Published: August 18, 2007 05:55 pm            

Rodeo bucks into action

Jason Moore knew a little about cowboys. Not a lot, but some. After all, he’d seen the western shows on television and at the movies and had even gone to rodeos while he was growing up in East St. Louis, Mo.

He knew a little about cowboys, but never gave much thought to being one.

But Friday night Moore got his chance as a member of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary rodeo team for the 67th annual Oklahoma State Prison Rodeo in McAlester.

“This is a new experience, a whole new lifetime,” he said as he waited for the rodeos opening ceremonies to end. “I’ve been watching cowboys all my life and now I get a chance to be one, at least for a little while.”

Moore had drawn a bull for the Mad Scramble, a traditional show starter for the Oklahoma Prison Rodeo. Alternating chutes were filled with either a bronc or a bull, all of which would be released at the same time and a wild melee of flying hooves, dust and cowboys.

“I’m pumped,” he said. “I ain’t never ridden in a rodeo before. I’ve watched ’em, but I ain’t never ridden in one.

“This is a whole new lifetime.”

Like many of the inmate riders, Moore didn’t last very long once the chute gates opened. Two jumps and he was down on the ground, scrambling to get out of the way of the big bull he’d drawn — an other animals pounding the arena floor nearby.

But as the evening wore on, some of the inmate riders proved they could hang on to their animals, with one, Jackie Brannon Correctional Center’s James Nelson, turning in the top score of the night: an 89 in the second round of the bull riding event. Kunta Kinte Ford, of the John Lilley Correction Center, hung on tight even when his bull fell over and pinned his leg beneath it. Taylor Shilling, of the Jim E. Hamilton Correctional Center, had the crowd roaring with delight when he not only stuck to his bull in the event’s first round, but fanned the animal with his hat until the buzzer rang and he piled off.

Bronc riding also had the crowd roaring as Jones native Darrell Winters scored the highest of the night with an 83 for the Joseph Harp Correctional Center. Also representing Joseph Harp, Eufaula native Chris Clawson had won the approval of the crowd but just couldn’t hang on to reach the buzzer. The same was true for Eddie Warrior Correctional Center’s Tina Chinchilla, who lost a boot several jumps before she lost her seat on the bucking horse.

On the professional side, McAlester resident Tommy Cook led the steer wrestling Friday night, with a time of 3.7 he’d scored in slack competition. Colby Stufflebean, of McAlester, and Dwayne Dowdy, of Union City, Tenn., were at a tie for second and third with a 4.0, also scored during slack.

Stringtown resident Jessi Eagleberger set the top time in barrels Friday night, posting a 17.427, while Glenn Johnson, Okmulgee, led the way in calf roping with an 8.1 scored in slack.

Contact Doug Russell at drussell@mcalesternews.com.

        

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