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If
you have forgotten how special and unique our life is
in the world of the west with our history of cowgirls
and cowboys, trail drives, cattle and broncs I have a
very good remedy.
Introduce our western ways to someone who has
lived elsewhere in the world and has never had the
experiences we sometimes take for granted.
My husband and I have a friend, Elena, from
Kazakhstan, a country in central Asia that was part of
the former Soviet Union.
Our beautiful twenty-one year old visitor spent
the month of January with us between semesters at the
university in her country.
She will graduate in May, 2004, and plans to be
an English and German language teacher.
A week after her arrival Elena and I, plus two
friends, Peggy Robinson, of Trenton, MO, and
Imogene Veach Beals, of Colcord, OK,
headed by car to Florida (from Austin, Texas)
to a Roping Gathering in Okeechobee.
Gordie Peer, an expert at the western arts,
such as rope spinning, fast draw, whip cracking, etc.,
hosted the event at his ranch.
Approximately sixty-five people attended from
across our country - some were professional trick
ropers, whip crackers, knife throwers, with many years
in front of audiences, a few rank beginners, like
Elena and myself.
Then there were some with experience but still
improving their arts. Also in attendance were K.G. and Ranger Rick, a musical duo,
from Wisconsin, that can belt out western songs,
yodel, play banjo, guitar, and harmonica, and give a
stage presentation or lead a group sing-along around a
campfire, at the drop of a rope.
There were also old films shown at night on the
side of the barn on a white screen of Tex Ritter, Lash
LaRue, Gene and Hoppy, and snips on video from wild
west shows, early day rodeo featuring a multitude of
performers. K.
G. even gave a seminar on “How to Yodel” and our
Kazakhstani, Elena, jumped right in there to learn.
At mealtime we chowed down on deep-fried
turkeys, wild hog bar-b-que’d to perfection, and all
the trimmings - it was truly “five star” cuisine
served western style – out in the open.
As Elena commented, whose native language is
Russian, “I’m dizzy with new knowledge about such
things.” Her
enthusiasm and interest reminds me to never stop
appreciating the wonderful opportunities we have to be
a part and glean from our past and present, the
western way of life, whether it be a rodeo, a roping,
a western movie, or
singers crooning “---Along the Navajo
Trail----”.
We enjoyed her visit and bid farewell
reluctantly as she returned to school in her far-away
country, wearing a new Bailey cowboy hat, a beautiful
pair of white cowboy boots and hand-tooled purse, both
given to her by Faye Blackstone, a former trick rider
who is an Honoree in the National Cowgirl Hall of
Fame. It
was an honor to introduce Elena to the American
western way of life, and reminded me how very lucky I
am to be involved in it.
Since her return she has shared her experiences
with her family, friends and university students and
teachers, has taught some to yodel and spin a rope.
Meet
Dan and Berva Dawn Taylor of Doole, Texas.
They are no strangers to the rodeo world and
have done it all throughout the past sixty-some years
of the sport. Dan
was born in Coleman, Texas, and learned to rope
competitively at age 12 and won his first monies at
fifteen years of age.
He joined the Cowboys Turtle Association in
1942 and held card #64. That year he won a belt buckle in Brady, TX, that he still
wears, a saddle in Midland, TX, and the calf roping in
Philadelphia. He
worked for well-respected rodeo producer, Everett
Colborn, at all his major events such as Madison
Square Garden. He
continued to compete and winning including the average
at Boston Gardens in 1949. In 1951 he finished the year fourth in the World Standings in
calf roping. He
became Calf Roping Director for the RCA in 1954.
Dan became head of Chute Number 9 at Cheyenne
Frontier Days, the timed-event chute, and has spent
over forty years in that capacity. He was President of PRCA in 1986 & ’87.
Meanwhile Dan, and Berva Dawn who he married in
1952, and family ranch near Doole, TX.
Berva Dawn was born in Salmon, Idaho, and was
raised on a 90,000 acre ranch, the last child of
veterinarian and founder of the Flying U Rodeo
Company, Doc Sorenson and wife Mabel.
She rode in her first grand entry at age four.
During World War II Berva Dawn and sister,
Billie Dee, became pick-up men for the Flying U.
In 1949 she became a Sponsor Girl for New
York’s Madison Square Garden and the Boston Gardens
rodeos, a prestigious position chosen to help promote
the rodeo to city dwellers.
Berva Dawn was Vice President of the Girls
Rodeo Association in 1960 and Contract Director in
1961. She
became an RCA rodeo secretary and timer, before PROCOM,
which meant as secretary spending many hours on the
phone and paper work galore.
She and Dan worked for producers, Colborn, Jim
Shoulders, the Cowtown Harris’s, Billy Minick, Harry
Vold. Neal Gay, Lazy
E Arena, and the list goes on.
Berva Dawn was chosen to Time several important
Finals including the Dodge National Circuit Finals and
the Timed Event Championship of the World at the Lazy
E. Both
Dan and Berva Dawn have too many credits to name but
if you ever have the chance to meet these people you
can be assured they’ve “been there and done
that” in the rodeo world.
Our hats are off to an outstanding
cowboy and cowgirl of the rodeo world!
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