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It takes less time to do a thing right,
than it does to explain why you did it
wrong. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |
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It's not what you look at that
matters, it's what you see. — Henry
David Thoreau |
Charm is the quality in others that
makes us more satisfied with
ourselves.
— Henri Frédéric Amiel |
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The
National Day of the Cowboy 501(c)3 and its Board of
Directors have chosen eight individuals and
organizations to receive its 2011
Cowboy Keeper
Award. Selection for the annual award is based
on the level and significance of contributions to
the preservation of pioneer heritage and cowboy
culture. Inspired by artist Joelle Smith, the award
was conceived in support of the NDOC’s mission to
increase awareness for and celebration of the annual
National Day of the Cowboy resolution.
The
2011 Cowboy
Keeper Award recipients are;
Westernaires,
a mounted precision drill organization comprised of
Jefferson County,
Colorado,
youngsters age 9 to 19. Since its founding in 1949,
Westernaires has provided training to youth in
western riding, precision drills, and horse care.
Members develop qualities such as self discipline
from years of weekly training to achieve promotion
to the organization’s top teams, a respect for
teamwork through riding week after week with fellow
horsemen working together to execute a well polished
performance, a sense of responsibility from caring
for horses, and intense community pride through the
cultivation if a shared appreciation for western
heritage.
Successful Florida rancher and Cracker cowboy,
Pete Clemons,
is a famed former rodeo star who for over 50 years
has been the owner/operator of the Okeechobee
Livestock Market which became Florida’s premier
cattle market under his leadership. He is held in
high regard for his friendliness, honesty, and
genuine desire to help people. In the early 1980s,
he served as chairman of the Florida Beef Council
and, for the last 40 years, Clemons, who at 81 still
lives life in the saddle, has served as a board
member or officer of the Okeechobee County
Cattlemen’s Association. Pete Clemons is considered
by many to be the best-known and best-loved
cattleman in the entire State of
Florida.
In 1975,
multi-Cowboy Hall of Famer and legendary calf roper,
Cleo Hearn,
designed and founded his historic
Cowboys of
Color Rodeo to highlight the cultural diversity
of African American, Native American, and Hispanic
rodeo cowboys and cowgirls while providing family
fun for all. His National Finals brings together top
ranked Indian, Black, and Hispanic participants to
compete and exhibit in bull riding, calf roping, and
other traditional rodeo events, providing history
lessons with the entertainment. Cultural elements
abound, such as an Hispanic female drill team riding
sidesaddle, and tuxedoed riders strutting Tennessee
Walking horses to BB King music. Cleo's organization
aims to engage and educate young people, thus there
are performances and stories about Mexican charros,
Indian traditions and
Buffalo
soldiers between events. Hearn, himself half African
American and half Indian, was the first African
American to attend college on a rodeo scholarship,
and in 1970, was the first African American to win
the calf-roping event at a major rodeo. He’s
competed at all major rodeos for 36 consecutive
years, joining the Rodeo Cowboy Association in 1959,
and he has a star on the Texas Trail of Fame.
Throughout his career he’s won ribbons, trophies,
buckles, saddles and thousands in cash prizes.
Cleo Hearn
and his Cowboys of Color Rodeo represent the
largest, most significant, multi-cultural rodeo
circuit in the country.
“America’s
favorite cowboys,”
Riders in the
Sky, have been entertaining and educating
audiences with their musical talent and comedic
flair for over 30 years. Two-time Grammy winners,
for the
Riders,
there is only one way and, “It’s the
Cowboy
Way.”
Ranger Doug, Too Slim, Woody Paul, and Joey the
Cowpolka King, have over 5,400 concert performances
under their hats and have starred in their own TV
and radio shows. They are beloved members of the
Grand Ole Opry (since 1982) and they brought western
music to the White House. Billboard magazine's Jim
Bessman counts
Riders
as “one of the most historically significant
acts in the history of American music." Mission
Control even played their cut "Woody's Roundup," to
wake up NASA's own riders in the sky.
Tom
Bishop Sr.'s
father arrived in
Canada
a Scottish orphan filled with dreams of the
frontier. A city boy with no skills, he nearly
starved homesteading Canadian winters in a sod
dugout hut. When he saw Buffalo Bill’s Wild West
Show, he knew it was what he wanted to do, so he
began to put on Wild West shows at local fairs.
Tom
Bishop Sr.
has continued his father's traditions and has taken
his own Wild West shows to the next level, one of
many ways he preserves pioneer heritage. Tom’s
father was one of five founding members of the
Western Horsemen’s Association of Ontario, which Tom
has continued to support throughout his own life. In
the 1960s Tom and his wife, both expert trick riders
and trick ropers, traveled to
England
to perform at the “Canadian
Way
of Life” Exhibition. Tom went on to produce rodeos
and eastern
Canada’s
only Wild West shows, inspiring many others to rodeo
or perform. A horse coordinator for TV and film, he
provides the horses and wagons for
Canada’s
TV show “Murdoch Mysteries.”
Tom owns over 50 wagons and carriages he's
preserved. He was one of the original Canadian
stuntmen when the film industry came to
Canada
in the 1950s, and has doubled many actors. Recently
nominated “Entrepreneur of the Year” for the
Niagara
region, people there are fascinated by his
one-of-a-kind lifestyle. Said to personify “Code of
the West” tenets,
Tom Bishop
Sr. is characterized as tough but fair, firm but
quiet, and well respected by all. A modern day
cowboy, he represents the second generation of a
Canadian family devoted to maintaining the tradition
of Wild West shows.
Nevada’s
National
Cowboy Poetry Gathering, a week-long celebration
of cowboy and ranch life, features contemporary and
traditional arts arising from lives lived caring for
land and livestock. Showcasing the finest cowboy
poetry and western music, it also includes workshops
in arts such as rawhide braiding and saddle making.
During the gathering, Elko overflows with cowboys
and cowgirls, poets, musicians, artisans, rural
people and city folk, those new to these historic
genres and those already captivated by them.
