tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82995474079894867132024-03-14T05:59:02.123-07:00Cowboy Heroes!The official blog-site of Jim Olson, author.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-12197037252516361172017-06-08T14:18:00.000-07:002017-06-08T14:18:06.714-07:00Paul Carney - A Lot in a Short Time Paul Carney was one of sixty-one men who walked out of performing at the Boston Garden Rodeo in 1936. They demanded better treatment. While the show’s organizer, Col. Johnson, was livid and originally refused to give in to the cowboys, a truce was eventually reached. This event led to the formation of Cowboy Turtle’s Association (CTA) which was the beginnings of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA).<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Paul was born in the small town of Galeton, Colorado on September 21, 1912. His father, N.V. Carney, had a homestead where they farmed and ran livestock. Young Paul became interested in the livestock operation and respectfully left farming alone. He developed a knack for breaking and training horses, and from thereafter, he just wanted to be a cowboy!<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Paul was always proud of his small-time Colorado roots (Galeton, in far Northeastern Colorado, only had about 150 residents). He would always list his address as “Galeton, Colorado” for the announcer to call out.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>He entered his first rodeo, the Greeley Stampede, at the young age of fifteen. The following year he won the rookie saddle bronc riding at the Cheyenne Frontier days and thereafter was a rodeo cowboy for most of the rest of his life.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Stock contractor, Verne Elliot, took young Carney under his wing, giving him a job. This allowed Paul to compete at rodeos as he worked for the contractor. He even got to compete in London, England in 1934 (he was only twenty-one) thanks, in part, to Elliot. Paul was soon off and running with his rodeo career and he did not need the safety-net of a job any longer (although he and Elliot remained life-long friends).<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Paul regularly competed in four events: bareback, saddle bronc, bull (steer) riding and steer wrestling. He was versatile at both ends of the arena (he also roped calves) and won world championships in the bareback riding in 1937 and ’39. Also in 1939, he became the first man from Colorado to win the title of: All-around Champion of the World.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Was it because he was good at four events? Perhaps. Or could it have been a shirt? Burel Mulkey, who had won the 1938 All-around World Championship, gave Paul the shirt he was wearing...they joked about it, but you know how rodeo superstitions are. Carney was also known to have a dry, but active sense of humor, taking a joke just as good as he gave one out.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In 1937, when Paul was at the top of his rodeo game, he drew a bad bronc called, Hell’s Angel, who had gone unridden the previous nineteen tries. Paul rode Hell’s Angel that day at Madison Square Garden. He rode him again in 1939 at the same rodeo, but Paul once said, “....Hell’s Angel was the toughest bronc I’ve ever been on.” Even though Paul won the world in bareback (Hell’s Angel was a saddle bronc), each year he drew the “Angel” and covered him, Paul became a World Champion.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Carney was also given credit as the first man who figured out that if you bent the shanks of your spurs in and down, that it helped keep contact with a bucking animal. Rough stock spurs have been designed that way every since and he was jokingly called “Shanks” Carney for many years.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Paul was easy going, yet popular and a leader. World Champion, Gene Pruett, once said, “Paul was one of the world’s greatest riders. Although quiet and unassuming, he was a leader among rodeo cowboys.” He was actively involved in the early CTA, holding card number twenty-one. He was on the board as the steer riding representative (It would be “bull riding” now-a-days, but back then they rode long and lanky, thousand-pound plus steers—some as big as horses.)<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Shortly after winning the World All-around Championship in 1939, Paul and his wife, Lillian, moved to the Phoenix (Chandler), Arizona area and started a construction company along with his brother, Albert. The couple also raised horses on their “Diamond Two” ranch. In 1942, the Carneys purchased the champion quarter horse, Little Joe Jr. (out of the great stud, Joe Bailey), and brought him to their ranch. During this phase of life, Paul continued competing in rodeos, although more on a local level. All-the-while he raised good quarter horses and ran the construction business.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Although in the prime of life, while working on a road project near the Grand Canyon on June 24, 1950, Paul Carney fell over dead from a heart attack. It seemed hard to believe he was only thirty-seven because he had accomplished so much.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Out of respect for this great cowboy, whose impact was wide-felt in the short time he was here, Paul Carney was inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1961. In 1965, he was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and in 2001 to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs.<br />
