OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE: Ousley sets his mind to a horseshoeing career.

Feb. 17—Cam Ousley worked toward success in many areas — the rodeo arena, the gridiron and the golf course.

He recalls racing his horse around barrels at age 5 and began competing in rodeos before junior high school.

Ousley spent almost that long playing football. He played Paul Young football as a boy, then went on to play at Muskogee High. He played defensive end, fullback, nose guard and center.

"I was fast, and I was one of the stronger guys on the team, but I wasn't one of the biggest," Ousley said. "I did take football very seriously, but once football season was over with, it was back to rodeoing. I used the shape and strength I gained playing football to my best ability while I was rodeoing."

Ousley also tries his skill at golf.

"Golf is a big release for me," he said. "Even if I have a bad day of golfing, if I lose some shots or hit balls in the water, it's still very relaxing for me. It's a great outlet."

He now is working toward a career as a farrier, or horseshoer. He said he began horseshoeing as a side job in August.

"But I've been trimming horses — getting feet correct for shoes — for a long time," he said. "I always knew I'd be around horses most of my life so, I figured, if I'm going to be around them I might as well learn how to shoe them."

Ousley does this while working at Oldcastle APG.

He said he eased up on rodeoing while he starts his business and watches his young children grow up. He said his children are getting involved in sports.

"Once I get my business going pretty good and I'm working for myself shoeing horses and I'm not working the second job, then I'll free my time and start rodeoing," he said. "I've got a game plan I'm sticking to."

Combine rodeo, shoeing horses

Cam Ousley said his horseshoeing job complements his rodeo work.

"When I do some rodeoing I take some of my stuff with me because every time I rodeo, somebody's going to need something done," he said.

He said his work has taken him as far as Cushing.

Ousley wears broad chaps with thick leather around the thighs. The chaps have pockets for knives and picks, plus a magnet for nails.

"So I don't have to hold them in my mouth," he said.

He scrapes under the hoof with a knife or wire brush and files the hoof. He hammers the shoe against an anvil to flatten or curve it. Ousley said he makes sure the horseshoe nails go in at the same angle as the hoof wall.

Ousley said his biggest challenge has been learning how to run his own business.

Another challenge comes when horses don't stand still. But Ousley meets that challenge with patience.

"There's been a few that, when they're a little antsy — if the owners had approved it or the vet approved it — you give them a little medicine to calm them down," he said.

Calf roping what Ousley does best

Ousley has done rodeos as far away as Arizona and the Dakotas.

He said his most recent win was a first-place last July in the south Oklahoma town of Gene Autry.

He called calf-roping his "go-to" competition at the rodeo.

"It just comes easy to me," he said. "I don't know how to put it any other way."

Calf roping, or tie down roping, involves a calf being let into the arena while the roper waits behind a barrier. Ousley said if the barrier is broken, the roper loses 10 seconds.

"You rope your calf, step off your horse, run down the rope, flank and tie any three legs and fastest time wins," he said.

Ousleu said he has tied some calves as quickly as seven seconds.

"It all depends on set up of rodeo," he said. "I've won a few rodeos where I've tied them in nine seconds. I've won a few rodeos where I tied them in ten."

Drawing a good calf makes a difference, he said.

"You could be the world's number one roper and if you don't draw a good calf that allows you to be fast, doesn't kick when you tie or doesn't run too hard, or isn't too slow or too weak, you won't win," Ousley said. "If you choose a good calf and you rope pretty good, you're going to win some good money."

It can be a physical challenge.

"Roping is a tough sport," he said. "You gotta have some athletic moves, and you have to know how to flank calves and have some physical strength."

Good golf or bad golf relaxes Ousley

Ousley said golf is a relaxing break from horseshoeing and roping.

"Now that I'm shoeing horses and working two jobs, I don't get to golf much," he said. "I think I've golfed four or five times in the past year."

He said the biggest challenge of golfing is "between your ears."

"You think too much," he said. "You think about shots to make, and you wonder 'I swung the club this way, why is my ball not doing what it should do.' It's just so technical. You think so much about how to play a certain shot instead of just playing and enjoying the time. Just go and enjoy it, don't think to hard about it."

He said he has a 12 handicap.

"Say it's a par 72 course, I can shoot an 85-86," he said.

Ousley said his favorite course is Cherokee Trails, a nine-hole course behind Sequoyah High School near Tahlequah.

"In the summertime, if it gets a little rain out there, there is a little creek that runs through there," he said. "The layout of the course is pretty good. You've got some elevations to some holes, some holes that are flat. You've got some holes you can cut the corner on."

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE AN OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE?

"My mom brought me here. Muskogee's just where I want to be. I don't know anything else."

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT MUSKOGEE?

"You can manage traffic. You don't have to worry about it being 5 o'clock and it takes you 20 minutes or an hour to get home. It's not like Tulsa or Oklahoma City."

WHAT WOULD MAKE MUSKOGEE A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE?

"I remember saying we needed a Whataburger and a Chicken Express, so now we have those already. I would enjoy Texas Roadhouse. I remember saying we need a rodeo here, and it's starting to happen. That's been something we look forward to."

WHAT PERSON IN MUSKOGEE DO YOU ADMIRE MOST?

"Since I've become an adult, I've just kind of made my own way. But if you're going to be honest about it, my mom's been my backbone. Any type of troubles, or bad times, my mama's been there for me. and you only get one mama."

WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE THING TO HAPPEN TO YOU IN MUSKOGEE?

"Besides rodeoing, when I was playing football. My glory days of playing football. I was a little guy. I was the little guy with the big heart and all the 'try' in the world. I gave it 110% every time I put the helmet on."

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

"In my spare time, I enjoy listening to music. I'm more of an instrumental guy. and hang out with my kids."

HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP MUSKOGEE IN 25 WORDS OR LESS?

"It's historical. We've got the Batfish and Bass Reeves. There's lots of stuff downtown that was here when we first were founded. It's a small, historic spot that people will love to see."