"The One-Armed Bandit
Act," alias the "Bovine Dominators," known around here as John Payne
and his Florida Cur Head Dogs and Cattle show, is making news as a
specialty act on the Professional Cowboy Rodeo Association tour.
The act, which started at the Ponca City 101 Ranch Rodeo in 1987,
has been attracting a lot of attention in arenas across the country.
This year at the awards banquet of the PCRA in Las Vegas, Payne, who
lost an arm in an electrical accident, and his act were among three
nominated for specialty act of the year.
According to
Payne, this was the first time a new act had ever been nominated for
the honor. The winner was Jerry Wayne Olsen of South Dakota and his
Roman Rider Act. He is a veteran of 20 years. The other runner-up
was Tommy Lucia of Texas and "Whiplas, the cowboy monkey." He is
also a veteran performer.
Those voting on the
specialty acts are the professional rodeo cowboys, the stockmen, the
announcers and the specialty act folks themselves.
His first year out on the circuit with his act, Payne has performed
in Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Nevada and
Oklahoma during 1988.
Payne's 1989 schedule is
shaping up quickly. The year begins with the National Western Stock
Show in Denver, Jan. 9-10. As a free-lance act, the One-Armed Bandit
will be per-forming at the Dodge City Rodeo, one the largest in this
area.
He will also be appearing at Prescott, Ariz., Bonifay, Fla.,
Crossett, Ark., and Mitchell, S.D., to name a few of the
out-of-state events.
In Oklahoma, he has been booked
to work the Ranch Rodeo at the Lazy E at Guthrie, the McAlester
Prison Rodeo and the Woodward Rodeo.
John's act
includes getting the dogs to drive the cattle onto a flat bed
trailer and even up on top of the cab. The dogs are trained by Payne
himself.
This is a specialty act everyone should see.
Next year it could be the act of the year.
