Reaching for the Brass Ring

On my dad's side of the family they were all farmers.  Certainly back in the Old Country and on into their days in Minnesota.  As I've mentioned in past bits of family history they immigrated so early that when they turned up it was still a Territory, and that they had to skedaddle at the time of the Sioux Uprising.

Life on the farm changes, but slowly.  My memories of going there as a small person center around the brick farm house - built in the 1870's - and the gigantic barn, parts of which went back to the Civil War era.

Just inside the front door of the barn was a special area set aside for bulls.  They were kept away from the rank and file milking cows.

I remember that they had brass colored rings in their noses.  I was told that in a pinch you could grab this and make the bull - within certain parameters - do what you wanted him to do.  I on occasion would reach up, grab hold of the ring and look Mr. Bull right in the eye.  His return glance was not friendly.  It gave me an odd sense of power wielded precariously. 

Before the farm was sold my brother and I, with assorted sons in tow, went to clean out scrap metal.  The kids helped with the work.  Then they got the money when we hauled it to the recycling yard.  Mostly it was tons of steel and iron, but here and there were bits of "the good stuff".  Bronze, aluminum, etc.

And there were even a few artifacts worth keeping.  Recently when doing a bit of New Year inspired tidying up I found this:

Absolutely one of the bull nose rings.  They are sturdy things with a hefty set screw holding them together.  When the ring is opened the exposed ends are pretty sharp.  This gives you a general idea of how they were put into the bull's nose but it is best not to ponder details.

In my mind "reaching for the brass ring" has always been linked to the little vignette I've just described.  But actually this is not so.  In oldy times merry go 'rounds would sometimes have a ring grab station so that riders in the outer tier of horsies could reach out and grab a ring as they went past.  Most were iron but a few would be brass and would get you a small prize.  Or maybe just another ride on the carousel.