Area Homemakers Follow the Circuit of National Association Rodeos Following the rodeo trail as contestants is a pleasing and rewarding way of life, according to young Howard Manuel and Loretta Manuel, recently of O'Conee, Illinois. The Manuels are settled now in north Hunt County as home owners, between appearances the year round made at National Association Rodeos. Competing in the All Star Dallas Rodeo the last week in December 1965, Manuel split fourth in saddle bronc competition beginning the RCA's (Rodeo Cowboy Association) contest for 1966. Loretta, who was National Champion Barrel Racer in 1963, placed third in the Dallas meet. Her competition for the year in the National Association, the GRA (Girls Rodeo Association) for the year include twenty-two contests with winnings of $5,570.00. There were fifteen women in the final national ratings. The Manuels, at home one mile west of Kingston, spoke of their life with the circuit and the Rodeo Association. "The RCA, with offices in Denver, Colorado, recognizes riders only in approved rodeos," Manuel explained. "Rodeo people hope to get the attraction recognized publicity-wise, as a major sport although records show that rodeo is the second highest paid sport in attendance in the nation," Loretta added. "Rodeo rules, management, and publicity will help create interest in the spectator sport." Mrs. Manuel brought home from Dallas All Star Rodeo, a Navaho designed, leather trimmed saddle blanket, an award, along with her year's totals. Her award in 1964 was the birth of the second of their children, Howard, Jr., now ten months old, blond blue-eyed, and pleasant, as are his parents and five-year old sister, Brenda. The family logs forty to sixty thousand miles each year as they make the circuits. Their two quarter horses used in the shows travel in the truck van. A commodious house trailer is their home en-route and while "working the shows." Howard has an occupation going for him other than his contesting in saddle bronc riding and sometimes steer wrestling or bull riding. He is a horse shoer. He has the necessary equipment along at all times and cares for the needs of show horses in that way. He uses his weeks off from rodeo attendance to shoe horses at his home or called to where his work is needed. Howard, a former US Army man, learned the art of shoeing horses while stationed at San Antonio, Texas, 1960-1962. Veteran Sgt. Elliott, "Pope" to the boys, was retiring from the Army and his job of keeping shod the horses of the Army Pentathlon team. Howard, with the crew that cared for the horses, learned the techniques of horseshoeing from his old sergeant. He finds it a needed and useful trade. Love of horses came naturally for both Mr. and Mrs. Manuel, reared in the mid-west. Pana, Illinois was the town from which Howard Manuel graduated from high school and where saddle bronc riding was begun as an amateur in 1953. Loretta Evans Manuel's family dealt in show horses. She is a graduate of Winamac (Indiana) High School. The couple met in rodeoing and were married in 1959. The next rodeo is in Denver, Colorado, the National Western Stock Show. The Manuels, having settled briefly on their twenty-seven acre grassland ranch, the Dewey Statzer place on Farm-to-Market 903 west of Kingston, will be in Denver to begin adding points, and dollars, toward the end of another season. Brenda, when asked what she did while mother raced, answered, "I watch the rodeo." Loretta explained that friends who do not compete care for the children while their parents are performing. (January 14, 1966, The Celeste Courier)