Interstate Fair Rodeo offers real Western action

There’s an insult that has floated around the West for decades.

When you spot someone decked out in Western wear who wouldn’t know a saddle from a spur, you say, “That guy is all hat and no cattle.”

This weekend at the Spokane Interstate Fair, you’ll find the real thing, although their hats may be flying through the air.

The Interstate Fair’s rodeo completes its 20th annual stop this afternoon and Sunday.

Today’s performance starts at 6:45; Sunday’s at 4.

The rodeo is sanctioned by both the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. That means you’ll be watching 100 percent cowboy – well, unless you’re watching 100 percent cowgirl.

There are lots of reasons to attend a rodeo, ranging from the historical (it’s a glimpse of what it took to help tame the Old West) to the practical (it’s first-rate entertainment).

Here are 10 good reasons to stop by:

“Because you get tired of watching high-priced athletes complain on television about the stress of their jobs. Rodeo cowboys compete for the love of the sport.

They pay their own way to events and put up an entry fee for the chance at a Sunday paycheck. And for the record, that first-place prize money runs about $1,200.

“You like watching football linemen dance around after they’ve sacked a quarterback or stuffed a running back, so you’ll love seeing who invented that “sack dance.” Brahama bulls have been doing that kick-up-your-heels routine for more than a century.

“Because there are few things in the world as graceful as a roping horse working with a cowboy.

“Because your lungs always get in a good workout at the rodeo – holding your breath for seven seconds at a time while cowboys attempt to ride broncs and bulls. And that seven seconds can seem like a very long time.

“Because until you actually see them in action, cowboy boots will just be a fashion statement.

“Because there’s something approaching perfection about a girl and a horse flying around a set of barrels at full gallop.

“Because for all their bluster and all their steroids, professional wrestlers probably would get their butts kicked by a steer.

“Because roundup time will take on an entirely different context after you’ve watched a calf-roping go-around or good set of team ropers.

“Because after all the worry about off-season signings, midseason trades and coaches and media polls, this is a sport that boils down to pure competition.

A cowboy draws a bull or a bronc and does his best to turn in a good ride. A roper draws a calf or a steer and tries to get the job done as fast as he can.

And a barrel racer just tries to haul herself around the arena faster than the next horse and rider.

“And finally, to borrow from a Garth Brooks song, “It’s the bulls and blood, it’s the dust and mud, it’s the roar of a Sunday crowd. It’s the white in his knuckles and the gold in the buckle he’ll win in the next go-round. It’s boots and chaps and cowboy hats, spurs and latigo. It’s the ropes and the rain, the joy and the pain, and they call the thing a rodeo.”