OUT WHERE THE WEST BEGINS 



ent dimensions, its sudden enlargement being due to 

 an incident which happened the first year in the Indian 

 race at the opening of the show. The rules provided 

 that all Indians should be clothed only in breech clout 

 and paint and should ride their own ponies. One In- 

 dian was painted from scalplock to toe in a vivid blue, 

 standing out strikingly in contrast with the others. 



At the crack of the pistol they were away on a 

 wet, muddy track. They struck the first turn, which 

 was sharp and a veritable mudhole at the small end of 

 the egg-shaped track. Down went the leader, the 

 others piling on top. Every man went down and every 

 horse piled up. Few escaped without some cut or 

 bruise, while the blue Indian when he scrambled out 

 had turned black in the mud; in fact there was not 

 enough blue on him to make even the seat in a sailor's 

 breeches. Raley was terribly perturbed, but Mark 

 Moorhouse said, "Roy, the show's made." It was the 

 first thrill, but to obviate such dangers, the plan of the 

 quarter-mile track was put through before the show 

 last year. 



Speaking of thrills, it will be interesting to comment 

 on the careful and basic consideration given to the 

 study of the psychological aspects of the plans. In or- 

 ganizing the features of the entertainment, the meet- 

 ings lasted often far into the night, the committee 

 agreeing that the essentials of entertainment could 

 be reduced to three — thrills, the spectacular and 

 laughter. 



In their consideration of the thrill element they con- 

 cluded that contests would take away all the element of 

 affectation or acting in the mind of the participants, for 

 in a contest of the kind adapted to the purpose of the 

 Round-Up the contestant would have to concentrate 



21 



