A22—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 1,1953
BY LAURA ENGLAND
WILLOW STREET - When the
American Rodeo Association
IARA) comes to the Buck Tractor
Pull Stadium next Saturday, the
competition will have a double
meaning for the Mike Rhmeer
family.
First of all, the contest is the last
one before the ARA finals, Nov. 12
and 13, at the Farm Show Building
in Harrisburg. A strong showing in
this rodeo could mean a berth in
the finals for the Willow Street
family.
Second, the competition will be
stiff and for the Riuneers, the
pressure is on since the contest is
“close to home.” Despite these
two factors, Mike says practice
and drawing a good calf and steer
will help determine the outcome of
this event.
The rodeo at the "Buck” is just
one of 30 the Rhmeers will have
participated in during 1983. This
year alone, the family has traveled
up and down the East Coast, from
Massachusetts to Florida, to
compete in ARA-sponsored rodeos.
For the Rhmeers, rodeo com
petition is a family event, and all
are involved one way or another.
Mike and son, Mike Jr., compete in
team roping and calf roping
events. Daughter Tammy
Shearer, now living in York,
competes in barrel racing, team
roping and goat tying. Wife and
mother Darlene doesn’t compete in
events, but she has a significant
role in outfitting her family and
manning the video camera to
record the competitions.
Just how does a family get in
volved in a sport most people
raised ont he Rhineer's seven acres. The steers, shown here,
are pastured and used for team roping practices.
ghe mid rodeos go hand-in-hand
associate with the cowboys and
cowgirls of the western plains?
•Tve always liked horses,” says
Mike who’s rodeoed for 22 years.
"1 liked the idea of calf roping and
team roping.”
Mike adds that he enjoys
traveling and meeting people, but
more importantly is his love of
horses. ”1 enjoy horses the most,”
he says. “1 like to have a horse
that works a little better than
anyone’s at the rodeo.”
For rodeo competition, Mike
says he prefers registered Quarter
horses which weigh between 1000
to 1100 pounds and are not much
over 15 hands. The seven horses at
the Rluneer farm are housed in box
stalls to control feed intake and
nutrition. They are exercised daily
in addition to receiving special
training for show competition.
Because of the keen competition,
Mike says the horses are trained
for a specialty, such as team or
calf roping. They are not used
much for competition before four
years of age, Mike expjams. This
allows time for finishing and
getting a solid, dependable animal.
Team roping training takes
about a year while calf roping
involves two years of training. "In
calf roping,” Mike says, "a horse
has to work on its own when the
competitor gets off its back. There
is more to perfect. ”
As long as it stays sound, a horse
can compete for several years. The
Rhmeers have a 19-year-old horse
that is "as sound as can be and as
good as any young horse.” This
particular animal has been hauled
about a million miles, and during
some years went to 60 rodeos, Mike
adds.
Although having a sound horse in
the rodeo circles is essential, the
competitor needs a conditioning
program also. The Riuneers,
along with 10 other rodeo en
thusiasts, practice every Tuesday
and Thursday night at the
Khmeer’s ring. Besides the hor
ses, steers are also used for team
roping practices.
The long hours of practice and
traveling to rodeo contests has
paid off for the Riuneers. In 1979
and 1980, Mike was the ARA calf
roping champion. Mike Jr. was the
1980, 1981 and 1982 team roping
champion, and Tammy was
honored as the all-around cowgirl
for 1980-1981.
To receive these honors, the
AKA has established a points and
monetary system that runs
throughout the year’s competition.
The points are added up and this
determines who goes to the final.
Only the top 10 get to the finals, and
a competitor needs between 4000 to
5000 points.
"You nearly need to go to every
rodeo to get to the finals,” Mike
adds.
The American Kodeo
Association, which is based m
Washington, D.C., sanctions the
rodeos and writes the rules and
regulations. The rules are very
stringent, Mike says, and are
geared to protectmg the rodeo
animals.
The animals used in the shows
are provided by stock contractors
selected by the rodeo committees.
The committee groups, such as the
Jaycees, Shrmers and fire com
panies, lure the contractor to do
advertising, find .the animals, set
up the arena, and lake care of any
other show needs.
At the “Buck” show, only father
and son will be competing from the
Ktuneer family. Mike Jr. and his
partner, Kenny Brown Jr. from
Maryland, will compete in the
team roping and the calf roping
events. Mike Sr., and his partner,
Brooks Staples from Virginia, will
compete in the same events.
In setting goals for the contest,
the Rhmeers will work on their
timing in the events. Factors in
determining tuning are the arena
conditions, size of arena, and size
of the calves and steers, Mike says.
On the average, a competitor
shoots for six to nine seconds in
team roping and nine to 15 in calf
roping, Mike adds.
In addition to rodeo com
petitions, Mike Jr. is also con
tracted to present tnck roping
shows. Mike Jr. says he was in
spired to learn trick roping after
reading Will Rogers book, put out
te terican jsoci jn . jmpion team roper. 20-year-old Mike
Rhineer Jr. is also an accomplished trick and fancy rope artist. In these photos, Mike
demonstrates his trick roping techniques.
The Rhineers, from left, Darlene, Mike Jr. and Mike Sr., are
very much into the rodeo scene and are looking forward to
competition, Oct. 8, at the Buck Tractor Pull site.
by the Western Horseman
Association, on the art.
Mike trained under Dick McCoy,
Mount Joy. He says his favorite
move is the Texas Skip, a move
that’s most impressive to the
crowd. It took a while to learn
roping, Mike adds, and the hardest
part was the learning.
When the Khineers aren’t
competing in rodeo shows, they
run a rodeo school at the farm and
have sponsored schools throughout
the state. Students at the school
are instructed on roping and
receive helpful hints in finding a
horse suited to their needs.
Mike Sr., who runs Mike Rhmeer
Excavating, is looking forward to
the final two competitions of the
year the spow at the "Buck” and
the finals. It’s a thrill, he says, to
win the finals in your event at the
national show because you com
pete against the top 10 only.
And Mike’s most memorable
event from rodeo competition was
being named champion in 1979.
"It’s the most exciting and
prestigious award,” he claims with
pride.