Produced by the
Western
Folklife
Center,
the National
Cowboy Poetry
Gathering
was started in 1985 by a group of folklorists and
poets. It is now an annual ritual for thousands who
value and practice the artistic traditions of
ranching heritage and are concerned about the
present and future of these traditions. Hundreds
more cowboy poetry gatherings have taken root over
the last 27 years as the Elko Gathering revitalized
a literary art that remains a vital part of the
lives of ranchers and cowboys. In 2000, a U.S.
Senate resolution recognized the cultural value of
this art form and the event responsible for its
renaissance, by naming the Elko Gathering the “National”
Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
California rancher, cowgirl, and pickup “man,”
inducted into both the National Cowboy Hall of Fame
and the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame,
Bertha
Kaepernik Blancett is said to have been set
astride a horse at age five and told to ‘stay
aboard’ and keep the cattle out of the garden. She
became an expert horsewoman and saddlebronc rider
and in 1904, at age 25, was the first woman to ever
ride a bucking bronc in the open men’s division at
Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. She was such a force
in early rodeos that in 1914, she came within 4
points of winning the Pendleton Round-Up’s “All
Around Cowboy” title. In 1915, the Round-Up
committee changed the rules so cowgirls could only
compete for second place. She married cowboy Del
Blancett, whom she met while performing for the
Miller’s 101 Wild West Show. It is said of
Bertha
Blancett, “There wasn’t a horse she could not
nor would
not ride.”
Dubois
Main Street
works to promote and preserve the unique cultural
and western heritage of Dubois, Wyoming, by
fostering and supporting activities such as their
annual 3-day National Day of the Cowboy event. The
organization goes all out to involve the whole
community in celebration.
Their heritage based event, now in its third year,
offers something for everyone, including horse
clinics, a cowboy parade, family activities, equine
theater with roman riders, rodeo, a presentation
about early women in rodeo, mutton busting for young
cowboys and cowgirls, cowboy storytelling, lessons
and demonstrations in western crafts, an art gallery
walk, a barbeque by local restaurants, country
dancing, celebrity look-a-like contests, the
National Day of the Cowboy flag, concerts by local
musicians, and a western costume contest for local
merchants with National Day of the Cowboy
buckles and flags as prizes.
Dubois
Main Street
delivers on its promise to its growing legion of
NDOC attendees, “Join us and you’ll experience the
cowboy way and see his imprint on the forging of
this country."
The
National Day of the Cowboy organization is honored
to spotlight the efforts and accomplishments of
these eight exceptional 2011
Cowboy Keeper
Award recipients. Each one represents a powerful
element in the preservation of pioneer heritage and
an energizing force in the ongoing expansion of the
world’s cowboy culture.
The
image for the 2011
Cowboy Keeper
Award is the work of legendary artist, Till
Goodan, whose authentic renderings of the West are
easily recognized by all. In addition to the framed
award, Dusty Hart donated eight bronze ‘let ‘er
buck’ sculptures derived from vintage molds he
unearthed which were created by his late
grandfather, William Hartnell.
Past
Cowboy Keeper
recipients include U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle
Giffords, U.S. Senator Craig Thomas, Cheyenne
Frontier Days Committee,
Old
Cowtown
Museum,
Dorothy Wood, Julie Ream, Margo Metegrano, Dakota
Livesay, Doc Stovall, Don & Sharon Endsley, Scott
O’Malley, Kathleen Collins, Michael Martin Murphey,
and the Desert Cowboys. The 2011
Cowboy Keeper
Awards will be presented throughout the year,
including one on July 23, 2011; the 7th
Annual National Day of the Cowboy.
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National Day of the Cowboy News
- June 2010
From the Publisher
Not long after arriving in sunny
Arizona, my family moved across the
street from South Mountain Park, the
largest municipal park in the United
States. It was there that my dad
sometimes rented horses for us on
beautiful Saturday mornings at one
of the two riding stables, the
Ponderosa and the South Mountain,
near the park entrance. Back then,
the rustic character of the park
included a classic old trading post
build from mountain rocks, picnic
ramadas, incredible desert plants, a
bar and grill ominously dubbed
“Scorpion Gulch,” well worn hiking
trails displaying ancient
petroglyphs, and boundless room to
ride horses freely wherever one
wanted.
Sadly, my father passed away in
March. He was barely 83. One of the
pictures mom displayed at pop’s
memorial service was this image of
dad from one of our Saturday trail
rides. Seeing the photo reminded me
of how much I loved those hours of
riding with pop in the park. I
realized as I gazed at the
photo though, that although I had
learned to ride from dad, I have no
idea where he learned to ride
himself, or what led him, a young
transplant from a Michigan city, to
wear cowboy boots and a Stetson hat
at every opportunity. All I know for
sure is that he took us to local
gymkhanas and to our first rodeo,
and that he loved horses and he took
us kids horseback riding as often as
he could. Although my dad was a
carpenter by trade, he was a Cowboy
at Heart, and teaching us to ride
was his personal contribution to the
preservation of this wonderful part
of our heritage.
Cultural Tragedy
It was devastating to receive
the news that Dusty Rogers found it
necessary to permanently close the
Roy Rogers - Dale Evans Museum. He
locked the gates on December 12,
2009 and auctioned off parts of the
family collection at the High Noon
Show and Auction in January. More of
the collection will be auctioned at
Brian Lebel’s auction in Denver,
Colorado, in June, never again to be
viewed or enjoyed in its entirety.
This tragic loss should be a wake up
call to all who believe the current
cowboy culture and its rich history
need to be protected for current and
future generations. It's
heartbreaking evidence that
preservation cannot be taken
lightly, nor can it be viewed as a
hobby or simply an engaging way to
pass the time.
