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ON
THE ROAD AGAIN
I headed down the road to several
cowboy gatherings recently.
TEXAS RODEO COWBOY HALL OF FAME,
Belton
,
Texas
. The
Texas Rodeo Cowboy
Hall of Fame held their annual
induction on April 13 and 14.
This group was originally formed by
Johnny Boren, now deceased, and honored
competing cowboys and cowgirls from
Central Texas
. In
time it began to spread, like a drop of
water on a lake and now encompasses
cowboys and cowgirls from the entire state
of
Texas
. This
was their 40th year.
A full house attended both Friday
night and Saturday morning at the
Bell
County
Expo
Center
. Under
Contract Personnel those inducted were:
Jimmy Anderson, bullfighter;
Charlie Throckmorton, announcer; and
Virginia Reger, trick rider.
Throckmorton gave thanks to many
that helped him succeed as an announcer
and said Junior Meek gave him good advice,
“Be
humble to everyone.
Don’t do as I did, do as I
say.”
The
Rodeo Couple of the Year was R. E. and
Martha Josie.
In his acceptance speech R. E. said
Martha told him one time she wanted to go
someplace that she hadn’t been before,
and he suggested the kitchen!!!!!
The Western Heritage Award went to
musical talent, Mo Bandy.
The Stock Contractor Award went to
Jack and Dick (deceased) Ratjen.
Under the heading of Trailblazers
inducted were:
Ernest Beakley, Red Beck, Jack
Newton, Durwood “Mitz” Ray, John
Burrus, Lee Mullins, S. K. (Kenneth)
Pressley, Booger Red Nixon and Wilson
McBride.
Contestants – Women: were Tina
Lee (Tiny) Sikes Hodge and Pearl Jenkins
Bartley.
Contestants – Cowboys: were John
Wilson, Terry Chapman, Mike Bandy, Pete,
Jim and Don Gay.
Donnie Gay, of course, is best
known for his eight World Champion Bull
Riding titles, but in his remarks he
applauded his brother, Pete, and said Pete
had talents beyond Don, including seven
out of eight boxing wins.
He also said he thought Pete was a
better bull rider, too.
Jim is the brother that ‘runs’
the rodeo at
Mesquite
these days, and admitted he was always
more interested in putting a rodeo on,
rather than competing.
The final group to be inducted were
Deceased cowboys and Cowgirls: including
J. W. “Bub” Evans; Billie Anne Evans,
Cullen Robinson, and Pat Doyle.
Good Bar-B-Q and good conversation
was had by all and I must say the Board of
Directors are doing a great job.
THE WILD WEST ARTS CLUB met
for the third year at
Claremore
,
Oklahoma
, home of Will Rogers, early day humorist
and trick roper.
In case you are not aware, in the
early days of rodeo and in wild west shows
performers of trick roping, trick riding,
whip cracking, gun spinning, fast draw gun
exhibitions, and tomahawk and knife
throwing were held at most events.
Today a spectator has
to look for these specialty acts as there
are few rodeos including them.
HOWEVER I would like to report
these performers are very much alive and
well across the world.
Over 200 people registered for this
convention from all over the
United States
, plus
Sweden
,
Czech
Republic
,
England
,
Canada
,
Mexico
,
Australia
and
Germany
. The
venue began Wednesday night with a
‘taste of what was to come’ as
performers in each division showed their
skills.
Then a welcome to the
conventioneers was given at the
Will
Rogers
Museum
by the mayor and other local dignitaries.
Will Rogers, hometown boy, was a
trick roper and world-wide persona that
has been quoted by his sayings which never
seem to age.
The convention was held at the
Claremore
Expo
Center
and was bustling with activities for three
days.
Some of the ‘professionals’
that attended and judged or assisted in
each event were:
Gordie Peer, Montie Montana, Jr.,
J. W. Stoker, Vince Bruce, Larry
Lewis, CheChe WhiteCloud, The Gratneys,
Rider Kiesner, Joe Bowman, Nacho
Rodriguez, Tad Griffith, Candy Rodewald
and many more.
Thursday was a day of practice and
getting comfortable and much camaraderie.
Friday and Saturday were full of
competitions.
In the trick roping the contestants
competed for the Most Texas Skips,
The Largest Loop, Horse-Catches and
more.
The whip cracking was highlighted
by the Zorro Contest which requires
snuffing out three candles in only three
attempts.
There were plenty of competitors
but this fete has not been accomplished in
five years of contests.
Gun toting, included fast draw, and
gun manipulation.
The Tomahawk and Knife Throwers
competed with multiple targets.
The trick roping competition was
held in the adjoining arena and was a
great opportunity for up-and coming riders
to be critiqued by the best as it was
judged by Tad Griffith and Candy Rodewald.
Saturday evening a Wild West
Performance was held for the spectators
that kept the place jumping with all the
talent that was collected there.
Mark Allen who is chairman of the
event said the event is “growing nicely
with more participation this year from
sponsors.”
He also commented that the Club
members and the citizens of Claremore have
become great friends.
Those participating ranged in age
from eight to eighty-plus.
As an observer I thoroughly enjoyed
watching these talented performers and
especially observing the professional
members of the group encouraging and
assisting the youngsters that are just
beginning.
