Tiny Monkey Cowboy magic at the rodeo as primate rounds up sheep riding a border collie

Dogs can be darned tricky critters.

So when you're in the saddle hold tight, keep your hat on and above all, let him know who's boss.

This, at least, is how this tiny cowboy has stayed king of the rodeo for 18 years. That and his fabulous outfit of course.

From the moment he rides into the rodeo ring on the back of his border collie, Whiplash the capuchin monkey is the star of the show.

With the help of his trusty steed, he rounds up a flock of startled sheep. Then there's the crowd's favourite 'hi-ho silver' moment when the collie becomes a bucking bronco and Whiplash rides tall in the saddle.

Well, as tall as a 12in cowboy can.

His owner, Tommy Lucia, 67, dismisses claims from animal campaigners that Whiplash would be better off in the rainforests of Central or South America, his native habitat.

'I rescued him from a stinking cage in Florida when he was just a baby and I can assure you he'd let me know if life wasn't good,' he declared.

Mr Lucia and Whiplash are regulars at the rodeo in Big Spring, Texas.

But their fan base is rapidly growing. Like most 21-year-olds, Whiplash is on Facebook.

And after starring in a TV ad for a taco restaurant chain, he is also an Internet hit, being seen by millions on YouTube.

Mr Lucia says Whiplash keeps his collies on a short rein.

'The sheepdogs know their place and he curses them like he does me if they are not doing what he says,' he said.

'He's got such a strong will you never quite know what he's going to do - there's always a surprise. But he's a natural in the saddle.

'When he's done for the day he goes to our motor home for dinner. His favourite foods are pears, apples, bananas and especially strawberries.'

Most Diabolical Strange Fish On Earth

Amazing Exploding Water Balloons Crystallized in Time

Snapshots of water-filled balloons bursting figure as amazingly frozen moments in time. Granted, they also bring back memories of when you were a young scamp, mischievously dropping water bombs on hapless cyclists from overpasses,
or soaking whole streets in drive-by drench-athons – but those days of innocence are gone now. So, it just leaves us to sit back and wonder at the beautiful physics of the things – as well as the devilish uses to which they can be put.

In a general sense it’s all to do with pressure – like peer pressure, but without the wicked little peers saying stuff like, “go on, soak the suckers, or we’ll soak you”. Yes, pressure. The pressure of the point of the pin, needle or whatever else it is that exerts force on the balloon, and the high pressure of the water inside the balloon, which is suddenly allowed to disperse. Since the water cannot all escape from the tiny hole pricked in the elastic material, it bursts to even out the pressure.

But enough talk; let’s see some shots of a water bomb bursting in sequence. A dart is let fly en route to puncture a balloon…

When the dart pierces the skin of its target, the balloon creases as it starts to split open, while ripples in the water’s surface tension begin to appear.

The water’s effervescence becomes more turbulent as it bulges, making its escape, even as the latex of the balloon surrenders to gravity.

Then there’s the magic moment from a photographic point of view, the instant when the water, shorn of its rubbery mould, still holds its roughly pear-shaped form…

…Before collapsing in a shower of water droplets.

s with so many things that are meant to be fun, some folks seem to take it all so very seriously. Throwing techniques include: not tying the water balloon closed but instead just twisting the end a few times so water begins to squirt out on the flight path; and overfilling the balloon so there’s enough weight and water to cause a good soaking even if it explodes on the ground. There are even accessories called ‘water balloon launchers’ as well as different types of nozzles and valves, all brought to you by a variety of money spinning manufacturers.
Maybe we’re traditionalists here at EG, but give us any balloons and we’re away, off on a journey of mischief and mayhem. Yes, we know you’re not supposed to use standard air balloons because they’re meant to be too thick, but when you’re holding a water bomb as big as a watermelon, no matter how hard to handle it may be, you know you’re going to cause a splash if it’s dropped from a great height. Oh yes.