The closing of such a significant
American museum was disturbing in
itself, but consider this recent piece
of alarming information gleaned from the
USDA - The first year I gathered
statistics for Senator Thomas for the
Cowboy resolution was 2004. That year,
the USDA stated there were 800,000
ranches contributing to the economy of
every county in the country. Checking on
the data for the 2008 resolution for
Enzi and Giffords, the USDA told me
there were then 727,000 ranches. When I
called for numbers for the 2010
resolution, the woman I spoke with told
me we were down to 656,000 ranches in
America. This drastic decline is
shocking to me. Something has happened
to nearly 150,000 cattle ranches in only
six years. Have they been absorbed by
other ranches? Sold off to developers? I
don’t know the answer, but I do know I
hear many stories about ranchers
fighting for (and losing) their water
rights or losing their land and their
grazing rights. If we continue to lose
30,000 ranches per year (and remember
this is just ranches, it does not take
into account how many farms we’re
losing), that means we’re on track to
see all ranches vanish from the American
landscape in less than 25 years, and
we’ll be importing virtually all of our
beef from other countries.
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What's New?
Guitar Fundraising
The winning bid for our autographed
1970 Hummingbird guitar came from
Terry “T-bird” Arnold. Our thanks to
guitar donor, Kip Calahan, all the
generous signers, and to Brian
Lebel, who donated a spot for us at
his Old West Show & Auction so we
could auction the guitar and further
advance the quest for a Cowboy Day.
And thanks of course to T-Bird who
called in his bid all the way from
Texas. Lots of interested folks
stopped by to check out the guitar,
enjoy the photos of the celebrity
signers, and pick up information
about the pursuit of permanent
status for a National Day of the
Cowboy.
We now have a second guitar!
A new Yamaha acoustic was donated to
us by singer/songwriter Jeff
Connors. Jeff is one of Chuck "The
Rifleman" Connors’ sons. This guitar
has been signed by country superstar
and CMA award winner,
Jamey Johnson,
Michael Martin
Murphey, The
Quebe Sisters Band, Ray
Benson and Asleep at the Wheel,
Johnny Bush, Joe Stampley, Johnny
Lee, Jon Chandler, Gary McMahan,
Jeff Connors,
Billy Joe Shaver,
Joyce Woodson, Leona
Williams, Ron Williams, Mandy
Barnett, Eddie Stubbs, Dale Watson,
Bryan Kennedy, Deryl Dodd,
Juni Fisher, Jeff Griffith, and
Larry “Murder on Music Row” Shell.
We have pictures of many of them
signing it too, although a few times
the camera choked when we needed it
most.
We’ll be at the
Old West Show and Auction in
Denver again this year, June 25-27,
to auction this guitar. I’ve heard
gold album artist Jamey Johnson’s
signature is worth $300 on a photo
alone! Stop by our table at the show
to see the guitar and signers’
pictures and to and say “hello.” If
you'd like to bid, but can't make it
to the show, email
orders@nationaldayofthecowboy.com,
subject: "Guitar bid." Include your
name, a phone number where you can
be reached that day, and your
maximum bid amount. Bidding for this
fundraiser guitar starts at $750.
Email bidding will close at 1PM
on Sunday June 27, 2010.
The winning bidder will receive the
autographed acoustic guitar, a soft
guitar case, photos of many of the
celebrities as they signed it and a
Certificate of Authenticity
verifying the signatures.
The
NDOC Organization
Eddie Kilroy, an American radio
personality of iconic stature and a
well respected Texas horse rancher
to boot, joined the Board of
Directors of the National Day of the
Cowboy nonprofit organization. “I
don’t believe we could have asked
for a better addition to our board,”
observed Corene Schwab, the NDOC’s
vice-chairman and CEO of AhHa
Entertainment, regarding Eddie
Kilroy’s election.
Kilroy and his wife, Elizabeth, set
up a ranch in Texas as their home.
They have a tremendous love of
horses and their entire ranch is
dedicated to enjoying them. Away
from the ranch, they lead an active
life, enjoying riding, exploring,
working cattle, roping, ranch
rodeos, and anything equine. As busy
as he is, Eddie Kilroy is excited
about working with the National Day
of the Cowboy organization and looks
forward to making a contribution to
its continued success. When asked
why he wanted to be a part of the
organization, he didn’t hesitate to
answer, “America’s Cowboy was a
major factor in the early days of
our country and still is, and I
wanted to be a part of the National
Day of the Cowboy’s effort to have
cowboys recognized and honored for
their contributions and lifestyle.
Cowboys are my heroes!”
Desert
Cowboys Express
The Desert Cowboys Express event,
honoring SFC Russell Anderson and our
Desert Cowboys aboard the Rio Grande
Scenic Railroad, and the Wild Rags &
Wranglers Dinner which we had planned in
the spring, have both been postponed to
a yet to be determined date in 2011.
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International Cowboy
The
NDOC flag is in Lebanon
One of our wonderful spokespersons,
Hotshot Johnny Tuscadero, is putting
together the largest rodeo to ever
take place in the Middle East. He's
working on the event along with the
El Rancho Dude Ranch in Lebanon. The
great news is, thanks to Hotshot, a
National Day of the Cowboy flag will
be flying there! Can't wait to see
the pictures Hotshot sends back to
us. This means the flag is now
flying in 5 countries outside the
USA.
Hotshot Johnny who also happens
to be the SASS 2010 World Champion
Gun Spinner, puts in a lot of hours
at the El Rancho Dude Ranch, just
outside Beirut. He tells us they’re
looking for a dude ranch or
community in American interested in
celebrating the National Day
of the Cowboy with them
simultaneoulsy via big screens.
Contact Hotshot if you can help him
find a partner for El Rancho.
We’ve got volunteers looking for
Cowboy Day sponsors in Portugal,
Canada, Lebanon, and Australia.
Also, thanks to the staff at the
PRCA, we learned about a cowboy
magazine published in Italy
entitled, “American West.” Its
publisher, Fabrizio, put us on his
mailing list and we’ve got copies in
hand, and although we can’t read
Italian, it’s easy to see it’s a
cowboy publication about all things
western here in the states and in
Italy as well.
