Back in the days that I attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, my roommate was Ed Nusselhuf, a Colorado cowboy from the Southeastern part of that state. He was a great rodeo buff. I waited for the Sporting News in my mailbox, he couldn’t wait to get Rodeo News. One weekend he got a hold of some information that there was to be an amateur rodeo near Albert Lea in Southern Minnesota. That was all it took. He threw his roping case and bronc-riding saddle in the back of the “Flash”, his car, and we headed out on the road to do a little rodeoing. Of course, there was no way I was getting any where near the stock, I was just along for the ride and the watching.
We arrived at the grounds, and Ed wandered over to the registration booth where he paid his money for the events he was to enter. He ran into a friend he had known from college, and they soon were back talking to me with this strange gleam in their eyes. “Say “Hoov” (my nickname), he said, “I need $10.00 from you. You got that much on you?” I pulled out my wallet, handed him the money, and as he was walking away I said, “What’s it for?” (thinking that he was a little short for the entrance fee.) “It’s for the Wild-Cow Milking Contest” he said. “We’ll tell you about it later.” Off he went again. I could swear I heard a chuckle, but I shrugged it off and waited for the events to take place.
Ed tried his best, but he didn’t ride the required 8 seconds in the saddle bronc, and he got the calf on his second try in calf-roping, but he finished out of the money. Ed walked over to where I was standing along the fence. “Are you ready?” he said. “Sure” I replied, “ready for what?” “Why” he said, “it’s time for the Wild-Cow Milking Contest.” “Tom, here, he’ll be the milker, I’m the roper” and you, Hoov, are the mugger.” “Sure,” I said, “What do I do?” “After I rope the cow, you run as fast as you can and grab hold of the cow’s neck so it stands still. Then Tom will take the pail and get some milk to run it to the judge’s stand. The first one there wins the prize.” So we gathered at one end of the arena. There must have been 10-12 teams of 3 men each. Meanwhile, on the other end of the arena stood these range cows, nervously pawing the ground, looking for a way to escape the mass of men aimed straight at them. “Bang,” the starting gun fired. Thirty men began running at the cows with Ed the fastest of all. Swinging his rope he missed the first time. Then he connected. Tom and I are still lumbering down the arena, about two-thirds of the way there, when the cow Ed has roped takes off coming right at us. Ed is trying to run to keep up. “Grab him Hoov,” he yells, and then he’s jerked off his feet. The cow barrels by us, pulling Ed behind, who has now become a dirt surfer while still holding the rope. Tom and I turn to follow, but we can hardly move, because we’re laughing so hard as Ed continues to sail down the arena, dirt clods flying in all directions. When we catch up to him the cow’s sides are heaving in and out taking in huge gulps of air. The cow is so tired that all I have to do is drape my arm over her neck while Tom does the milking. He runs to the judge’s stand, presents the pail, we finished in second place! We’re in the money!
Whenever I think about that rodeo, a picture forms in my mind of the determination of Ed Nesselhuf to hold on to that cow despite the dirt hurtling off his face and body. He didn’t give up. He stayed with the contest all the way to the end. My mind is drawn to another picture, to that of a Father who watches his children wander far from home. I see that same Father send his Son to earth, the one who stubbornly clings to the will of God to save, even when humankind roars and bucks and would throw the Son off the trail if it could. The Son clings to the will of the Father even when the dirt clods of death cover his lifeless body after he has been taken down from the cross of shame. He didn’t give up. He stayed with the contest with Satan for human beings all the way to the end. And on the third day he arose and stood triumphantly, smiling in joy that the enemy had been vanquished. He won the prize and brought life and salvation to all the people of earth.
So whenever I happen to notice news about a rodeo, my mind is drawn back to Ed Nusselhuf and the Wild Cow Milking Contest. I can still see him being dragged through the dirt, hanging on to the rope. I can still see the window of wonder it opens up for me on God’s determined love for his children. I see the Christ giving up his body and even his life, yet triumphing in the end. I gaze in awe and wonder at this saving event. Have you ever seen such perseverance? Have you ever seen such love?
Pastor Dale Halverson
Email: dale@halversons.org
