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Cow roundup raises funds for Idaho Falls Corps.
Broken Bit Arena in Idaho Falls, Ida. was a busy site as 25 riders lined up to enter a “cow penning” fundraiser sponsored by The Salvation Army’s Idaho Falls Corps.
Racing against the clock, each team of three was required to “cut” numbered cows from a group of 10 and herd them into a pen.
Entries received three random numbers corresponding to numbered cows in the herd. The “cutter” rode into their midst to retrieve—or cut—his designated cow from the others. The two remaining riders were “holders” to keep the herd then move the separated cow into a pen. This process continued until the one-minute buzzer sounded. The record for the evening was three cows penned in under a minute.
Major Samuel Southard, corps officer, and his team rode away with one of the better overall performances of the evening.
A local TV station covered the event.
“I’m very pleased with the results of the event, the response from the community to sponsor the event and the generosity of the riders who attended even though it snowed. I’ll try to do it again next year, only earlier,” Southard said.
Spectators watched the skilled horsemanship while dining on pulled pork sandwiches with Southard’s famous baked beans and cole slaw, all served from The Salvation Army’s Emergency Services canteen outside the arena.
Donations received for this first-time event totaled over $1,000.