Western collector, Master Gardener,
and friend of the NDOC, Bob Priddle,
sent us pages from his old
collectible Rawhide cowboy
comics, all the way from Wales. Each
page is framed in a red mat and is
accompanied by a Certificate of
Authenticity. What a great way to
preserve some of these iconic
examples of cowboy lore.
The
Wild West in the Middle East!
(by Hotshot Johnny)
Bethany here at the NDOC asked me to
put some words down about my recent
adventures, cowboyin' in the Middle
East. So... let me give you a little
news from the Perpetual Motion
Ranch.
My travels have taken me all over
this beautiful globe. The rock we're
on is an amazing place and
everywhere ya go, people love
cowboys. For the last 9 months I
have been performing at a ranch
outside Beirut in Lebanon. Yeah, I
know! Wild, huh? Lebanon is
a beautiful place with great people,
friendly and welcoming in every way.
It is kind of party-central for the
Middle East during the summer,
almost doubling in size as tourists
come from all over Arabia, Europe
and Asia.
The ranch I work on is up in the
green mountains about 40 Minutes
from Beirut. As you go north from
Beirut on the coast, it looks like
California - beach towns and green
covered mountains. El Rancho Western
Park is a working ranch with horses
and cattle, a resort with luxury
camping and bungalows and a theme
park with steak house, games and
entertainment. All this rolled into
over one hundred acres of mountain
terrain. And it is more of a ranch
than many of the ranches I've worked
at in the states. Producing raw-milk
cheese, quail and quail eggs,
chicken eggs, doing trail rides,
arena shows, rock climbing, archery,
paintball, dinner shows, etc. I was
hired to do a show and quickly
became Entertainment Director,
helping them develop the venue as a
tourist attraction. Last summer we
produced a popular 3 day Wild West
Festival and this summer we are
adding a 5 day rodeo to the
festival. The Cedar Stampede will be
the 1st rodeo in the Middle East,
ever. For a region that has such a
long and rich tradition and history
with horses, this proves to be an
amazing prospect.
Contrary to what you might see on
the news, Lebanon is a fun place,
safe and friendly. If there are any
riders out there that would like to
compete in a once in a lifetime
rodeo experience, please get a hold
of me and I'd be happy to give you
more info. In fact, depending on yer
skill level, we might even take care
of your expenses here in Lebanon if
you can get yourself here.
The Cedar Stampede Rodeo & Wild West
Festival is August 18 - 22, 2010. We
are inviting riders from the USA,
Europe and anywhere else to come. If
you can swing the travel cost we
will take care of you. Come early
and prep on our horses and compete
in the 1st western rodeo in the
Middle East!
Ain't
it the truth
“There is very little difference between
working cowboys in Arizona or Canada.
The international border does not
matter. Sure there is different horse
gear used in different parts of the
country, but they are all cowboys at
heart.” Canadian cowboy, singer,
songwriter, and performer,
Ian Tyson.
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Western Mercantile
Kick
it up a Notch!
National Day of the Cowboy 2010
Florida artist,
Jim Harrison, created the
graphic for our 2010 Hatch
Show print. Jim’s
graphics captured our attention
while we were on the website for the
2010 Elko Poetry Gathering, as Jim
created the art for their 2010 event
poster. We’ve had such great luck
finding wonderful artists willing to
create images for our Hatch posters
each year, beginning with
Jennifer Ward 2006,
Teal Blake 2007, Zane Mead 2008,
and
Christina Holmes 2009.
Jim has also offered to sign and
number the first 25 posters that
come off the press. If you’d like to
place an advance order for one of
the signed posters, they will be $25
each plus $5.25 S&H. Orders for the
signed posters will be filled in the
sequence in which they are received.
The theme for 2010 is “Kick it up a
Notch.” The piece will be in deep
purple and metallic silver. They’ll
be in stock on June 30, but you can
place your order today by emailing
orders@nationaldayofthecowboy.com.
Last year
Christina Holmes provided art
for the first NDOC poster to have
more than one original image. Jim
Harrison is blazing a new trail too,
by creating our first poster with a
color separated image.
With phone bills, internet services,
web-hosting, business cards,
membership pins, printing,
brochures, and event fees, it costs
a minimum of $10,000 a year to keep
this effort going. But, if you’re
not of a mind to make a tax
deductible donation to help with
expenses, consider purchasing one of
our Hatch Show Prints (five of which
feature the original art of western
artists from five different states),
or the custom made Montana
Silversmiths NDOC Buckle, a print of
Cowboy Keepers, or an NDOC flag or
Rockmount’s National Day of the
Cowboy silk tie. We have our
signature red white and blue bumper
stickers in stock again too which
make an economical way to help us
keep going and at the same time tell
the world the cowboy will have his
day.
Enter
To Win
In an effort to generate operating
funds, we’re offering
150
tickets to enter a drawing for a Set
of the National Day of the Cowboy
Hatch posters, 2005 - 2009.
That’s five fabulous NDOC posters,
four of which feature original art.
Tickets are a donation of
$10
each (less than the
price of one poster). The drawing
will be held as soon as 150 tickets
are sold.
Email
orders@nationaldayofthecowboy.com if
you'd like to make a donation to enter
the Hatch drawing.
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Cowboy Keepers
Cowboy
Keeper Awards 2009
The outstanding
recipients of the 2009 Cowboy Keeper
Award were Dakota Livesay, Publisher
of Chronicle of the Old West, Margo
Metegrano - the extraordinary force
behind the Bar-D Cowboy Poetry
website, and Fort Worth’s Texas
Trail of Fame Organization.
Dakota Livesay, a writer,
historian, western promoter
extraordinaire, and on-air radio
personality, is aptly described by
some as “a one-man Old West reality
show.” Among his endeavors Dakota
publishes Chronicle of the Old West,
a monthly newspaper comprised of
actual 1800’s articles, which he
developed in an effort to teach
people about the real cowboys versus
the ‘reel’ cowboys.
