It's Thursday, so it must be Window Rock, Ariz. ... Or is it Oakley City, Utah?

For rodeo cowboys, this week can be pretty confusing. It's called Cowboy Christmas, the period that started last weekend and runs through the Independence Day holiday into this weekend.

There are so many rodeos during this period, it's like Christmas shopping for the rodeo set. And with the hectic travel schedule that most follow, the days practically run into each other.

In 13 days, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is sanctioning 44 rodeos in 21 states and two Canadian provinces – a whopping 31 of those occur between July 2-8.

Coincidentally, there are only three PRCA-sanctioned events in Texas during this span. The West of Pecos Rodeo started the run last weekend. Belton's annual event began Wednesday and runs through Friday. And the weekly Mesquite Championship Rodeo, of course, covered both weekends.

There will be countless hours spent on lonesome highways or in airplanes to fulfill the feeding-frenzy during this period.

Seven-time world all-around champion Ty Murray still holds the earnings record for Cowboy Christmas, having cashed $37,630 over eight days in 1999. In 2002, roughstock rider Jesse Bail won $33,456 during the period, competing in six states, two countries, traveling nearly 18,000 miles and working for a total of just three minutes.

And then there are guys like the Wolfpack – bareback riders Royce Ford, Will Lowe, Tom McFarland and Wes Stevenson. They won't be setting any earnings records because they depend mostly on car travel. But like many, they cover a large number of miles, sometimes driving all night.

Last year, for instance, the Wolfpack traveled over 4,500 miles in seven days, spending about $900 on gasoline. Stevenson, who is from Kaufman, was the big winner of the group, earning $12,311. They traveled in a Dodge full-sized van, owned by Stevenson, which was equipped with a bed where the four took turns sleeping.

However, sometimes travel plans go awry. Several years ago, six bull riders were stranded in Reno, Nev., when their flight was canceled. They needed to get to Las Vegas for a connecting flight, or all their plans would go out of the window.

Of course, cowboys tend to get innovative in situations like that. They decided to go to a local used car lot, where they purchased an old clunker for $600. So shaky was the ride, they never cut the engine off during pit stops en route to Las Vegas for fear it wouldn't start again.

Well, they made it to the Las Vegas airport with 10 minutes to spare, virtually roaring up to the front door, the clunker blowing smoke in all directions. As they bailed out, a security guard protested.

"Hey, you guys can't park there," he yelled.

The driver grabbed the key and tossed it to the guard.

"It's yours now. You can do whatever you want to with it," he yelled, as he dashed off with rigging bag in tow.

Palermo wins at Glendale: Robson Palermo claimed the second Built Ford Tough Series event of his career – and his second this month – Sunday during the Professional Bull Riders stop in Glendale, Ariz.

The young rider, who hails from Rio Branco Acre, Brazil, was the only cowboy to cover three bulls during the event, finishing with 262.5 points.

He completed his winning run by marking an 89.25 aboard Cadillac Man of Double R Bucking Bulls in the championship round.

After claiming victory in Round 1, young Harve Stewart of Stephenville, Texas, finished second in the event with a dazzling ride on Cajun King for a score of 88.75. Stewart's combined score of 178.75 points was enough for the reserve championship and the best finish of his PBR career.

Justin McBride, who won last week's Dickies Invitational in Dallas, sat out Round 2 in Glendale after suffering a concussion during Friday night's competition.

knocke1@aol.com

TODAY-FRIDAY, JULY 5-6 – 83rd Annual Fourth of July Celebration and PRCA Rodeo, Expo Center, Belton, Texas. 7 p.m.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JULY 6-7 – Mesquite Championship Rodeo, Resistol Arena, Mesquite. 8 p.m. 972-285-8777. Box seats, $30-$14. Reserved grandstand, $12. Seniors (59-up), $7; Children (3-12) $7. www.mesquiterodeo.com.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JULY 6-7 – Stockyards Championship Rodeo, Cowtown Coliseum, Fort Worth. 8 p.m. Box seats, $15; VIP Club seating, $15; General admission, $11.50; Children (3-12), $8; Seniors (60-up), $9.50. 817-625-1025 and 817- 323-2855. www.stockyardsrodeo.com.

FRIDAY, JULY 6-SUNDAY, JULY 15 – Calgary Stampede, Stampede Park, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.