My Tribute To The Franklin Rodeo

This weekend marks the much-hyped Franklin Rodeo.

It is said that hundreds of out-of-town cowboys have made their way to Franklin, Tennessee for this event.

I don’t exactly get it.

I probably won’t be attending.

But I am way into all the cool marketing for it!

Check this out…

 

This Little Piggy Goes To Rodeos

First and foremost, I’ve gotta give props to the Franklin Pig.

 

This ceramic Pig (whom I’ve affectionately named “Pig Howdy”) permanently resides on the porch of a house on Bridge Street in downtown Franklin.

The owners regularly change the Pig’s attire, along with fun accessories to mark the special occasion:

 

• When it’s Halloween, Piggy greets all of the trick-or-treaters.
• When the pro golf tournament is in town, Piggy is sporting a set of child-size golf clubs.
• When someone’s getting married, the Pig’s wearing a wedding veil.
• And when the Rodeo’s in town, Piggy’s got himself a bright red bandanna (see below).

I love it!

Warning to my neighbors: I’m planning to follow suit someday with my very own porch-sitter. I’m currently eying another ceramic pig statue, or a child-size frog who’s standing tall. What fun, right?

However, this works best on a busy side street (such as Bridge Street where this Pig resides) because passersby get in the habit of going by the Pig… and you can’t help but glance in the Pig’s direction each time to see what he’s doing on this particular day!

So, the odds are, I’ll probably never follow through with my dream. (*Jim breathes a sigh of relief*) because we are looking to move out of the busier parts of Franklin and into a quieter, more secluded area — with lots and lots of land — where no one would see my porch critter.

 

 

Grumpy’s Bail Bonds To The Rescue

What does Grumpy’s Bail Bonds have to do with a rodeo filled with cowboys?

I have no idea. But apparently, there’s some natural correlation that I am unaware of.

Perhaps it’s purely the fact that cowboys know how to party, and Leah Hulan (the popular spokesperson/owner of the company) has her own special way of setting these boys free. After all, her motto is: “When you ring, we spring!”

Grumpy’s has bought all sorts of advertising centered around the Franklin Rodeo. First, the billboard which sits along Columbia Avenue downtown Franklin.

And then, a television commercial featuring Leah and some “cowboy” (not her husband) riding horseback in Franklin while reminding you of their ability to bail your butt outta jail.

Hmmm… I’m still not getting it. But I don’t think that I’m their target audience.

Perhaps the correlation is this:

A bunch of sweaty cowboys… who are running on adrenaline… from the process of spurring bulls all day… are inclined to trip over themselves… after the ride… when they spot Leah sitting on the sidelines… Out of sheer embarrassment (of the fact that the tripped and the fact that they can not have her)… they head to the local pub to drown their sorrows… only to wreak havoc in some way that lands them in jail… And who comes to mind when a lowly ‘ol cowboy needs a “get outta jail free card”?… Whalah… Leah Hulan. I mean, Grumpy’s Bail Bonds!

 

Girls Are Into Cowboys

I guess more and more women are enjoying the sport of bull-riding and are involved in rodeos than ever before.

Here’s a local cowgirl who is living the Rodeo dream.

Frankly, I’m not all that much into cowboys …or cowgirls.

The closest I’ve gotten to having some Country in my life is this photo of a one-time wannabe cowboy (yes, that’s Jim) shopping for a pair of cowboy boots but not buying them. (I’m certain I had a little something to do with that.)

Just the same I’m not anti-Country by any means. And Country music is actually starting to grow on me in the years since we moved from Florida to Nashville.

Here’s some funny cowboy stuff.

 

Rodeo Sights & Sounds

For the record, I went to a Rodeo once.

It was a “professional” one too. It was sponsored by the Professional Bull Riders Association (PBRA) and was held in the Pensacola Civic Center several years ago.

Fortunately, since I’ve never been fond of treating animals the way they do, I had something else to divert my attention away from all the spurring, and prodding, and smelly bulls: photography!

I enjoyed the sights & sounds surrounding the event far more than I enjoyed the event itself.

 

 

Franklin Rodeo Fun Facts

WHEN:  Third weekend in May.

WHERE:  Williamson County Ag Expo Center (42156 Long Lane, Franklin, TN 37064).

COST:  $17 for adults and $8 for children — ages 0 to 4 are FREE.

SPONSOR:  The Franklin Rodeo is sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).

PARADE: A parade through downtown Franklin takes place the Saturday before the rodeo (see video).

Details about this year’s Franklin Rodeo.

A Franklin mom’s review of the Franklin Rodeo.

 

All pro rodeo events and 2 kid events occur each night.

The pro rodeo events are:

• Bareback riding
• Steer Wrestling
• Team Roping
• Saddle Bronc Riding
• Calf Roping
• Barrel Racing
• Bull Riding

 

The kid events are:

• Mutton Busting
• Calf Scramble

 

So, You Wanna Be A Cowboy?…

Check out all these fun facts I found about the “sport” of bull-riding and what it takes to be a bull rider.

In addition to the Bull Riding Basics, you’ll learn about:

• Bull Riding Equipment
• The Bull Riders
• Scoring and Judging
• Bull Riding Dictionary
• Event Scoring