Award recipient
Margo Metegrano is a beloved and
dedicated trailblazer in the
promotion of cowboy poetry. Through
her website, Cowboypoetry.com,
thousands of visitors learn about
cowboy poetry or submit their own
work. Margo is the site foreman,
headquartered at the mythical BAR-D
Ranch, a project of the Center for
Western and Cowboy Poetry, a
non-profit she created and directs
in California.
Fort Worth’s
Texas Trail of Fame organization
was established to honor those
who’ve made a significant
contribution to the Western way of
life. The TTF created a trail of
bronze markers throughout the
Historic Fort Worth Stockyards
District, placed there “to form an
imposing glimpse of a wide
reflection of North America’s
Western Heritage, encouraging
visitors to reflect on the lives and
deeds of the men and women who made
indelible marks on the trails of
history, as well as to focus on the
ambitions of the current generation
of pioneers.”
“She’s a Hand,” the art for the 2009
Cowboy Keeper Award, is the
work of renowned Oregon artist, the
late
Joelle Smith, whose exquisitely
impressive renderings of the West
she loved so much, graced the cover
of Western Horseman Magazine three
times. Another of Joelle’s
renderings, “Bustin the Paint,” is
featured on the NDOC tie designed by
Steve Weil, President of Rockmount
Ranch Wear. Margo Metegrano also
used this art for her 2010 Art Spur
contest on the
Cowboy Poetry website.
A special thanks to Dr. Buck
Montgomery and the generous folks at
SASS and
WWPAS who arranged for us to
present Dakota Livesay with his
award at their annual convention in
Las Vegas. What a wild time we had!
Having Hotshot Johnny and Dr. Buck
riding shotgun over our presentation
was very reassuring. If you’ve not
been to a SASS convention, you’re
missing out on costumes, characters,
parties, vendors, performers,
workshops, and so much more. We’re
proud to be SASS member #85767.
2010
Cowboy Keeper Awards
Artwork chosen for
the upcoming 2010 Cowboy Keeper
Award is “Simple Things’ by Kansas
artist,
Jim Clements. Clements’ stated
desire to ‘honor the spirit of the
west in all of his paintings” is
evidenced in this quietly inspiring
work. The five winners of the
National Day of the Cowboy’s
2010 Cowboy Keeper Award
will be announced on July 24, 2010,
the Sixth Annual National
Day of the Cowboy.
WWPAS
If you don’t know
about WWPAS, it’s the "Wild West
Performing Arts Society," an
organization dedicated to keeping
the heritage of the performing
skills of the old west alive, like
trick roping, gun twirling, knife
throwing – in other words, all the
exciting stuff. Will Rogers and
Buffalo Bill would be proud of this
group, as would every Cowboy who has
stood around a campfire on the range
and cracked a whip or spun a gun.
Don and Sharon Endsley’s
Great American Wild West Show
showcases all of this action in
their Buffalo Bill Cody style old
west extravaganza which I catch
every year in Denver during the
National Stock Show.
Renowned spur maker, Bill Adamson
has been working to bring attention
to the life and story of Crockett
Spur Founder, Brice Crockett…There’s
a dedicated group of folks in Texas
working on enhancing the Chisholm
and Western Trails now that Congress
has deemed them as National Historic
Trails….Congratulations to the
poised and beautiful Taryn Brady
(sister of NDOC spokesperson Kelsee
Brady Bradshaw). Taryn won Ms. Rodeo
Arizona and Runner-up to Ms. Rodeo
America. Taryn and I had lunch
together two years ago at the
Gilbert Days Rodeo in Arizona where
I was captivated by her intelligence
and grace.
“Kill
Nashville Pop”
Well, that’s about preservation too.
The fearless leader of this Facebook
page, Larry “The Rev” Shell,
believes country music made
Nashville what it is today (not the
other way around), so he and his
organization are trying to get the
powers that be in Music City USA, to
not only acknowledge that fact, but
to actually honor it and promote it.
In the process, KNP, with 2,000
members and growing, has chosen the
NDOC as their Cause on Facebook and
we’d like to thank its members for
the donations they’ve sent to us.
While we’re on this subject, perhaps
it’s time we hung some of Shell’s
“Kill Nashville Pop” banners at the
big rodeos and ‘country’ music
festivals. Didn’t they book Western
and Country performers at those
events once upon a time?
(“Today’s ‘country and western’ is
neither of either.” Don Edwards).
If you’ve not seen “Dirt the Movie,” a
documentary that covers the relationship
between the earth’s living soil and that
of the human race, make it a point to
view it.
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Volunteer Ranch Hands
Desert
Cowboys Express Volunteers
Ed Ellis, John Thomas, Larra
Atwater, Diane Tribitt, Julie Ream,
Fred Hargrove, Debra Goodman, Dakota
Livesay,
SFC Russell Anderson, and many
others, worked hard to bring the
pieces together for the Desert
Cowboys Express, scheduled to
take place on the
Rio Grande Scenic Railroad on
Memorial Weekend. Unfortunately, due
to unforeseen circumstances, the
DCE had to be postponed, but it will
be rescheduled for the 2011 season
on the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad.
Volunteer Lacee Muller created a new
NDOC Facebook page for us.
Larra Atwater, owner of Atwater Hay
and Livestock, and a former CFO,
keeps all of our accounting, IRS
reports, and corporate filings.
Thanks to all the dedicated NDOC
volunteers, without whom this effort
could not continue to grow.
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Western Connections & Bunkhouse
Culture
Tin
Pan South 2010
Thanks to 2009’s stellar
performances by Joyce Woodson,
Murphey, Juni Fisher, and Jon
Chandler, Western music was invited
back to NSAI’s renowned Tin Pan
South songwriter festival. The 2010
songwriter round of Campfire
Cowgirls & Cowboys featured
Joyce Woodson, Juni Fisher, and Ray
Doyle. Murphey hoped to complete the
circle again this year, but his
schedule logistics made it
impossible to work that out.
