High noon Friday brought a different stampede of traffic to downtown Tejon Street.

Cowboys from a dozen ranches "drove" more than 60 Longhorn cattle down the street as a kickoff to Saturday's "Ride for the Brand" Championship Ranch Rodeo at Norris Penrose Event Center.

The drive was a strange sight for some of the spectators who lined Tejon on curbs, chairs and the back of pickup trucks to catch the quickie cattle drive.

"We don't see cows walking down the street in Minnesota," tourist Sandy Weber said.

Colorado Springs resident Rocky Rivera never misses the event.

"It's a tradition, to see the past, the Americanization," Rivera said. "There's a great urban cowboy in me."

Two-year-old Cole Foster of Black Forest got his cowboy on by wearing a hat about as big as he was.

"He likes to ride horses and see the cows," his dad, Luke, said.

Uncle Wilber briefly lost out to the Old West as kids darted from the fountain to soak in the spectacle on Tejon.

"Those are real cowboys," M.L. Hopkins told her bathing-suit-clad grandkids, who were visiting from Wisconsin.

Her 4-year-old grandson, Nathan, was more enthralled by the horned cattle.

"They look like buffaloes," he said.
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RODEO ROUNDUP
The "Ride for the Brand" Championship Ranch Rodeo, which starts at 6 p.m. Saturday at Norris Penrose Event Center, 1045 W. Rio Grande St., raises funds for local military charities and scholarships.
Rodeo tickets, $15-$25, are at TicketsWest locations; 1-866-464-2626; or ticketswest.com.
For rodeo details: championshipranchrodeo.com.