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www.TotallyWestern.com Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-63239206900434648282017-06-07T14:49:00.002-07:002017-06-07T14:49:13.549-07:00Clay Carr - Second All Around Champion of the World Clay Carr is not a household name (like many of his contemporaries) when discussions about old-time rodeo greats are held. However, this quite and unassuming man was a two-time World All Around Champion Cowboy (1930 and 1933), won World Championships in saddle bronc riding in 1930 and steer roper in 1931 and 1940, competed in six events (saddle bronc riding, single steer roping, steer wrestling, team roping, calf roping and wild cow milking) and was (in his day) called a throw-back from the old-time cowboys who came before him. Clay was the real deal.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>He was born April 18, 1909 in Farmersville, California and grew up working on the Gill Ranch. He competed in his first rodeo at Visalia in 1928 and within two years, was the second man to win the honor of All Around Champion of the World (Earl Thode was first in 1929). Most of his adult life, he lived on his California ranch near Visalia, where he also rodeoed out of.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In spite of being such a versatile and accomplished cowboy, one of the reasons you may not hear as much about Clay is that he went about his business without much fanfare. Some men have the spotlight follow them wherever they go (even cultivating and craving it), while others go humbly about their business. Clay was the latter.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Author Clifford Westermeier wrote of Clay in 1947, “Clay Carr, holder of the Jo Mora Salinas Trophy, is a strange man, difficult to meet and extremely hard to get acquainted with. He is, without a question, one of the great cowboys of the age; a man of many complexes, one of which is inferiority; yet he is one of the smartest, shrewdest, and cleverest individuals is rodeo. He has an air of indifference toward the desires and opinions of others, and appears to lead a rather lonely life, perhaps because he has a very suspicious nature? In spite of this, Clay has the respect and admiration of everyone in the business and is regarded as a very tough customer in a business deal, fight, or a poker game.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“One does not try to figure out this man of moods, but rather accepts whatever friendship he offers; one is flattered by any politeness, consideration, interest, or attention he may show. He seldom goes east to contest, but in the West and particularly at the California shows, he is a master and can “take,” in his own inimitable way, most of the boys competing against him.”<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Following his death in 1957, the Visalia Times-Delta wrote, “He was not a man for sentiment and cared little about his own personal aggrandizement.”<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Roger Bean of San Francisco once said Clay, “...was not of the new breed, but was somewhat of a throwback to the old-time cowboy.”<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Not one to worry much about the opinion others, Carr, at times, wore unusual hats for a cowboy of that era. One hat he wore for a while had a very wide brim and low crown (similar to that of a Quaker, or more recently might be thought of as a modern “buckaroo” style hat) and another he often sported was a fedora style—at the opposite end of the spectrum. It is thought he wore these simply because they were available and definitely not to make any sort of a statement. Little things like this only added to the strangeness and separateness of this great cowboy.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Although the Bowman brothers from Arizona have been credited with hauling the first horse trailer seen on the rodeo circuit in the 1920s, Clay was known as having one of the first “nice” ones. His was constructed of metal (unheard of at the time). It was a one-horse trailer that stood out from the few being hauled at the time and was reported to have been “neatly painted and stylish.” This was also out of the norm back then.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Although he was a full-time rancher and tough rodeo competitor in the West, Carr did take a few extended rodeo trips, most notably to Australia, England and back East where he won his All Around and World Championships. He was known as a versatile competitor (competing at both ends of the arena) and was counted to be “in the money” most anywhere he went.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The fledgeling Cowboy Turtles Association (organized in 1936), which is the predecessor of today’s Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association, received Clay’s support. He signed up and was member number fifty-five. Clay wound up competing in rodeo for over twenty-five years.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Carr served in World War II as a Marine in the South Pacific. In 1948, he married Eleanora Curtis, from the well-known Curtis rodeo family. Sadly, on his birthday in 1957, Clay Carr, one of the best (and possibly most mis-understood) cowboys from the early days of rodeo passed away from a heart attack.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Because a he shied from the spotlight, may have been a little reserved and different, he never received the wide-spread recognition like many of similar accomplishment have. Sadly, his is not a name often talked about in discussions of rodeo history today. This does not mean however that a man of such great talent went completely unnoticed. As an All Around World Champion, Clay Carr was inducted in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979. <br />
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www.TotallyWestern.com Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-7455236815322051042015-08-02T16:38:00.001-07:002015-08-02T16:38:36.869-07:00Jesse Stahl - First Black Bronc Rider<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Most everyone has heard of Bill Pickett, the man credited with inventing the bulldogging event of rodeo. Bill was also the first black man to be inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Hall of Fame and is often referred to when people talk about historical black cowboys. A lot of people may think Bill was about the only black man to make a name for himself in those early days of Wild West Shows, Stampedes and Rodeos because he garnered so many headlines. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Arguably however, one of the best bronc riders of all time was another black man, Jesse Stahl. Jesse was a professional bronc rider from the early 1900s thru the late 1920s. Things he did while riding a bronc are the stuff legends are made of and are still talked about to this day.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Not a lot is known about Jesse’s childhood. Most reports say he was born in Tennessee sometime between 1879 and 1883. Others say he was born in California or Texas. What we do know is he had a brother named Ambrose who also rode broncs.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rodeo Historian, Willard Porter, wrote about Jesse, “He was a tremendous athlete—quick, coordinated and physically able to respond to the unpredictable action of rough stock.”