I can ride a horse without falling off. I can even swing a rope and catch something with it, generally what I WANT to catch with it. But I wouldn’t call myself handy by any means. Not by a long ways. Billy Ward and Duane Gilbert, however, I would call handy. No, that’s really an understatement. Let’s just say that for years, I have had the opportunity to watch great cowboys at work both in and out of the arena, and Billy Ward and Duane Gilbert can be placed next to any one of them and stand out. Both of them are picking up at the College National Finals Rodeo, as we speak, and they earn their keep. Billy has been here for years. He’s picked up for Harry Vold his entire career, and Harry will brag on him all day. He and his wife Marlo have raised a couple of boys who have grown into a couple of handy young men themselves. Dalton is picking up at some of the best rodeos in the PRCA, and Denton is topping colts on a daily basis that no one else can ride. But, like Harry Vold says, “They’ve got a good coach.” Duane Gilbert is coming on. He’s a Wyoming hand, as well, but he’s still young in the game. You wouldn’t know it by watching him, though. He rides good horses, works his tail off and slides in and out of a bucking horse so smoothly, you don’t even know he’s there. He’s worked the Ram National Circuit Finals, Denver, and a bunch of other good rodeos scattered around the country. Both Billy and Duane, when they’re not on the road with a remuda of horses picking up the best bareback and saddle bronc riders in the world, are ranchers. They’re cowboys. What they do in the arena is exactly what they do at home, minus the picking up. They rope. They read livestock. They know what an animal is going to do before he does it, and they do it well. Watching Billy and Duane rope is fun. They will rope a wayward bucking horse, bull, calf or steer, and if you’re not watching, you don’t even notice it. As a matter of fact, that’s the main thing. As Harry Vold and I sat watching the slack at the CNFR, this morning, we visited a long time about good bucking horses and great pickup men. Most of the folks in the stands don’t even notice them. We both agreed that if you notice him, he’s probably not doing a very good job. You don’t notice Duane or Billy unless you’re watching them on purpose. To me, it’s fun to watch good cowboys. Whether they’re riding bucking horses or picking them up, it’s fun to watch the great ones. But they don’t get there just by chance. Dalton Ward is an example of that; he was not born a great pickup man. He took a lot of lectures, maybe even chewings over the years, but by golly, he listened and he learned from his dad, who has enough NFR buckles to count as an expert. And he’s following in his dad’s footsteps. It wasn’t easy. I remember him as a little kid out there saddling and unsaddling horses for Billy, and I remember him having to load them up and unload them. He’s paying his dues, and it’s paying off. Duane Gilbert and Billy Ward have already paid theirs, and they’re two of the best out there because of it. There’s kicked legs, burnt fingers, hurt backs, and trips to the ground because of a bucking horse rider who decided to grab them around the neck. But it all pays off. The practice is what makes them so smooth, and practice ain’t always fun. God doesn’t promise us an easy life, just an abundant one. If someone’s life looks easy, it’s because they’ve spent enough hours trying their guts out and taking wreck after wreck, all in obedience to a God they love. Those scars are what make smooth cowboys. Those scars are part of living an abundant life. The Bible tells us there’s a reward for suffering through the wrecks. James tells us in Chapter 1, verse 12, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” I’m not as handy as those guys by a long ways, but it’s because I haven’t given myself to those trials. My life has a different set of tribulations. I’d rather talk about theirs. But if I get a chance to talk about guys like Duane and Billy, I’m pretty tickled to be blessed with that.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 03:21:11 +0000
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