by Pam Crooks
First off, I have to thank Sybil and her gang for taking Harlequin Historicals under their romance-lovin’ wings and giving us such a wonderful opportunity to talk about our books. We love you, Syb!
Okay – here we go. From the time man learned to climb on a horse, his competitive nature has instilled in him a love for racing. Wagering inevitably followed. Be it the thrill of the game, or the lure of riches in whatever form, and for whatever reason, cowboys all over the world have loved to race.
My hero in Kidnapped By the Cowboy, TJ Grier, is no different. For him, to right a wrong that ruined his reputation, the need for racing consumes him. He’s placed all his hopes and dreams in one horse. He has a point to prove, a new life to make. But when that horse is heartlessly taken from him, he kidnaps Callie Mae Lockett to find him and the truth that has haunted them both.
While I was writing this book, I learned just how much racing and competition was a part of the western culture and a cowboy’s life. Indeed, it has spanned centuries, as early as the Moorish occupation of Spain, and spreading its enthusiasm to Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, and so on, and finally to America. Charros (upper-class horsemen) and vaqueros (working cowboys), gaucho or llanero—it didn’t matter. Cowboys lived and breathed racing, in one form or another.
We all know about bull riding and barrel racing, but I was amazed at some of the um, more unusual racing games they played. Here’s a few:
- The rooster shoot. Despite its name, this one had nothing to do with a rooster. The men lashed their right wrists together with rawhide thongs while mounted in the saddle. At a signal, the horses began to race side by side until one rider pulled the other off his horse. The winner was the man who was the strongest and most able to keep his seat. Yeesh!
- Roping grizzly bears. Oh, my. This one was especially popular in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Several cowboys would lasso the bear around his feet and neck, choking off his air to subdue him. They’d then trail him back to town, taunting him along the way, baiting him to charge. Once in town, they’d find a wild bull and pit them against each other. Spectators cheered to see the bear kill the bulls until he eventually succumbed himself from being gored so many times.
- Chicken pulling. Now I wrote about this game in my book, The Mercenary’s Kiss. Using a rooster, duck or chicken, cowboys would either tie the bird to a
tree or–more commonly–bury the chicken in the ground up to its neck. Horsemen would race up to the bird, and whoever plucked it out of the ground was chased by the other riders. The first rider to cross the finish line with the bird in hand was the winner–and got to keep the chicken as his prize. (In Mexico, the vaqueros took the winnings a step further–by grandly presenting the fowl to the woman he most wanted to impress.)
Like I said, these are only a few of the games and contests cowboys enjoyed–some far more violent than others. And quite unusual, eh?
How about you? Are you a racing fan? What do you love to race, either watching or participating? Is there something else that you do that really gets the adrenaline going?
Join in the discussion and be eligible to win an autographed copy of Kidnapped By the Cowboy and a hunky cowboy fan!
Hi Pam!
I love the chicken contest. Imagine being the lucky lady presented with the chicken. Since I was young I have watched horse racing. First with my father and now we go with family and friends. I bet my $2 and it is so exciting when your horse wins.
Hi Pam!
Ah, nothing says romance like a live chicken!
I had never heard of that sort of chicken race–it reminds me of the English origin of the phrase “wild goose chase”. It all started with a game, in which one horse would ride off on a crazy, wayward course and all the others would have to follow closely and keep their mounts in the same line, like geese. From all reports, it was a crazy, chaotic game, but there was no presenting of a goose to any lucky ladies!
Wow interesting races haha. I like to watch any races – Nascar, mud bog, drag racing. I grew up watching drag racing because of my step dad. I used to run track and I would imagine that a bear was chasing me (my school track was located next to a forest) and it would make me run faster.
Great post. I enjoy watching the Kentucky Derby on tv. I think the horses are beautiful.
Kidnapped by the Cowboy sounds like a good read. I enjoy the push/pull of revenge plots that go awry. One of my favorites(and a comedy-not a western) was the movie Overboard with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.
This type of “chicken pulling” race sure wouldn’t occur today. Animal activists would definitely get hot over this. I feel sorry for the poor scared chicken!
I love to watch horse racing. Arlington Raceway in the Chicago area is a fun day-trip for my family. Those sleek thoroughbreds are stunning.
Hey, Maureen! Thanks for stopping by. Can you imagine how many poor chickens had broken necks by the time the race was over? Yeesh!
Hi, there, Deb! What a strange origin of “wild goose chase”! I had no idea! Thank you for sharing!
Hi, Mandy! Nascar has really gotten popular over the years, hasn’t it? Harlequin even developed a romance series over it.
You’ll have to explain to me what mud bog is!
Well, howdy, Crystal! Oh, yes, the Derby is the epitome of racing, isn’t it? Such rich tradition and grand fortunes made–and lost–in minutes. The horses are treated like royalty, far better than many humans, I’m afraid.
Thanks for stopping by!
Pam
Hi Pam,
I love to watch Formula One races, unfortunately only on TV. I really would love to watch a NASCAR race live. I heard the atmosphere is terrific.
Hey Pam!
Kidnapped by the Cowboy sounds like a great book!
I’m not really a racing fan but I would watch a chicken race any day. It would be hoot to watch it for sure. I have never heard of anything like that. Thanks for sharing it.
I love to watch horse racing and the track and field events in the Olympics. I especially love to see college football players racing down the field to score touchdowns! 🙂
Kidnapped by the Cowboy sounds like a fun read!!
I like to watch horse racing and I love to read books set in the west with the cowboy in them. I’ve added this one to my beach bag of books to read on my vacation.