided into two sections, "The Rig" guides you through some basic knowledge: how to choose a tow vehicle, how to mate it with a trailer, and how to keep both on the road. Also covered are advantages of gas versus diesel engines, gearing, cooling, optional equipment, and different types of trailer-hitch designs. The second section, "On the Road Again and Again and Again," delves into the subjects of trailer loading, trailer handling, and over-the-road safety. Other topics include truck and trailer "lingo," equipment maintenance, and trailer storage.

A thought-provoking and surprising book that explores the ever-evolving relationship between humans and domesticated animals.The domestication of animals changed the course of human history. But what are the consequences for these animals who have abandoned their wild existence in exchange for our care and protection? Domestication has proven to be a wildly successful survival strategy, but this success has not been without its drawbacks. A modern dairy cow’s daily energy output equals that of a Tour de France rider. Feral cats overpopulate urban areas. And our methods of breeding horses and dogs have resulted in debilitating and sometimes lethal genetic diseases. But these problems and more can be addressed, if we have the will and the compassion. Human values and choices determine an animal’s lot in life even before he or she is born. Just as a sculptor’s hands shape clay, so human values shape our animals—for good and or evil. The little-examined, yet omnipresent act of breeding lies at the core of Gavin Ehringer’s eye-opening book.