Well, let me tell ya, life ain’t always fair, especially when you’re talkin’ about them rodeo folks. Heard a story ’bout a bronc rider, young fella, name of Skee Burkes. Poor soul, just 26 years old. Got himself bucked off a horse, they say. Happened over in Abilene, Texas, at that big fair and rodeo they have there.
Now, I don’t know much about ridin’ broncs, but I know it ain’t for the faint of heart. These youngins, they go out there and risk their necks for a little bit of glory and maybe a few dollars. Skee, he was one of them. A “professional rodeo cowboy,” they called him. Means he did this for a livin’, I guess. Went all over, ridin’ horses and bulls. Tough life, I tell ya.
- Rodeo is dangerous
- Young people risk their lives
- Life is unpredictable
This time, though, it wasn’t just a bump or a bruise. This time, it was the end of the line for young Skee. Got bucked off that horse, and somethin’ went wrong. Real wrong. They say he got hurt bad. Took him to the hospital, I reckon, but it wasn’t no use. He passed away. Just like that. One minute he’s ridin’ high, the next he’s gone. Makes you think, don’t it?
Heard tell he had a mama, Dee Ann Littlefield her name was. Can’t imagine what she’s goin’ through. Losing a child, that ain’t right. No matter how old they are, they’re still your baby. My heart goes out to her, it surely does. This whole thing, it’s just a tragedy. A young life cut short, all because of a buckin’ horse.
And it ain’t the first time somethin’ like this happened, you know. They said another young man, Peter DeLuna, just 22, died after fallin’ off a bull in Bandera, Texas. Got stepped on, poor thing. Rodeo life, it’s a gamble. Sometimes you win, sometimes… well, sometimes you don’t. These cowboys, they know the risks, but they do it anyway. Guess it’s in their blood, like some folks are born to farm, others are born to ride.
Folks are talkin’ about Zeke Thurston too, some big champion bronc rider. He’s still out there ridin’, but seein’ what happened to Skee and Peter… it makes you wonder. How long can a person keep temptin’ fate like that? It’s a dangerous game, this rodeo business. Makes you appreciate the simple things in life, you know? Like a warm cup of coffee in the mornin’ or sittin’ on the porch, watchin’ the sun go down.
Skee Burkes, Peter DeLuna… they were just boys, really. Out there tryin’ to make a livin’, doin’ what they loved. And now they’re gone. It’s a hard world, I tell ya. A hard, hard world. Makes you want to hold your loved ones close and thank the good Lord for every day you got. ‘Cause you never know when your time is up. And for them young cowboys, seems like their time came way too soon.
So next time you hear about a rodeo, remember Skee and Peter. Remember the risk these cowboys take every time they climb on a horse or a bull. It ain’t just a show, it’s life and death. And sometimes, death wins.
Tags: [Bronc Rider, Rodeo, Skee Burkes, Texas, Cowboy, Accident, Death, Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association, Abilene]