Born in the little town of Lovell, Wyoming Kirk Marchent was brought up to be a small time horse-man a path in the direction of no where, but took on a life of adventure, bum dumb jobs, and a great rodeo career surprising everyone.
He was born into Rodger and Patricia Marchents life in 1948. Kirk was placed into a life of hard times on a little ranch that had been passed through to family since the late 1800's. Kirk's siblings consisted of one older brother and two younger all hell raisers. Kirk as a child did mostly the same chores as any other ranch kid: irrigation, feed cows and horses morning and night, cleaning stalls, fixing fence, and any thing else to keep ends together with the ranch. Going into middle school Kirk found his calling for rodeo in the Little Britches competition doing saddle bronc, junior bulls, and bareback riding.
Some horses are chosen for use in rodeos, due to t...
Kirk Douglas
Bareback riding at the Russian River Rodeo, Califo...Kirk attended Lovell High aslo competing in the rodeo there, but only in the saddle bronc. Kirk practiced week over week to get good at what he practiced. Him and his older brother, to practice ran the wild horses in their back yard around until they semi-tired down then one person would run through the middle of them jumping onto the back gripping all the mane they could grab just to stay on. Then when they were jerked around enough or figured they had rode long enough the rider would yell for help so the one watching would ride as a pick-up man and save them. Kirk had said that once he and his older brother had accidently done this stunt to one of the bigger studs. A big buckskin stud infact. Kirks brother flew through the herd found this big stout stud and swung up on. It wasn't within seconds he was yelling for help. Kirk tried to ride in but the stud kept chasing him off ears pinned. He said he finally had to rope the stud and just take off dalyed up giving his brother a chance to bail and run. When the two had gotten home both got whippin's one for being dumb and jumping on a stud and the other for losing their dad's good rope. Kirk said that he learned best with these wild mustangs until the government interfeared ending their ritual practices. Kirk said growing up the government messed up a lot of him and his brothers habits.
Kirk's parent's ranch was all open green pastures till the government came in and fenced out a big section to keep them from coming close to the wild horses. Kirk also stated a story of his great uncle from when he was on the ranch: He said his uncle and a man got into an argument on fencing rights on the property so Kirk's great uncle shot the other man off his horse killing him, then ran to canada where he lived the rest of his life. Kirk says that the government should keep their noses to their own business. He also despises the police force. Quote "the cops use to be out to help the citizens, now they are looking for any excuse to get anyone into trouble" un quote. He said that in his teens him and his brother stole some geese from a neighboring farm and threw them into the cop shop. They both got caught but everyone laughed about it thinking it was a good joke.
After highschool Kirk tried college but only lasted a year because his rodeo dream was pulling at him more than he could handle. Kirk's summer consisted of all rodeo competing in the NRA, Calgary, and five world championchips. One thing he said was different was rodeo entry fees. He said you coud enter in an event for only $35 compared to the $100 to $200 entry fee now. Another thing he said was wrong was the way they score a rider. He said a rider could win a round with a sixty-six wich now is a low score. He believes that the scoring is higher just to please the crowd because you can score up to a hundred points and a sixty-six doesn't look that great. He also saidd the winning pots weren't at such high stakes like today's rodeo's, and he says you could atleast find a real cowboy in the old rodeo's instead of these wanna be pansies. Finally Kirk decided to settle down in Cody.
Kirk says the people of this town have changed. "You use to be able to walk down the streets and see cowboys everywhere, but now they are so rare it breaks my heart that we are a dying breed." Kirk is still working construction 27 years after his rodeo dreams.
Kirk Marchent has taught me a lot sitting down and talking with him. He is a very good family friend but I never new his great passion he had for rodeo and ranch work. He made me see what real cowboy life was like and how the "cowboys" today really are just a silly act.
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English: Saddle bronc riding; in rough stock event...
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Woman roping a calf at the Buffalo Bill Cody Stamp...