European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 26, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                O Deo riders the thrills and spills of weekend wranglers by Lynda Davidson staff photographer they ride the Rodeo circuit week after week challenging their bodies the broncs and the bulls. A it s a fever a said staff sgt. Chuck Arthaud of Hanau Germany. Quot if you go out there and turn one steer Back you re hooked. You la be Back next week. It gets in your  Arthaud knows of what he Speaks. The 20th Field arty Soldier has twice won the european Rodeo championship in Bronco Riding in addition to placing in team roping and winning the wild horse races. A a lot of people think we just come out Here and wrestle around with horses a said sgt. 1st class Jim arms of the i St army div in Nurnberg Germany. A there s a lot More that goes into it. There s a lot More heart and  Arthaud and arms Are among the american cowboys who compete on the european Rodeo circuit in Belgium the Netherlands and throughout Germany. About 18 rodeos Are held each season with four weekend performances at each one according to Rodeo owner Alan Jacob. He said about 90 percent of the 150 to 250 people who regularly compete at the rodeos Are members of the . Military. Sgt. Doug Shanks of the 2nd army div in Karlstedt Germany is also a competitor. He specializes in bareback and Bull Riding. A live been Rode oing since i was 13, about 20 years now a Shanks said. A i just love being around Stock around people. Helping out anybody i  helping out is a tradition among the competitors. A you can take a Guy that s never been on a horse or a Buff or whatever and these Guys will always Tell him the straight scoop a said 1st sgt. Larry Knuth of the 12th inf in Baum older Germany. A they go with him help him with his rigging. They la do everything right for these Guys. A Rodeo director Carl Gamel agreed. A if there s a new Man on the circuit the old Good riders will teach him. If he s Good they la keep on coaching him until he s better than they Are. This is one sport where there s a True camaraderie a Gamel said. Quot the Only thing that keeps me coming Back Here is the camaraderie a said arms. Quot the Guys support me and i try to support  he received some of that support when he was injured during a Rodeo at Kaiserslautern Germany earlier this month. During the wild horse race a horse known As Brush King Quot kicked me in the Kneecap and turned it around a couple of times. The doctors turned it Hack around Quot arms said. He was bar k at the Rodeo that night it it a crutches and in a leg Brace. A that s part of the camaraderie of being a Cowboy travelling together a he said. Quot we re after the same goal to outsmart the  regarding his injury arms said Quot the horses were a Little faster than the cowboys were. They won that  Knuth said a Cowboy who competes in three events could spend about $3,000 a year on his Hobby. Quot that s Tor travel meals and Entrance fees a Knuth said. Quot your equipment is totally different. Bareback rigging is about $ 300, bronc Saddle about $800, All paid out of the Cowboy s  most of the rodeos Are held on a military base or sponsored by the local morale welfare and recreation office in conjunction with a German american festival owner Jacob said. A it brings in approximately a million dollars for the mar when you Combine them All Quot he said noting that morale welfare and recreation funds receive a portion of ticket sales and All profits from Concession sales. As a Rodeo owner Jacob has been providing Stock and equipment for 21 years. The first major Rodeo was in 1972 at the Berlin Volk fest. A it was supposed to be a one time Deal. But soon after was getting Calls from All Over requesting that i bring the Rodeo to their area Quot he said. He works in tandem with the european Rodeo Cowboy association which governs the events handles entry fees and awards prizes. Although 20 percent of the association s 900 to 1,000 members Are women a smaller percentage of women participate in the competitions. Unlike rodeos in the United states where women compete separately from men women on the european stripes Magazine september 26, 1991