Songwriters are not paid to perform
at TPS, so we and the songwriters
appreciate Stellar Oilfield
Services’ Terry Arnold of Texas, Pam
Nance of North Carolina, and Ohio’s
Paula Bondy for donating to the
songwriter round on behalf of the
National Day of the Cowboy. We
believe it’s important for cowboy
music to be represented at Tin Pan
South because the more people
exposed to quality cowboy music, the
more people will take an interest in
pioneer history, events,
organizations, and preservation.
New Music
Gary McMahan,
Fred Hargrove,
Juni Fisher, and
Ray Doyle have all released new
CDs you’ll want to add to your music
collection. Check out Ray Doyle’s
music video “Emigrant Trail” on
YouTube too. How did he get it to
look so real?
New
Books
Can't wait to get a copy of the new
book all about cowboy china, by
Corinne J. Brown, coming in the
fall. Come and Get It -The Saga
of Western Themed Dinnerware,
includes images of some extremely
rare patterns. Author John O. Baxter
stopped at the National Day of the
Cowboy to sign copies of his new
book, Cowboy Park,
published by Texas Tech University
Press. It’s about the years when
steer roping was illegal (yup –
against the law) in Texas, Arizona,
and New Mexico. John Conley’s new
book, Heart of a Cowboy - Vol I,
is slated to be released in
September. John included a chapter
about the National Day of the Cowboy
- Bless his Cowboy heart! Moonlight
Mesa Publishing out of Wickenburg,
Arizona, is set to release a book on
Casey Tibbs.
More
Cowboy Culture
Did you notice all those Rockmount
shirts in Crazy Heart? Jeff
Bridges, as Bad Blake in the movie,
alternately channels Waylon and
Kristofferson in his role as a
country singer who’s veered way off
track (no pun intended). It’s eerie
watching him do that, but it
certainly brings back fond memories
of the days when country music was,
well, still Country.
Melody
Ranch Studio
Julie and Bob Ream took me on my
first visit to
Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio,
the movie lot where many Gene Autry
westerns were filmed, as were
western TV staples like The Lone
Ranger, and Annie Oakley.
Monogram Studios made 750 westerns
there before they sold the ranch to
Gene Autry in 1952. Since 1915, when
the studio was first opened for
business, a long string of hard
riding shoot-em-ups have been
produced there. Iconic cowboy
actors, including William S. Hart,
Tom Mix, Roy Rogers, Bill Boyd, and
John Wayne filmed their westerns at
MR until 1962, when a fire swept
through Placerita Canyon, destroying
the main western street. Gene
maintained the rest of the ranch for
his horse Champion until the horse
passed in 1990. He then put the
ranch up for sale and the Veluzat
brothers purchased it.
Thank goodness Melody Ranch has since
been brought back to life with the
restoration of that famous western
street. Melody Ranch Studio features a
massive western town with interiors in
the saloon, bank, jail, general store,
hotel, church, school, livery stable,
and theatre. Bob and Julie and I shared
our saloon table with ranch owner,
Renaud Veluzat, and friends Nokie and
Judy Edwards (Nokie was lead guitarist
for The Ventures). Out on the street,
under the California moon, dinner guests
watched High Noon. Imagine what fun we
all had eating dinner and watching High
Noon in exactly the same spot the movie
was filmed over 50 years ago!
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Membership
Bull
rider supports the cause
Singer-songwriter and former
professional bull rider, Jeremy Larsen,
is the first Cowboy to join the NDOC at
the Round-up Captain level. We met up
with Jeremy in Santa Clarita, where he
insisted on paying his membership dues
in front of Gene Autry (well, the bronze
of Gene) at the Autry National Museum in
Griffith Park, Los Angeles. True to his
new membership title, Jeremy has already
rounded up new members. We’ve come to
realize that it’s cowboys with a
commitment like his who will be the
mainstay of this effort. We want to
thank Jeremy for his enthusiasm and
dedication to the cause, and thanks to
our good friend Lucky, for telling
Jeremy about the NDOC.
AZ Sun Mercantile adds to list of
benefits
Ron Southwick, from
Arizona Sun Mercantile is offering a
10% discount on his products to NDOC
members AND he donates 10% of his eBay
sales to us, in an effort to encourage
more folks to become supporting members.
Ron and his wife, Carol, make leather
hatbands, knife sheaths and holsters.
They also offer old west style men’s and
ladies’ clothing and anything you might
need to be an active member of SASS or
WWPAS.
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Swing Riders
Allen
Wilkenson is our Boot King!
We had a great weekend at the NBSSCA
show in Waco, Texas, thanks to
founding member, the
Boot King, Allen
Wilkinson. Allen donated one of his
reserved spots for our use. While we
were at the show handing out
information about the NDOC and the
Cowboy Day campaign, Allen
introduced us to Jeff Trammel, just
as Jeff was about to host the grand
opening celebration of the new
Western Heritage Gallery in
Denton, Texas. Thanks to Brett
Jones, Jeff Trammel, and Allen, we
had a table at that event too. I can
testify firsthand that if you’re
looking for really fine, unique, or
rare cowboy collectibles, you’ll
want to make this gallery a frequent
destination. It started with over
5,000 square feet of cowboy
“everything,” including art, boots,
books, clothes, hats, jewelry,
spurs, furniture, saddles and
dishes, and it’s been such a success
- they’ve already expanded!
Abbie Caplin of Abbie
Caplin’s Frontiers in
Payson, Arizona donated a table for
us at Red Steagall’s Cowboy Camp in
the Fort Worth Stockyards. It’s
critical for us to be at as many
events as possible to spread the
word about the Day of the Cowboy
campaign, but many times we can’t
come up with vendor fees or travel
expenses necessary to participate,
so we really appreciate backing from
friends like Abbie, Jeff, Brett,
Brian, and Allen.
Cowboy
Code advocates
Dakota and Sunny Livesay now
offer a certificate to anyone
willing to make a formal commitment
to living by the Cowboy Code.
Dakota tells us thousands of people
have already requested the document
and it’s now hanging on the walls of
barns, homes, offices, classrooms
and even prison cells, around the
world.
