The annual county fair wraps up most of its activities on Saturday, and the PRCA rodeo highlights the day’s events.
Professional cowboys travel to this small town every August in search of top prize money as they show off their skills. However, the real adventure and fun arrives at the end of the rodeo competition.
Every year the Wild Horse Ride wraps up the afternoon. Gathering from the area’s farms and ranches come “wannabe” cowboys.
The goal for each rider is to mount a horse and ride around the race track. It’s winner-takes-all at the finish line.
The riders are divided up into teams, and each team consists of two other individuals. The mugger controls the untamed horse’s head so it cannot rear back. The shanker holds the lead rope so the wild horse doesn’t run away. The rider is left to saddle the anxious horse and race it.
As the announcer starts up the competition, a mad scramble commences as each team frantically works together. One rider, LeRoy, is the first to saddle and mount his overly aggressive horse. He turns his horse around and heads to the race track, well ahead of the other riders.
However, there remains one big problem. LeRoy’s mount is galloping in the opposite direction around the track, and he will never be able to turn the horse around. The crowd roars with laughter at LeRoy’s dilemma.
To this day, many rodeo goers still remember “Wrong Way” LeRoy!
Big Sky Buckeye 
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Thank you Ken for sharing this short story on your blog. Blessings.
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Many of us go in the wrong direction for years and don’t realize that is what we are doing until the Lord gets hold of us, shows us our error and points us in the right way. Loved this story!
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Vickie, I appreciate your message. It’s a wonderful addition to the story. The story is based on my observations from a real wild horse ride many years ago.
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I could make a LeRoy Jenkins joke here, but that’d be TOO easy. I like to work for my bad punny humor. 🙂
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Temptation was calling, but I’m sure it didn’t have much to do with rodeo. Hope you are connecting a few of life’s dots.
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A fun read!
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Wonderful! The story is based on a real-life wild horse ride in Montana where I first started teaching. I hope LeRoy didn’t carry that nickname for too long.
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Eileen, I appreciate your sharing of this humorous short story. It is actually based upon a real rodeo’s wild horse ride that I experienced many years ago in southeastern Montana.
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