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The Old
Fort Days first-time Cowboy Reunion was held last
summer and was a huge success.
The Rodeo Committee at Fort Smith, Arkansas,
has determined to have it again in 2003.
The dates are May 22, 23 and 24.
Anyone who ever competed at Fort Smith or
anyone who interested please contact them at:
P O Box 4145, Fort Smith, Arkansas, 72914 or
479-783-6176, ext. 10.
Reports are that you’ll have a great time.
Riata
Ranch Cowboy Cowgirls exude the image, personalities,
respect, warmth and pzazz, we all wish the youth of
today would exemplify.
Their mission is: “To further promote and
improve the lives of young people through the
motivation of the horse and to continue to preserve
American Western values and traditions through
character development, hard work, education and
demonstrations”.
These gals can sing, rope, trick ride, take
care of the ranch, their horses, the tack, and
represent the American West at its best.
If you are interested in having this group at
your annual affair, whether it be a rodeo or a
symphony performance, you’ll not be disappointed.
Call: 559-594-4288 or e-mail: riata@mindinfo.com.
Steve
Tomac, of St. Anthony, North Dakota, began 2003
unemployed! Actually
he’s a rancher with eight of his siblings in a
cow-calf operation, and does ranch appraisals for Farm
Credit Services.
But for the past sixteen years Tomac was a
Senator for North Dakota.
When not conducting State business he also
spent the last thirty-two years as a rodeo clown,
starting at the age of sixteen.
Tomac’s political campaign slogan was,
“There are a lot of clowns in the Legislature.
Let’s send a professional.”
He grew up, second oldest of 18 children on a
ranch in North Dakota, so a sense of humor was
important. “Humor
at the dinner table was how my brothers, sisters and I
got our mom and dad’s attention, away from seventeen
others.” At the age of 5 when he saw a rodeo clown,
Gary Lewis, ride a mule backwards out of a chute and
people guffawed, he knew he wanted to make people
laugh, too. He
is still clowning a few rodeos for Jim Korkow and Jim
Sutton, premier stock contractors, in the Dakotas.
Congratulations
to the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame for
receiving the 2003 Bill King Award for Excellence in
Agriculture given by the Fort Worth Farm & Ranch
Club. Instead
of honoring a special person, the entire Board of
Directors of the Cowgirl Museum was given this
distinctive honor.
Happy
Birthday, Monk Carden, of Pendleton, Oregon, who is 94
on February 2nd.
He began his career as a rodeo clown in 1928,
with his partner, George Moens.
They were acrobatic gymnasts who had previously
delighted audiences with their antics at area
wrestling matches.
When the hired rodeo clown broke his leg and
could not perform at the up-coming Pendleton Round Up
in 1928, the rodeo committee asked the two cut-ups if
they thought they could entertain a rodeo crowd.
They did, so successfully, they continued to do
so until 1938. Although
Monk has been out of the rodeo arena for sixty-five
years he humor is still intact and he can keep any
audience in stitches.
“THE CLOWN JEWELS”
The Black Hills Stock Show Foundation, a
non-profit organization whose mission is to give back
to the region/communities who support the Black Hills
Stock Show. To
date they have given grants and funds to eight
programs in the area, plus provided 28 scholarships to
youth in a five-state area.
Their 2003 Commemorative Great American Cowboy
Original Painting , 14” x 36”,
by area artist Mick B. Harrison, is entitled:
“THE CLOWN JEWELS” and is of Duane
Reichert, Jerry Olson, Butch Lemkuhler, Steve Mowry
and Flint Rasmussen.
The original painting, and the #1 print, 13”
x 24”, signed by all five rodeo clowns, will sell at
the 10th Annual Black Hills Stock Show
Foundation Stockman’s Banquet and Ball, Wednesday,
February 5, 6 PM, at the Ramkota Inn, Rapid City, SD.
Anyone interested in purchasing the original,
the #1 signed print, or one of the 24 other limited
prints, please contact John E. Johnson @ 605-347-2562
or e-mail: jjohnson@firstwesternbank.com, or
BHSSFoundation at 605-718-0810 or e-mail: Foundation@BHSSF.com.
This is a very worthy cause. |
