CLOTHES ARE WORN FOR A PURPOSE
THE COWBOY’S CLOTHES
A generation ago the East knew the cowboy as a bloody demon of disaster, reckless and rowdy, weighted down with “six guns,” wearing a ten-gallon hat, bright silk shirt, woolly chaps and clanking spurs. Today, except for his hat, high-heeled boots and spurs, you’ll find few cowboys in complete regalia except on show days at the rodeo.
Nowadays, the cowboy wears each garment “a-purpose.” For example:
| CHAPS | are worn primarily to protect his legs from high brush, cold wind and rain. |
| SPURS | are not worn for ornament, neither are they worn to punish; the cowboy uses them as “reminders” to help him control his horse and urge it to quick action. |
| STETSON | the wide-brimmed, high-crowned hat is an earmark of the West, has “six times a dozen” everyday uses. It serves as shade, protection from the elements, a drinking cup for horse and rider, and when waved it’s extremely handy to turn stock. |
| BOOTS | high-heeled boots are a mark of distinction, the sign of a riding man. The high heels keep his feet from slipping through the stirrups. The heels also serve as an aid on the ground, allowing the cowboy to dig in when he is throwing his rope or holding stock. |
| GUNS | the cowboy “totes a gun” only for protection against Nature’s hazards to his work. The days of the “two-gun man” and the “quick-draw artist” have been relegated to the realm of the Wild West story and movie. |
A cowboy’s working clothes usually consist of sturdy Levis, high-heeled boots, “Stetson” hat, heavy shirt, and chaps when needed.
CALF ROPING
A COWBOY’S WORK IS ALSO HIS FUN
The rodeo is purely and exclusively a cowboy’s sport. In fact, it is a popular sport which originated in America. At first it was simply a demonstration of the cowboy’s skill, usually performed before other cowboys. Contesting naturally followed and, of course, such thrilling exhibitions of skill and courage soon attracted more and more spectators. Today, rodeos are national and international events. Experts in bronc riding, calf roping, steer wrestling and bull riding often pocket prize money amounting to as much as $35,000 in a year.