Morning Sentinel
A cowboy and his horse
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BY DARLA L. PICKETT
Correspondent Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 08/20/2009

SKOWHEGAN -- They have been best friends for 17 years, Bruce Staples and his equine companion, Patches Moon, who nudged his owner in gentle greeting.

The bond was apparent as the two strolled in contented silence across the small pasture behind Staples' home one hot, sunny day this week.

This was a quiet day for the horse and rider, a retired Maine state trooper, who for 12 summers now have been doing anything but stroll.

As one, the pair has raced the clock, cornered cattle and delighted horse riders young and old alike since 1997, whipping their way around Team Penning arenas at fairs across the state. This Saturday they will compete with many other teams from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Skowhegan State Fair.

Their devotion to the sport of cattle roundup has this year been recognized by Staples' peers, who dedicated the 2009 Central Maine Team Penning Association Program book to Staples and his trusty steed and featured their history together.

"I've had Patches for 17 years," Staples said of his 27-year-old Appaloosa. "I'd rather ride Patches and lose, than buy a new horse and win."

Local equestrian enthusiasts, or anyone who enjoys watching animals and owners demonstrate their skills, will get that chance Saturday.

The sport is exciting and spirited, said Staples.

Team penning is a sport that pits three teams of riders and horses against a time clock and a herd of 30 cattle, from which they must separate three and bring them to a pen at the opposite end of the arena in 60 seconds or less.

The stickler is, the numbers of the animals the riders must select is only called out, and flashes across an electronic screen, when the timing begins. The riders must pick out the three (number sevens for instance) and round them up.

Staples said the best he and his teammates have done is 28 seconds. It was "almost 17 seconds" he said, except one of the animals got past a rider on the back side of the pen.

"It's really fun to watch," he said of team penning events that also are held at fairs in Bangor, Windsor and Farmington.

Staples and Patches also are featured in a full-page photo, carrying an American flag, on the cover of the July 2009 issue of "The Horse's Maine," a Maine Equestrian Newspaper.

Staples was encouraged to try team penning by his brother and fellow horseman, Danny Staples.

"I fell right in love with it," Staples said.

Staples became one of the founders of Central Maine Team Penning Association and helped grow the organization.

"I originally bought Patches for my wife to take lessons on and Big Rig (another Appaloosa) for myself. But he was just too much horse for her," Staples said. So he took over Patches and they have been a team ever since.

Staples and Patches have won many award buckles, including the Novice Team Penning Division in 1997 and again in 2002. In 2006, the duo won the Open Arena Sorting Division.

Staples credits Patches with a will to win and a loving spirit.

"Patches is so personable, I can't even take him back to the (barns) and tie him up or he hollers," Staple said with a grin. "So I take him to stand by the fence and he sleeps (between competitions), with the lead up over his neck. He is happier around the other people and the horses. All the little kids want to see the horse; Patches knows when a little one is on his back."

In the meantime, the 57-year-old Staples, owner or Big Moon Farm Inc., operates a hay and shavings delivery business from his West Front Street location. He delivers hay up and down the east coast as far as South Carolina and north to Canada, a job that requires strength and endurance -- loading sometimes as many as 1,500 bales of hay on and off a tractor trailer many times a week.

Known on the penning circuit for his role as a summertime cowboy, Staples is perhaps just as well-known for his 20-year career as a state trooper.

After nearly two years at Thomas College in business management, Staples was accepted into the 30th training troop of the Maine State Police.

During his service with the state police, Staples received many awards and letters of commendation, as well as a Citation for Bravery for putting his personal safety at risk while rescuing a barricaded person from a burning building, a man who only minutes before had been shooting at him.

Staples also was nominated for the National Bravery Award and the rescue was the subject of a segment of the TV show "Top Cops."

Staples remained a member of the Maine State Police Tactical Team for 10 years, retiring in 1995.

Soon after joining the state police, Staples began police combat competition shooting and immediately found his niche. In 1975, his first year of competition, he won the Marksman class, skipped Sharpshooter class and moved on to Master class.

He has held several world and national records for perfect scores and all the state records for police combat competition.

Being at the top of his game in sports is not new to Staples, who excelled in high school sports, lettering in football, wrestling and track. He was later inducted into the Skowhegan High School Hall of Fame for his contributions to athletics and achievements.

Staples has been married to his high school sweetheart, Vicki, for 37 years and they have three adult children, Pieter, Audrie and Macie.

Staples operated a gun shop from 1981 to 2007, before turning to hay and horses, which he says returns many rewards and a lot of lessons in life.

"If you go to team penning expecting to win, you're setting yourself up for disappointment," he said.

"If you go into team penning expecting to have a good time, you will never be disappointed. This is not just a team of three people with each other, but you are a team with your horse."

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