I’ve Ridden Curio.

Curio was a notorious rodeo mare said
to be un-rideable by many, she rose to
fame back in the 1930s and has been
the subject for a lot of poetry and
country music songs since then.

I’ve Ridden Curio.

They kicked her in the belly
And pulled the cinch up tight,
While she stared with bitter hatred
At everyone in sight.
And I felt my nerve ends curling
For I knew that it would be
A fight to end all fights
Between Curio and me.

And she could smell my fear
As sure as she was born,
And she screamed aloud her fury,
Her hatred and her scorn.
I felt my stomach knotting
And my heart beat loud and fast,
But I felt some satisfaction when
I heard her pain filled gasp.

The cinch was tight as hades,
She’d never work it loose,
She’d been known to throw her rider
And then the whole caboose.
Her hatred was well kindled,
There was murder in her eyes,
Not many stood beside her
To take the devil’s prize.

They say Dargin’s Grey could beat her,
I’ve seen that blighter go,
And her equal could be Pincher,
He’s a nasty so and so,
Chain Lightning is a killer,
He’s sent many to the dust.
But I’d rather have a go at them
Than this one if I must.

The stink of carbides burning,
The stench of horse and sweat,
The banging of the chute gates
And the voices yelling bets.
Couldn’t take my mind of Curio,
The venom in her eyes,
The threat of death one can’t ignore
With nonchalance and smiles.

I felt the other riders watch me
As they tried to gauge my fear,
And their eyes were filled with sympathy
As my time came drawing near,
They’d felt this clawing at their guts
The panic and the doubt
That turns your blood to water when
You know there’s no way out.

I don’t know until this day
How I got there on her back,
All I know is that I got there
And heard a loud resounding smack
Across her rump before we headed
To the middle of the ring,
And then the world went crazy
And my ears began to ring.

She did everything she knew
And thought of new things in between,
She corkscrewed fell and twisted
With that high blood-curdling scream,
She reached up for the sky,
Then sickeningly she fell
I thought, in that split second,
“Boy, you’re on your way to Hell.”

I felt the blood rise in my throat,
There was a red haze ‘fore my eyes
It took everything I had
To keep my arm up to the skies
Every instinct screamed inside me
To hold on, and hold on tight,
But if I was going to ride her,
I vowed I’d ride her right.

One second I was seeing earth,
The next brown turned to blue,
Whether I was right or upside down
I never had a clue,
My teeth were rattling in my head,
My muscles ripped and sore
I’ve ridden many wild ones,
But none like that before.

It seemed like hours, the panic rose,
The whole ring was a blur,
I’d stopped all thought, my legs were numb,
But I stuck like a Bathurst Burr.
If any angel guarded me,
She sure worked hard that day
For what kept me on that heaving back,
Not one who saw, can say.

I woke up in the first aid tent
Surrounded by my mates,
The dust had filled my eyes and throat
And I knew too well my fate.
Until they grabbed me by the hand
That was bleeding, black and blue,
I could not believe the words they yelled,
I’d seen the seconds through.

I may have ridden Curio,
it’s my proud boast today,
But if the time came round again
You’d find me miles away.
She’s Hell and bitter fury,
The devil’s ‘neath her hide
It’s not a horse I tell you,
It’s death himself you ride.

written by Valerie P Read