I sat quietly next to Beau LeDoux. You can see his father’s eyes sparkle forth in this son of rodeo and cowboy music legend, Chris. His boy and I shared a couple of thoughts on the subject of height. “Dad was taller when he was younger. I think he shrunk,” said Beau. “Me too. I’m definitely down an inch or two,” I said. “Except in the stomach.”
Beau smiled. Then you can really see his dad. It’s a tall shadow within which Beau rides his bareback horse in the massive Cheyenne Frontier Days arena. He dismounts, pulls a bag from his shirt pocket, and empties the contents to the arena dirt. A family decision led to ashes of Chris Ledoux finding their way to the middle of rodeo’s heart this week.
This arena is not used often – maybe a month a year. Such has been the case from the beginning. In the 1960s a teenage boy who’d won his first rodeo buckle in Texas moved to Cheyenne. Young Chris did not live far from the arena. During those character-forming days he would ride his horse in this arena in front of no one but his imagination. He doffed his hat to the empty grandstands while crowning himself a Cheyenne champion. Later Chris would watch bareback riding’s elite readying for their rides at Old Cheyenne and the boy with a dream began to believe in himself. “It was like I was born right here in Cheyenne,” said LeDoux.
Chris obtained his Rodeo Cowboy’s Association permit in due order and stretched his talent by listening to advice of fellow riders and working hard at his chosen craft. He never won Cheyenne but came close. Twenty years after the ride that nearly got him the Frontier Days buckle he would remember every moment clearly. He could talk about the horse, and the ride, and Joe Alexander coming out of the chute later to best LeDoux’s mark setting a record that still stands. Chris spoke as if he’d just dismounted from that horse right there in the middle of the Cheyenne arena – the arena where yesterday his son Beau brought Dad home.
Photo Caption: Beau LeDoux rides at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Upon dismount he left ashes of his father Chris in the arena dirt.
Beau smiled. Then you can really see his dad. It’s a tall shadow within which Beau rides his bareback horse in the massive Cheyenne Frontier Days arena. He dismounts, pulls a bag from his shirt pocket, and empties the contents to the arena dirt. A family decision led to ashes of Chris Ledoux finding their way to the middle of rodeo’s heart this week.
This arena is not used often – maybe a month a year. Such has been the case from the beginning. In the 1960s a teenage boy who’d won his first rodeo buckle in Texas moved to Cheyenne. Young Chris did not live far from the arena. During those character-forming days he would ride his horse in this arena in front of no one but his imagination. He doffed his hat to the empty grandstands while crowning himself a Cheyenne champion. Later Chris would watch bareback riding’s elite readying for their rides at Old Cheyenne and the boy with a dream began to believe in himself. “It was like I was born right here in Cheyenne,” said LeDoux.
Chris obtained his Rodeo Cowboy’s Association permit in due order and stretched his talent by listening to advice of fellow riders and working hard at his chosen craft. He never won Cheyenne but came close. Twenty years after the ride that nearly got him the Frontier Days buckle he would remember every moment clearly. He could talk about the horse, and the ride, and Joe Alexander coming out of the chute later to best LeDoux’s mark setting a record that still stands. Chris spoke as if he’d just dismounted from that horse right there in the middle of the Cheyenne arena – the arena where yesterday his son Beau brought Dad home.
Photo Caption: Beau LeDoux rides at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Upon dismount he left ashes of his father Chris in the arena dirt.
Credit: Rick Carpenter
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1 comment:
Chris will be missed. Thanks for sharing this story.
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