March 28, 2024

Allowing inner daredevil out from time to time is a good

The Pressbox

Being a sports journalist allows my inner daredevil to come out in many ways.

I turned 57 Monday. I’ve been a sports reporter since I was a freshman in high school.

There was a happy birthday posting on my Facebook page by a friend which reminded me that I’ve not backed down from the challenges of covering all types of sports. That posting jarred my memory of several experiences over the years.

“You are a special lady. How many others do you know brave enough to get in an arena while the rodeo rough stock events are going on?”

Yes, I was inside the arena during bull riding, bronc riding events at rodeos in Kansas. The two publications I worked for during my career tenure of more than 30 years in Southeast Kansas covered the annual county fair professional rodeos. Actually for most of those years, the two rodeos were sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association bringing in some of the top talent including former and current national PRCA champions and the rising stars of the sport.

My first year out of college I faced the prospect of covering rodeo, a sport I had not much knowledge of — kind of like how it was when I came to Newton and knew I had the challenge of covering NASCAR and IndyCar racing. In both cases, I met great people who guided me through the ins and outs.

That first rodeo in Mound City, Kan., was interesting. I’m sure the area rodeo fans, who I became very good friends with throughout a five-year run at the small weekly newspaper, had a good laugh watching the short, fat woman out in the arena.

I was told by a seasoned rodeo photographer the safest place during the bull riding event was in the middle of the arena in front of the bucking chutes.

But … we decided to have me stand to the side where I could get a good shot of the first few seconds of action out the chute then turn and grab the sturdy arena fence and climb. Over the years, it became a strong bond with my Linn County friends and I at the rodeo — the laughs and talks we had throughout the rodeo.

The closest I came to getting kicked was by a bucking horse as it went past the fence I was up on. As for the bulls, I was shooting from behind the chutes one night. It’s usually a safe place where the contestants and officials move around.

That night, one of the Rumford Rodeo bulls decided it was time for him to get out of the chute before the cowboy was on his back. The bull came up and over the chute fence on the backside. There was a lot of scurrying.

I moved on to a daily newspaper just 40 miles to the west, where I covered 29 county fair rodeos in Allen County at Iola, Kan. There was a time when these two rodeos were connected in a pro rodeo series, where special trophy belt buckles for each event were on the line and big prize money.

During the early years in Iola, I amazed people of my prowess (or lack of it) in the rodeo arena to get the photos while maneuvering away from the bulls, horses and steers. Then, a new flag pole base was built right outside the fence near the front of the arena.

It was a concrete square base built for a patron of the long-time fair rodeo.

The top of the base was big enough and tall enough for me to sit on top and have a great photo shooting area of the bucking chutes. I still went in the arena for the steer wrestling and several other roping events.

I have missed rodeo. I grew to enjoy the two-night events.

Now, I dodge flying lug nuts on pit road and tires being tossed around. I’ve found a couple of good shooting perches in the two racing seasons I’ve been here at Iowa Speedway.

Another way I allowed myself to dare to do something different was one summer with my sister. We vowed on our short vacation to Hot Springs, Ark., to do something we’d never done before.

Well, have you ever seen a squaty-body such as me parasailing above the lake waters? That’s another story for another time.

Just now, it’s alright to try news things and allow that inner daredevil to fly.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at 641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com