Wild west show helps Nebraskaland Days celebrate 50th anniversary
Buffalo Bill Cody is credited with creating the “Wild West Show” concept. It combines rodeo and trick-riding skills in a circus atmosphere. In fact, some have credited Buffalo Bill with creating the modern rodeo.
Buffalo Bill, a longtime North Platte resident, created his version of the show in 1882, when the city didn’t have any plans for a July 4th celebration. A year later, he started a worldwide tour in Omaha.
Buffalo Bill entertained people with his show for about two decades.
Now, Wild West shows throughout the United States try to keep that memory of yesteryear alive with their versions.
To help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Nebraskaland Days, North Platte welcomed the Great American Wild West Show to the city’s arena grounds. The show performed for two nights.
During the preshow, a couple of singers entertained the audience with old western songs, including “Tumbling Tumbleweed.” The old cowboy sang “Back in the Saddle” with an Elvis-slant. It was pretty cool. It was an old cowboy song with a rock ‘n’ roll twang.
I was excited to see the show.
They wasted no time in getting the show going as Buffalo Bill aboard a stage coach came roaring into the arena grounds.
The emcee introduced all the cast members for the show – trick riders, trick ropers, cowpokes, trick shooters and, of course, Buffalo Bill himself…or themselves. We counted at least three versions of Buffalo Bill. Regardless, we were in for a good time.
One of the first acts we saw was a guy who trained his horse to walk on its hind legs. That was quite impressive.
Next up, was a cowboy who could ride two horses at the same time.
We were truly impressed with the cowgirl, who rode on the backs of two horses while handling the reins of four horses. She had the horses running at a good pace. She would switch back and forth from the two horses she stood on. They even did a steeple jump – the first two horses, followed by the cowgirl atop the two others.
Apparently, she suffered a serious ankle injury a year earlier and had just started riding in the act again. Our family knows something about broken ankles (both daughters went through the pain). I was even more impressed with the fact that she just started performing again.
That act was followed by two female trick riders. They were quite acrobatic on their horses. They moved with ease, flipping themselves upside down on the side of a horse. One climbed and lay out at the front of saddle. These two girls were quite talented in their horse handling and riding skills.
Both riders have been stunt riders in movies, including “Cowgirls and Angels.”
The crowd was entertained with two heats of chuck wagon races. The small wagons were led by a team of four horses – one set black and the other brown.
The wagon drivers got the horses racing at a fast speed. They rounded the arena’s grounds barely slowing down in the turns. They raced around barrels set up for their course. In the second race, the wagons touched side-by-side, and one wagon lost its rear wheels. The horses kept pulling the wagon.
We were entertained by two trick ropers. One was from Nebraska.
They were impressive in handling the ropes. One guy rode his horse as he twirled the lasso in a large circle around him and his horse.
The second cowboy did some rope tricks on and off his horse. He even stood on his horse as he twirled the lasso.
We were entertained by a Native American family performing a Fancy Dance. This is a dance that is performed at a quick pace with the feet barely touching the ground. As I know from personal experience, it’s truly a dance for the young guys. I haven’t performed the dance, but I’ve been around enough dances to know the energy and skills the dance requires.
The dancer and his son gave a great performance. Mom and sister did a more traditional dance in the background.
Visitors got a look back into time as cowboys and longhorn cattle roamed the arena grounds. One cowpoke cut off a steer to display his handling skills.
Another talented horse was able to lay its front legs out on a stand and bow. I was truly impressed.
A couple from Missouri demonstrated gun safety while using homemade blanks. They emphasized that blanks can be dangerous if used wrong. They stood near empty aluminum cans and fired at them. They tore those cans apart.
The main event of the night was a stage coach robbery. The robbers shot the guard. As they were going through the bags for money and jewels, Buffalo Bill rode up and fired away, saving the stage driver and his passengers.
The cap to the night’s events was a bison herding exhibition by a one-handed cowboy. The bison, cowboy and his mule even climbed atop a trailer. Impressive!
I think the biggest thrill of the show for me actually happened before the show. We met Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley while eating at the Lincoln Highway Diner. They were kind enough to pose for a picture for me.
All in all, we had a great time at the Wild West Show. Some people may think it’s hokey, but I like that kind of stuff. The show was entertaining.
I’d recommend checking out a show like this should it come to your town.
Disclaimer: Thanks to the North Platte and Lincoln County Visitors Bureau for the complimentary tickets to the show. All opinions and views are ours.
