Last week Roy Cooper was interviewed by Ty Harris on his podcast. This story was told by Roy during the interview. Like all rodeo cowboys, there’s always a few great memories once the rodeo career is done. This is one of the best rodeo stories I’ve ever heard.
Roy had just bought a really expensive calf roping horse named Big John. Roy had a guy that drove the truck and trailer from rodeo to rodeo, sometimes Roy would fly so he could get to more rodeos. He roped at Baton Rouge, Louisiana then had to fly somewhere far away. He told his driver to head towards Mobile, Alabama and make sure he didn’t leave Big John in the rain.
Roy’s driver and another man wanted to go see the French quarter in New Orleans. The only problem was they had to find a place for Big John. So, they rented a room on the ground floor of the Holiday Inn that was around the back of the motel. They filled a trash can up with water and put in the room. They scooted the bed over by the wall and put some hay and feed in the room for Big John. They also unhooked the horse trailer and then headed to the French quarter.
They had a good time in the French quarter for a few hours then headed back to the motel. When they arrived there were cops all over the parking lot and all sorts of commotion. It seems someone spotted the horse inside the room and they reported it to the cops.
Roy said they didn’t just kick them out of the motel, the police escorted them out of town. He didn’t find out about the ordeal until weeks later while sharing a flight with someone the story had been told too.
I guess I’m not that creative. I’ve rodeoed in the south several times when it was raining. I’ve tied my horse inside the convention center and got in trouble for that, but I never dreamed I could have got my horse a room at a motel. It’s probably a good thing I wasn’t told this story twenty five years ago…..
James Lockhart lives near the Kiamichi mountains in southeast Oklahoma. He writes cowboy stories and fools with cows and horses.
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