Ridin' , ropin' and Rowdy

Mother said yesterday she wants to go to the rodeo this year. I'm planning to find out how much it costs and what we can do to get her there without a lot of hassle. If it looks good, I'll make sure she gets to see tonight's show. If we're lucky, Rowdy Buechner might even be there taking on a bronc or two.

My sister, Laurie, taught Rowdy when he was a sixth grader at Farmin School. She remembered him as the same polite young man who walked up to Mother and me last year in Old Tucson.

"You from Idaho?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"You from Sandpoint?" he continued.

"Yeah," I said.

"Well, I'm Rowdy Buechner," he announced.

Instant recognition of the name made this encounter even more fascinating.

"I've never met you, but I've heard of you," I said. "I'm Marianne Love."

"I know," he said. Rowdy and I had never met during my time at Sandpoint High School, but I'd definitely heard his name a time or two. With this familiarity, we immediately started comparing notes. We were there to get out of Sandpoint in February and see some sunshine. He was there because he was competing in the Tucson rodeo. We learned he was a bareback rider on the PRCA circuit. I later asked him if I could do a column about him---to which he agreed.

Since writing that column last year, I've kept track of Rowdy on a PRCA standings website. Last week, he ranked 11th in the nation. This week he slipped to 14th. My sister tells me that if he remains in the top 15, he'll be able to compete at the National Finals Rodeo in December.

My interviews with Rowdy revealed the tough life these wholesome young athletes live. From the rodeo action, it's back to the road action---and lots of it. They put in thousands and thousands of miles each year chasing the weekend rodeos, often commuting between competing events in the same geographical location. It might be Friday night in one town, Saturday afternoon in another and then a race back for the evening show in the first venue.

Rowdy rides the road with the big names of the PRCA bareback circuit---Will Lowe and Clint Cannon. I think their influence and his determination to succeed at his chosen sport are making a difference in his standings. I feel confident we'll be watching him one of these days on TV when the National Finals makes its week-long run.

For now, I'm hoping he's in Sandpoint tonight because that would really give Mother a thrill. She thought he was a mighty nice young feller when he tapped us on the shoulder that day on that dusty street in Old Tucson. And, based on what I've learned by doing his story and from what Laurie says as his teacher, I think Mother's right.

Go, Rowdy!