The cowboys came back to town, setting up shop at the National Western Complex for a Saturday night of rodeo action during the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo. Only this time, it was the real deal.

The Working Ranch Cowboys Association (WRCA) brought 12 teams of authentic, weathered, and calloused cowboys from ranches in Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, and Colorado to compete against each other in the first ever Denver Championship WRCA Ranch Rodeo. Their friendly rivalry encompassed Bronc Riding, Stray Gathering, Ranch Branding, Ranch Sorting, and Wild Cow Milking in a quest for a title, a passel of prizes, and the chance to qualify for the WRCA Finals held in Amarillo, Texas every November.

“We’ve got to do (events) like this to let people know this is how it started,” said legendary rodeo stock contractor, Harry Vold, about the cowboy way of life. Vold supplied the bucking stock for the ranch rodeo, and he was happy to be associated with an event displaying the abilities of real cowboys to the general public. “This here is the real thing, with good cowboys and good horses that work on a ranch every day,” he continued. “I’m very proud of the event. It’s different, but it’s good. It gives these ranch cowboys something to come to. I think it‘s very good entertainment.”

Harry Vold is a man of his word and the action proved it, exploding from the chutes with high flying Broncs that brought cheers from several thousand spectators filling the stands of the Events Center. The fans were in full throat through each successive event as they witnessed skill and determination (and downright bravery) from every team. Cowboys on horseback and on foot chased belligerent momma cows as well as their quick young ones throughout the large arena — roping, sorting, branding (with chalk), tying, and milking.

Yes ... milking.

Known as the “bull riding of ranch rodeo,” Wild Cow Milking is just plain entertaining. A rider ropes the large momma while three (lucky?) men from his team chase her down and attempt to keep her in place as the rider dismounts, takes his rope off the horn of his saddle, and then one of them milks the cow into a beer bottle. Once there’s enough in the bottle to pour, the milker sprints to a judge and time is stopped. You know the saying - “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy”? That pretty much sums it all up, much to the delight of everyone watching.

The fans weren’t the only ones having a good time.

“I like a little competition in what we do every day,” said Randy Peterson, a big man from the Kansas based Buck Creek/Lonesome Pine team. Peterson answered questions while he watched a bit of the Stray Gathering competition through the rails before his team was required to go. “I like the challenge of going up against good cowboys.”

It was safe to say he felt the rest of the vaqueros vying for the title were top-shelf.

“Oh, it’s good,” he enthused about the caliber of ranch hands showing up to compete. “It’s as good as it is (for the WRCA Finals) in Amarillo. These teams have been there, just about every one of them. I think this is a good deal.”

To prove his point, the top three teams included a few well-versed in challenging for year-end bragging rights. Haythorn Land & Cattle Company earned third place for their efforts. The well-known ranch is a big one, covering three counties in Nebraska, and they’ve appeared in the Amarillo championships the last ten years. A Texas outfit, the Thompson Ranch, has also showed up at the WRCA Finals for the last ten years, and those cowboys earned second place in the inaugural Mile High event. They thought Denver was a nice addition to the circuit.

“It’s a great atmosphere here. It’s a good place to have it,” said Hegan Lamb of the Thompson Ranch team. Lamb knows what he’s talking about, having earned the Top Hand award during the 2007 WRCA Finals. “It’s a great arena and a great crowd. I really did like it.”

Lamb also had high praise for his competition.

“I think it was good,” he said about the field of challengers and how tough they are to beat. “Nowadays you’ve got to come with some guns — I mean, it’s tough.”

The toughest of the bunch was the High Card/Conley Ranch from Texas. They took first, earning a spot in the WRCA Finals in November, and they were pleased with the result.

“We’re excited,” said team leader Josh Halsell about picking up the win and qualifying for the Amarillo championships. “We’ve been competing for three or four years and finally got one.”

Asked about the rest of the teams, Halsell poured out compliments.

“We compete with a lot of these guys year ’round and we sure enjoy it. Half the fun is getting to see everybody and the competition is top-notch. We’ll come back next year, for sure.”

It wasn’t just cowboys and spectators having all the fun. One of the people responsible for starting up the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo back in 1994 was pleased to see the ranch rodeo become part of the three-day equine event.

“I think this is good,” said Norm Brown, who was President of the Colorado Horse Council when the Expo was still in its planning stages 15 years ago. Although Brown is not officially associated with the Expo anymore, he remains a faithful attendee. “I like seeing a big crowd come to watch entertainment like this at the Expo,” he added. “It would be great if we can make more of this kind of stuff fit in the schedule.”

Judging from the size of the first crowd and the enthusiasm the inaugural event generated, it was easy to see what Brown was talking about. Once the boys from the High Card/Conley team secured victory and picked up their checks and prizes, everyone involved was in a good mood — including a long-time veteran of the rodeo life.
“Good rodeo, wasn’t it?” asked Harry Vold, smiling behind the scenes while the crowd dispersed and he readied for the trip home.

It was more than just a good rodeo ... it was the real deal.