Try not to miss it next year.
WESTERN HERITAGE AWARDS AT THE NATIONAL
COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, April 21st.
These awards honor music, art,
magazine articles, film and television and
books, plus some of the outstanding
westerners and western performers of our
country.
As I walked in to the Hall Saturday
evening there was a crowd like I had never
seen there before.
The tuxedos and black cowboy hats
were definitely the attire for the
occasion, plus some very exquisite evening
gowns.
Sam Elliott was Master of
Ceremonies, and he introduced the
following co-hosts that introduced various
award winners:
Anita La Cava Swift (John Wayne’s
granddaughter), Ernest Borgnine (who is 90
years young, and reminded one movie
director he was still available for work),
Wyatt McCrea (grandson of the handsome
movie actor, Joel McCrea), Barry Corbin,
Red Steagall, Robert Carradine, Buck
Taylor, Don Edwards, Waddlie Mitchell and
Michael Martin Murphey.
The Honorees were:
Outstanding
Western Novel went to Alan Geoffrion,
author of Broken Trail, Fulcrum Publishing.
Outstanding
Factual Narrative went to OETA The
Oklahoma Network for Young at Art, about Mary Spurgeon who didn’t begin to be a
sculptor until the age of 70.
Outstanding
Art Book was Thomas
Moran’s West: Chromolithography, High
Art and Popular Taste, by Joni L.
Kinsey, published by University Press.
Outstanding
Traditional Western Album, went to Don
Edwards for his Moonlight and Skies. He
also performed a selection from the album.
Outstanding
Magazine Article was Six
Days Ablaze by John R. Erickson (Hank
The Cow Dog’s creator), in American
Cowboy Magazine.
During his acceptance speech he
said “I
was cut out to be a comedian, but I was
sewed up wrong.”
He also said when he started
writing he got used to rejection letters,
one even said his work was ‘too much
integrity and not enough sex’.
When he told a rancher friend what
the rejection letter said the rancher said
that had been his trouble all his life.
Outstanding
Documentary was Ride
Around the World, which is an IMAX
film about cowboys in various countries.
The
Chester A. Reynolds Award was given to Ellington
Peek, from
California
who is a cattleman, also owning a major
sale barn and very instrumental in the
video sales of cattle.
When accepting his award his final
statement was, “Keep eating that
beef!”
Chester A. Reynolds was the man who
saw that the National Cowboy Hall of Fame
was placed in
Oklahoma City
, although many other cities were vying
for it.
Unfortunately he did not live to
see is develop.
Outstanding
Photography Book was awarded to Stephen
Trimble for Lasting Light – 125 Years of
Grand Canyon
Photography.
Outstanding
Theatrical Motion Picture went to Truce
starring Buck Taylor.
The
Board of Directors’ Lifetime Achievement
Award went to Dean Smith, stunt man, cowboy, stand-in, and Olympic Gold Medal
winner.
Red Steagall was one of the
presenter of
Smith’s many accomplishments, and
quoted a Buck Ramsey saying, “We are
made of what we do.”
Smith accepted his award, thanking
many who had helped him in his life and
finished by saying, “Let’s keep our
western heritage alive, we can’t afford
to lose this battle!”
Outstanding
Poetry Book was The
Last Buffalo by Bruce Roseland,
published by the North Dakota Institute of
Regional Studies,
North Dakota
State
University
.
Inducted
in to the Hall of Great Westerners was William
Daven Farr, of Colorado, a cattleman,
banker and very active in the Big Thompson
Project which brought water via a thirteen
mile tunnel through the mountains to the
eastern slope of the Rockies from the
western side, which was a boon to the
cattle industry. His
three sons accepted for him as he is 96
years old and not in good health, however
they knew receiving this honor was a
thrill to him.
Inducted
in to the Hall of Great Western Performers
was Steve McQueen. His
grandson, also named Steve McQueen
accepted to award for the family.
Outstanding
Original Western Composition went to
Michael Martin Murphey for Long
and Lonesome Ride to Dalhart.
Murphey performed and sang the
song which was outstanding.
Inducted
in to the Hall of Great Westerners was Frank
Bird Linderman, of
Montana
, a writer, newspaper man and good friend
with Charlie Russell, the western artist.
Outstanding
Television Feature Film went to Broken
Trail, starring Robert Duval.
The director, Walter Hill said
“Western movies teach right from
wrong.”
And
lastly, inducted in to the Hall of Great
Western Performers was Sam Elliott.
As he fiddled with his shoulder
length white hair Elliott laughingly told
that his grandfather, Sam Sparks, was shot
and killed by an unknown assailant outside
of a bar in
Giddings
,
Texas
. He
followed his family history by saying
“Heritage is common to all of us.”
The evening was one that made me
proud to be a westerner.
To have been born and raised in a
ranching family sometimes gets forgotten,
but these award-winning arts and artists
and men of the west revived my love of the
west.
Each of these successful
individuals were humbled by their
achievement that night.
Regardless of their accomplishments
westerners are common folk, down-to-earth,
and thankful for the mark or marks they
have made in our world.
May we all remember to give thanks.
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