Cowboy
Flag Update
Thanks to Brenda and
Jim Pense in Washington, the
National Day of the Cowboy flag
flies proudly in twenty-six states.
We’re finally over halfway to our
goal! We need someone from just
twenty four more states to throw
their hat in the arena to reach
fifty. If your state is not on the
flag list, consider becoming state
number twenty-seven and order your
flag today. Don't be left out in the
pasture! We’ve also sold a flag in
Lebanon and we’re thrilled to report
that renowned Colorado equestrians,
the Westernaires, will now be
carrying a National Day of the
Cowboy flag during their shows.
Don’t forget if you do have the
Cowboy Flag, send a picture of it
flying.
Watch the video on YouTube of the
ceremony at which U.S.
Congresswoman Giffords returned
the NDOC space flag to us.
Elizabeth Trevino is a winner
Texan Elizabeth Trevino held the winning
ticket for “Longhorn Buddies,” the
painting donated to us for fundraising
by New Mexico artist Zane Mead.
Elizabeth is the wife of Texas performer
Justin Trevino and declares she’s never
won anything in her life. She made the
trip from Brady, Texas, to the National
Day of the Cowboy office in Fort Worth
to pick up her treasure in person. (Pic
of Elizabeth)
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NDOC Spokesperson Julie Ream at
the Lone Pine Museum |
NDOC Spokespersons
Congratulations to Kelsee Brady
Bradshaw and her husband Colter, who
sent us pictures of their beautiful
new baby cowgirl, Bryton.
Spokesperson Buck Montgomery aka.
Dr. Buck’s has booked his Wild
Western Festival in
Sahuaro Agricultural Park in
downtown Glendale, Arizona. The park
has easy access, lots of parking and
even some shade trees…..Historian
and NDOC spokesperson,
Lee Anderson, represented us in
the colorful Tucson Fiesta de
los Vaqueros parade. You
might enjoy the brief video of Lee
Anderson, and his horse Concho,
parading the cowboy flag in the
parade. Lee and his horse, Concho,
won a beautiful trophy from the
parade judges for Best Mounted
Western Male.
Four of our spokespersons, Hotshot
Johnny Tuscadero, Kelsee Brady,
Historian Lee Anderson, and the fearless
leader of WWPAS, Dr. Buck Montgomery,
hail from Arizona. However, our newest
spokesperson,
Julie Ann Ream, hangs her Stetson in
Santa Clarita, California. Julie is the
grand-daughter of Cactus Mack, the niece
of Glenn Strange (Sam the bartender) and
cousin to Rex Allen. How’s that for
cowgirl credentials? In 2007, Julie was
a recipient of the
Cowboy Keeper Award, due in part to
her fabulous production of the Silver
Spur Awards, but also because of the
endless hours she puts in to keep our
cowboy and cowgirl movie and TV heroes
in front of the public. We’re honored to
have Julie Ream join us as an official
NDOC Spokesperson.
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Scottsdale City Councilman Tony
Nelssen |
Empty Saddles
My dad, Dick Braley, an easy
going man who first introduced me to
the joys of horseback riding,
hanging on a corral watching team
ropings and cheering on the saddle
bronc riders at a rodeo. March 2010
Scottsdale City Councilman, Tony
Nelssen, a tireless advocate for
preserving the western elements of
Arizona. Tony taught me that we not
only have an obligation to preserve
our heritage, we have an inherent
right to do so. April 2010
Douglas, Arizona rancher, Robert Krentz,
known by everyone as a kind and gentle
man, a husband, brother, father,
grandfather and good friend to
all. March 2010
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On the Trail
The
Autry National Center in
Griffith Park, California, will be
hosting its first National
Day of the Cowboy event on
July 24, 2010. Yeehaw! Now that’s
BIG news! They’ll be celebrating the
cowboy way of life with music and
demonstrations from diverse cultural
backgrounds that comprise cowboy
culture. The NDOC
will be present at the event to
answer your questions about the
quest for a permanent National Day
for the cowboy. Please stop by to
say, “Hello,” pick up a brochure,
and sign up for the News
The 2010 Western Legends Awards in
Willcox, Arizona,will honor Cactus
Mack, Johnny Western, Dean Smith and
Marty Robbins. The awards show will
be produced by 2007 Cowboy
Keeper Award winner and NDOC
spokesperson, Julie Ream and takes
place during Rex Allen Days, the
second weekend in October.
Ranching & Land Stewardship In The
Future, Jul 24, 2010 - Time: 08:00
AM to 02:00 PM. This Workshop Series
& Heritage Square event is hosted
annually in Historic Downtown
Flagstaff, Arizona, by the Coconino
NRCD and Arizona Cooperative
Extension, to recognize our ranching
heritage, promote responsible land
stewardship, and in celebration of
the National Day of the
Cowboy. This workshop is
free!! For additional information,
contact Erik Glenn, Arizona
Cooperative Extension (928)899-4595
or
erikg@cals.arizona.edu
Sedona National Day of the
Cowboy, Jul 24, 2010 -
Time: 10:00 AM to 08:00 PM. National
Day of the Cowboy Celebration in
Uptown
Sedona is a FREE community event
on Saturday, July 24th, 2010 from
10:00 am to 8:00 pm along “Main
Street” (State Route 89A) and Jordan
Road. Come enjoy “a whole lot of
cowboy goin’s on” in the midst of
red rock country.
Julie Ream will be bringing her
All-Star Western Round-up to the
75th Year Anniversary Republic
Pictures Studios, Studio City,
California on Sept. 25. The
National Day of the Cowboy
will be participating in this event.
The 8th Annual Annie Oakley Days
Festival kicks its heels up in
Greenville, Ohio, the third week of
July - whip cracking, knife and axe
throwing, entertainment, vendors,
food, good times!
www.ohiowesternarts.org
SASS End of Trail, is June 25-27 in
New Mexico. Look for Hotshot Johnny
Tuscadero and Dr. Buck Montgomery.
