12 Days of Cowboy Christmas

Here is a great Re-Ride story - via a Rodeo Cowboy Journal. It's just the first 12 days of "Cowboy Christmas" for my husband, PRCA Bull Rider Rex Phillips. He was making a living for himself and our family; back in 1998. (We didn't have cell phones then.) As you read, you'll see that rodeo was a lot of traveling, a little sleeping, and even less eating! I don't think a lot has changed since then!

JULY 1: Flew from Reno, NV to San Antonio, TX. Drove a rental car four hours into Belton, TX. Hot and humid. Got on a jerk-u-down, rotten, son-of-a-gun! No money. Did I say hot and humid? Drove halfway back to San Antone to a rest area where I called the wife on a pay phone while weird-looking people wandered grounds. Tried to sleep in economy-sized rental. Had to keep waking up to turn on air conditioner. Almost out of gas, or I would've left it running!
JULY 2: Flew into Salt Lake City, UT. Met up with traveling partner Marty Staneart and drove an hour into Oakley, UT. Haven't eaten since yesterday, so grabbed something before the rodeo. 88 points on a good bull. Winning when I left. It'll be the one to pay our bills.
JULY 3: Got to stay in a bed last night! Wife met me in Salt Lake, and we drove to West Jordan, UT. Looks like finger is broke on riding  hand. All swollen. Bull no good, so turned him out. Stayed and watched anyway. Paid my fees. Ate two meals today! Stomach feels like it'll pop!
JULY 4: Said goodbye to wife, took flight from Salt Lake into Phoenix, AZ. Chartered plane to fly four of us into Prescott, AZ. 115 degrees today. Too hot for plane to carry all four of us. Figured out who had worst bull at Prescott. It was poor Marty. He stayed grounded - and was the one that chartered the flight to begin with! The rest of us went on, with only our essentials - which meant I had to make my bag as light as possible. Left my riding vest behind. Marty met us in Window Rock, AZ later that day in rental with all our stuff. Covered my bulls, but no money in Prescott or Window Rock. Saw an old friend though - he was working at the race track in Prescott, saw my name in the program and came back behind the chutes to see me.
JULY 5: Flew from Phoenix to Salt Lake, then on to Portland, OR. Some guys picked me up and we drove on into St. Paul, OR. Fell off! Donated fees. Finger swollen to twice normal size. Can't ride with left hand, so stayed off at Mollalla, OR later that night. Back to Portland.
JULY 6: Flew into Salt Lake. My Mom came to pick me up. Found out today I won Oakley, UT. Paid for my week, plus. Got two days at home in Elko, NV.
JULY 7: Home cooked meal, appointment with Jesse, physical therapist.
JULY 8: More physical therapy.
JULY 9: Drove from Elko, NV to Nephi, UT with Marty. Splitting first when I left.
JULY 10: Vernal, UT. Hand giving me hell. Better wait for Nampa, ID Got a good one there!
JULY 11: Had to travel with the guys to Wyoming. Don't have my own car, or I'd be home!
JULY 12: Driving back to Elko. Ended up splitting second at Nephi, UT. Good pay out. We'll pay our bills this month!