Page 57 - Tamale Ridge_113017

55 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

a few minutes but when I came to, I was being pulled to safety by the powerful grip of big Jim

Two Feathers. We stayed pinned down behind that wall for hours. Finally the other side quit

firing and we made a rush to another position. There, we discovered that the enemy beat us to

the punch and pulled out all together. It wasn’t the highlight of the war by any means but for

some reason, I dreamed about it constantly. Some brave men died there that day.

Once the two men at the ranch started the weanlings in the halter, Gilberto began working with

the three year olds and Juan worked alone halter breaking the weanlings. I began taking the

rough off of the two year olds. Gilberto sure liked to see one try me. Once in a while I’d get on

one that could buck pretty hard and Gilberto would get excited.

They were having a big rodeo up in Cheyenne Wyoming but because of the distance I decided

not to go. Besides, if things went according to plans, I’d be down in Mexico at that same time of

year.

Breaking two year olds was not a common practice with some folks. I knew that not so many

years ago, folks wouldn’t start a colt until he was four, or even five but my method of doing a lot

of ground work and riding the two year olds very little, was working. I’d only ride them enough

to get them moving forward and stopping on command and turn either direction. Just enough to

get them used to a rider on their back then they would be turned out until spring when they

turned three. I told Gilberto about it and he thought it would be a good method. Once in a while

I’d get one that would buck a little but most of them remembered the schooling from seven or

eight months earlier and picked up right where we’d left off. Gilberto became excited and a little

scared when we rode over to Trinidad and loaded the horses we were taking to the National

Western Stock Show, in Denver.

“What is Denver like?” Gilberto asked.

55