They’re helping us do some
fundraising by hawking prints of
Cowboy Keepers at EOT and signing up
members to the NDOC.
2nd Annual Cowboy Day, sponsored by
the "TOM MIX RANGERS", will be held
at Lee Wayside Village, in
Buckingham County, Virginia, on 24
July, 2010, from 9:00AM until
6:00PM.
The Hollywood Collector's Show,
Burbank California Marriott will
feature a western themed autograph
show, July 25, 2010.
Dr Buck's
Wild Western Festival, Historic
Sahuaro Ranch Park, Glendale,
Arizona, Oct. 15-17. Celebrating
Glendale’s 100th Anniversary.
Seventeen acres of the Best in the
West family fun and entertainment.
Michael Martin Murphey's
WESTFEST, Rifle, Colorado,
August 12-15.
Second Annual Ohio National
Day of the Cowboy Trail Ride, Jul
24, 2010 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM in the
beautiful Mohican State Forest,
Ohio. Ride starts at 9:00 am. If you
pre-register by July 21st via e-mail
( bob5812003@yahoo.com),
a free lunch will be provided to you
when the ride returns at 11:30 am!
Last year 40 riders helped celebrate
the Cowboy Day and we know we'll get
an even bigger turn out
this year. We hope to sign up many
more new National Day of
the Cowboy members
in the Buckeye State! For additional
information, contact Bob Orth at
bob5812003@yahoo.com
The
Henager Museum in Buckskin,
Indiana, will be hosting the Roy
Rogers Centennial celebration
birthday party in July 2011, and
they’ve decided to host the party
the same weekend as the 2011
National Day of the Cowboy.
Watch for future details. (Thank you
James Henager!)
Dubois Wyoming Second Annual
National Day of the Cowboy, Jul
24, 2010 to Jul 25, 2010.(What a day
they're going to have in Dubois,
Wyoming, at their Annual National
Day of the Cowboy! They've got the
entire community involved in this
one, right down to the golf course!
I hope they send us pictures.)
El Paso Museum of History, El
Paso, Texas. July 24, 2010, 10AM.
Enjoy celebrating National
Cowboy Day as the El Paso
Museum of History takes you back to
old El Paso, a town so wild and
rowdy that even Wyatt Earp said “No”
to being Marshall. Learn how to
rope, brand your own piece of wood,
meet a real cowboy, see a chuck
wagon and learn how food was
prepared for the cowboys, heft a
cast iron Dutch oven, sit in a
saddle, visit with living history
characters of the Old West and
witness a gunfight between the good
guys and desperados. Kids get to try
on reproduction clothes of a century
ago, make rope, grind coffee, and
have fun being a real cowboy or
cowgirl.
Collegiate Peaks Stampede Rodeo, Jul
9-10, 2010, Buena Vista, Colorado, rodeo
starts at 6:00 pm both nights.
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Gene Autry's Cowboy Code
1. The Cowboy must never
shoot first, hit a smaller
man, or take unfair
advantage.
2. He must never go back on
his word, or a trust
confided in him.
3. He must always tell the
truth.
4. He must be gentle with
children, the elderly, and
animals.
5. He must not advocate or
possess racially or
religiously intolerant
ideas.
6. He must help people in
distress.
7. He must be a good
worker.
8. He must keep himself
clean in thought, speech,
action, and personal habits.
9. He must respect women,
parents, and his nation's
laws.
10. The Cowboy is a patriot.
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National Day of the Cowboy
Resolution
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Cowboy Day Resolution
Whereas pioneering men and
women, known as cowboys,
helped establish the
American West;
Whereas the cowboy embodies
honesty, integrity, courage,
compassion, respect, a
strong work ethic, and
patriotism;
Whereas the cowboy spirit
exemplifies strength of
character,
sound family values, and
good common sense;
Whereas the cowboy archetype
transcends ethnicity,
gender,
geographic boundaries, and
political affiliation;
Whereas the cowboy is an
excellent steward of the
land and
its creatures;
Whereas the cowboy lives off
the land and works to
protect
and enhance the environment;
Whereas cowboy traditions
have been part of the
American
culture for generations;
Whereas the cowboy continues
to be an important part of
the
economy, through the work of
approximately 656,000
ranchers in all 50 States,
and contributes to the
wellbeing of nearly every
county in the Nation;
Whereas annual attendance at
professional and working
ranch rodeo events exceeds
30,000,000 fans, and the
rodeo is the 7th most
watched sport in the Nation;
Whereas membership and
participation in rodeo and
other organizations that
promote and encompass the
livelihood of
the cowboy spans race,
gender, and generations;
Whereas the cowboy is a
central figure in
literature, film, and
music, and occupies a
central place in the public
imagination;
Whereas the cowboy is an
American icon; and
Whereas the ongoing
contributions made by
cowboys and
cowgirls to their
communities should be
recognized and
encouraged:
Congress, Governors, and State
Legislatures encourage the
people of the United States to
observe the day with appropriate
ceremonies and activities.
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NDOC Spokeserpersons
Kelsee Brady Bradshaw
Julie Ann Ream
Lee Anderson
Hotshot Johnny Tuscadero
Dr. Buck Montgomery |
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NDOC Board of Directors
2010
Jane Bischoff, AZ –
Treasurer
Gloria Duncan, ME –
Secretary
Eddie Kilroy, TX - 2nd
Vice-chairman
Corene Schwab, TX -
Vice-chairman
Bethany Braley, AZ - Board
Chairman
Volunteers
Larra Atwater - Accountant
Cheryl Harvey Hill - MySpace
Trailboss
Lacee Muller - Facebook Wrangler
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National Day of the
Cowboy News Sponsor
The June 2010 National Day
of the Cowboy News was
sponsored by The Boot
King, Allen Wilkinson
of Parsons, Kansas. Allen is
a dealer of vintage Western
and Americana collectibles.
Email
info@nationaldayofthecowboy.com
if you'd like to sponsor one of
our newsletters. |
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