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Dilemma IV….   What a Joke…..

Received a meeting agenda from Ranch Headquarters yesterday…. you know—that BIG, SPECIAL meeting where the plan to restructure the PRCA board of directors is going to be decided?   The meeting where all these “BIG MOVES” in regard to rodeo’s future will be unveiled.  Pretty exciting stuff.

I expected a marathon meeting… dawn till dawn, if necessary.  Lots of discussion, arguing, wrestling, whatever it took.   

Guess what ?  The ENTIRE meeting is scheduled between 10:45 AM and NOON. Gee…. one whole hour and fifteen to decide rodeo’s future.   WOW.   An entire hour and a quarter.    75 minutes to change 50 years of bumbling.

So what happened?   Well ….in regard to the restructure--I’ve heard that the stock contractors lost their guts (still have their big ol’ butts).   Why…. because one timed event director allegedly has been stirring up the time-ee’s over the scary ol’ reorganization and the possibility of a PRCA Riding Event Tour—our pals in rodeo management—the dogs that they are—have tucked tail.   I apologize to dogs…

I love dogs.   At least with dogs you know where you’re at.

Of course, they are blaming it on the timed event guy. 

“It won’t pass”, they whine. 

“Why even try”, they moan.

“The contestants won’t vote for it”, they say (now at full retreat.)

For rodeo management or the contestant directors, it’s better to make lame excuses and paint the other side of the argument as pure evil… than try to actually get something done.   It for sure will keep those $1,000 dues coming into the stock contractor organization.    

So perhaps I was correct… all this was about was an attempt to run off one of the independent businessmen.

It’s a disgrace… for either rodeo management (stock contractor and committee directors) or the contestant directors to portray the situation as being an unsolvable one.   So nothing happens…. and we go another decade just trying to tread H2O.  Slowly sinking… rodeo will drown in a sea of it’s own ineptness.

If this was a REAL business corporation, a shareholder group might call for the entire board ought to resign.  Useless, gutless…. I suppose that a person could use those terms—even though I choose not to.

They should have brought their proposal to a vote if for no other reason to have it on record that (if they are correct) the contestant directors turned down a chance for EVERY EVENT to have a vote for forever (see… it would take 4/5 majority to ever change it).   It will be the contestant’s one and only chance.   Any event rep (who appoint the contestant directors) who didn’t support his event having a vote—would be screwing his constituents—today and in the future. 

Yep, management should have brought it to a vote and let the contestants vote it down.  When the matter eventually ended up in court—that would have played heavily in management’s favor.  DUH.  

The next reorganization that occurs won’t be a friendly takeover.   Management will assume the roll of making all the rules.  They’ll have ALL the significant sponsors.   Finances will dictate it.     

Bye bye at least two of the timed events?   “So long it’s been bad to know you… so long it’s been bad to know you.”

Slack?   What is slack?

700 pound doggin steers?  Too light.

Bareback riggings…. the surgically improved gloves come out and the handholds will have the flexibility of day-old linguini.   Loosen up on those cinches boys… dragging sells tickets.

Forget about the cowboys selecting NFR stock.

Maybe the stock contractors will decide that the bronc riders ought to ride the saddles THEY supply.   Need more buck-offs.  

Maybe a riding event tour OUTSIDE the PRCA will raid the ranks of the top guys in those events.  Take 25 bareback riders out of the system and the event can’t even exist in 400-500 rodeos.

The future? 

Strikes… lawyers… loss of sponsors… loss of television… more stupidity.

In the end the headlines might read….

Rodeo Commits Suicide… Self-Inflicted Wounds.

A way of life and the livelihoods of thousands of really good people will be gone.

It’s sad… it’s unacceptable.

But what else can you expect?

10:45 to Noon… then let’s eat.

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