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Thursday, April 21, 2005

Ex-Pro Saddle Rider Holds Clinic for Rodeo Champ Hopefuls

By Beth Hahn
Mountain View Telegraph
    Delvert Largo could not hang onto the horse any longer. He lost his grip, slipped under the bronco's neck and fell.
    "The next thing I knew, I looked up and saw a hoof coming at me," said Largo, 22.
    Largo, one of 11 saddle bronc students taking a class in Estancia, escaped after receiving a glancing blow to his right eye. By lunchtime Saturday, the eye was purple and swollen shut. He used a cold drink to ease the pain and reduce the swelling.
    But his enthusiasm was not dampened.
    "I'm looking forward to riding more," said the Tohatchi native.
    The saddle bronc class featured advice from Dan Etbauer, a former professional saddle bronc rider whose older brother is the reigning world champion in the sport.
    Most of those in the class were local high school students from McIntosh, Mountainair and Edgewood, but a few were pro-am competitors between the ages of 19 and 22. Five of the students were from the East Mountains/Estancia Valley area, while the remaining six were from other parts of the state or Arizona.
    Estancia resident Arland Ben organized the three-day event.
    Ben said he wanted to hold an event at the under-utilized rodeo arena at the Torrance County Fairgrounds.
    "I'm from here, and I wanted to do something here," he said. "A lot of kids around here grow up on ranches and this is something they can relate to."
    The class attracted a variety of riders from Arizona and New Mexico. Some, like Largo, have only entered two or three rodeos. Others, such as Eager, Ariz., native Cody LeSueur are hoping to begin a career in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
    LeSueur slept in a tent less than 10 yards from the arena.
    Class sessions were not limited to rides in the arena. The students also analyzed video and attended lectures in a display barn on the Torrance County Fairgrounds campus.
    The students then put their knowledge to work in the arena under the watchful eye of Etbauer, on horses brought in by a stock contractor.
    Ben said the horses were matched to riders' experience.
    "You're not going to put a high school kid up there on a (professionally ranked) horse," he said.
    Even midway through the class, Largo said he had improved.
    "The first day, I fell off both horses and today, I only fell off one," he said.
    Mountainair resident Jake Broome said working with a professional taught him "so much more than I ever thought possible."
    Although his first weekend in Estancia featured three thunderstorms, Etbauer said he is willing to come back if Ben asks him to.
    Etbauer said rodeo is a hard sport to break into and he hopes the weekend clinic will give the students a better chance of going pro.
    Ben said he hopes the clinic will become an annual event, but it is too early to plan the next one.