[*] It is however, quite possible, now that Buffalo Bill's
company has crossed the water several times, that a number
of the cowboys have by practice become proficient in riding
to hounds, and in steeple-chasing.
It would be interesting to compare the performances of the Australian
stock-riders with those of our own cowpunchers, both in cow-work and in
riding. The Australians have an entirely different kind of saddle, and
the use of the rope is unknown among them. A couple of years ago the
famous western rifle-shot, Carver, took some cowboys out to Australia,
and I am informed that many of the Australians began themselves
to practise with the rope after seeing the way it was used by the
Americans. An Australian gentleman, Mr. A. J. Sage, of Melbourne, to
whom I had written asking how the saddles and styles of riding compared,
answered me as follows:
"With regard to saddles, here it is a moot question which is the better,
yours or ours, for buck-jumpers. Carver's boys rode in their own saddles
against our Victorians in theirs, all on Australian buckers, and honors
seemed easy.
Pages:
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234