Dogs in swimsuits at fashion show

Dogs wearing designer clothes strutted their stuff on the catwalk during a fashion show with a canine twist.Accompanied by two-legged models, the pooches paraded a series of fetching outfits from swimsuits to evening wear.
The Taipie-based company which launched the collection hope to catch the eye of dog lovers who treat their pets as family members.
"I want my dog to dress up like me, just like mother and daughter in the same style dress," said one owner.The dog-wear company plans to open markets in China, Japan and Australia.

Amazing Daredevil motorcyclist jumps London's Tower Bridge while doing a no-handed backflip

Motocross star Robbie Maddison found an unusual way to cross the Thames this morning - when he used his motorbike to leap an open Tower Bridge.

The 27-year-old Australian performed a no-handed backflip as he jumped the gap between the north and south side of the historic London landmark at 2.55am.

‘The whole experience was awesome,’ he said.


‘We had a matter of minutes on the bridge and had to time everything to the second - there were so many factors to get right, but we pulled it off.

‘It was an incredible feeling to fly between the two towers and over the Thames.’

Maddison said he had been planning a stunt in London since his last feat - leaping off a ramp on to a life-size replica of the Arc de Triomphe in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve last year.


‘People say I’m crazy, but I just want to push the boundaries of my sport and my body to the limit and I love taking on these huge challenges,’ he said.

Maddison, who also holds the record for the world’s longest ever motorbike jump (350.7ft) will perform at Battersea Power Station on August 22 as part of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2009.

His stunts are reminiscent of Evel Knievel, the American motorcycle daredevil whose jumps including his 1974 attempt to jump Snake River Canyon in Idaho.

His achievements and failures, including his record 37 broken bones, earned him several entries in the Guinness Book of World Records before his death in 2007.

Top 10 Craziest and Beautiful Artworks

Rotating Wall Art

Richard Wilson, one of Britain's best known sculptures is drawing inspiration for the world of construction and engineering with his latest art called Turning the Place Over. The art is a section cut out from a building and rotates itself on a pivot with a cost of £450,000. It is described as one of the most daring piece of public art ever commissioned in the UK. It will be launched on June 20th 2007 and will run till the end of the year.

House Tunnel Art

This extraordinary structure on Montrose Boulevard took motorists by surprise. A pair of artists, Dan Havel and Dean Ruck was responsible for this house installation. The two wooden buildings were to be replaced by a new built project so the few months before the demolition, they made this into an architectonic installation.

Elevator Art

Going into this elevator would certainly makes one nervous. A sign at the entrance cautions the people that goes in about work in progress. A more detailed look shows that the floor has been painted with an illusion that there is no floor.

Photo Realistic Painting

Alright, what's so interesting about 3 guys standing beside a photo? Except that the photo is actually a painting! This is a photo realistic painting of Tica by Dru Blair, the guy in the center.

£50m Diamond Studded Skull

The skull which is covered with 8,601 flawless diamonds and a £50 million price tag, this piece of expensive artwork is made by Damien Hirst. Critics dismissed it as a publicity stunt by the multi-millionaire artist who took 18 months to make this skull studded with diamonds worth £12 million. He dreams of seeing the skull on display among the ancient treasures at the British Museum.

Driftwood Horse Art

These are driftwood horse sculptures by Heather Jansch who live and work in Westcountry of England. Its amazing how she managed to put those branches together to form such an art.

3D Perspective Street Drawings

A set of 3D perspective street drawings similar to the ones by Julian Beever, an Englsh artist famous for his virtual 3D street art. These drawings gives out a three dimensional effect when viewed at the right angle.

Latte Art

Latte art are designs created on top of espresso based drinks. The popularity has also spawned competitions all around the world to enable practitioners to show off their skills. Taste is still the most important thing though since the art is just the visual presentation.

Beer Can Art

These amazing beer can sculptures includes airplane, bike, trumpet, cello, truck, castle and others. Great for home decorations and showing off to your friends.

Words Art

The artist behind it is Thomas Broom.