</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Jesse competed in bulldogging, steer (or bull) riding and bronc riding. He became legendary however for his bronc riding skills.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We first hear of Stahl at a big-time show in Salinas, California in 1912. The attendance of that event was reported at around four-thousand spectators. It was the first time Cowgirls were included in the performance and it was also the first time a black man performed there.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>One of the highlights of the show was reportedly was none other than, Jesse Stahl, riding a bad bucker named, Glass Eye. After being awarded third place, Stahl climbed aboard again, on an exhibition horse who had a bad reputation as well. He rode this bronc facing<i> backwards! </i></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Why did he ride this exhibition horse? Why did he ride facing backwards?</div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></i>Although Salinas was the first big show we hear of Stahl riding at, he had probably been competing at smaller venues for quite some time before. Stahl later became known for his famous exhibition rides. He usually did this facing backwards or with a suitcase in his free hand or on occasion in tandem with another black cowboy, sometimes George Fletcher or Ty Stokes, in what was dubbed as the “Suicide Ride.” Many felt he did these outlandish exhibitions just to prove he could ride better than anyone else. Other reasons have also been given.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It has been said that Jesse was mostly remembered for winning (or earning) first but placing third. Accusations abound that Jesse was never placed higher than third by judges because of his skin color and prejudices of the day. Many have reported that Stahl put on these extraordinary exhibitions to mock the judges for their placing decisions. Perhaps skin color had something to do with being placed third when everyone else thought he placed first, but if he was truly mocking the judges, that probably did not help either.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It is also said that some white cowboys would refuse to compete if Jesse was entered. Perhaps because of prejudice and Stahl’s reputation as one of the best bronc riders around, these men did not want to enter because they thought it would make them look bad if they were bested by a black man. This could be another reason Stahl rode so much in exhibition.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Producers desperately wanted Stahl to ride in their shows because it pleased the public. It has been speculated they could make everyone happy by paying Stahl to ride exhibition horses instead of competing.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>To mock Judges for perceived bad decisions? To prove he was the best? Because of prejudice and segregation? All of the above has been suggested as reasons why Jesse Stahl rode so many exhibition horses while preforming wild stunts at the same time. What ever the reason may be for the extraordinary rides, they have become fodder for numerous tales and legends.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>After a long and colorful career in which he made headlines from New York to California, the great Jesse Stahl retired from bronc riding in 1929. Most rodeo historians say he was one of the best ever. He died in Sacramento, California in 1935. The first well-known black bronc rider, was posthumously inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1979. Making him the second black cowboy (after Bill Pickett) to receive such an honor. </div>
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Jim Olson ©2015</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-59249172791245174922014-10-09T10:30:00.003-07:002014-10-09T10:30:54.262-07:00Fox Hastings, One Tough Gal... When you think of pioneer ladies from the early days of rodeo, Fox Hastings name has to be there. She was one of the first female bulldoggers in rodeo history. She also rode broncs and was a trick rider. She was a crowd favorite. It has been said she could smile at the camera, while lying in the mud, and still be holding the horns of a steer she had just thrown.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Eloise Fox was born during 1898 in Galt, California to Wesley Galveston and Susie Agusta Fox. Somewhat of a maverick from the beginning, the rebellious girl was sent to a boarding school at age fourteen. Two years later she ran away. At sixteen, she joined the Irwin Brothers Wild West Show, and met and married Mike Hastings―a well-known performer on the rodeo circuit. She dropped her first name and became known thereafter as “Fox Hastings.” The press loved her name.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It was Mike who first taught her the ins and outs of rodeo. She started by riding broncs and doing trick riding events. Soon, her ability to ride rough stock became renowned. She was known for her enthusiasm, her physical strength, and her expert horsemanship.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In the early part of the 1900s, women competed right along side men in many cases. Fox served as a reminder that women thrive on competition just as men do. She became an inspiration to many young women who previously thought a woman’s place was strictly in the home. By 1924, Fox and Mike had a new plan however.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It was 1924 at Houston, Texas where Fox made her debut as a bulldogger! This was practically unheard of for ladies of the day. The main reason being, bulldogging steers were much bigger and wilder than what you find in today’s competitions. It was dangerous, even for the toughest of seasoned cowboys. She was a huge hit however and wound up being voted the best specialty act of the rodeo.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Thereafter, Fox and Mike gained fame as husband and wife bulldoggers. She put on exhibitions at Wild West Shows and rodeos across the country. Foghorn Clancy, rodeo personality and promoter claimed Fox, “was the most photographed and interviewed cowgirl of the 1920s.”<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Fox was quoted in Hoofs and Horns magazine as saying, “I like bulldogging better than bronc riding. Bronc riding is a question of strength and endurance, but in bulldogging you don't tackle two steers exactly alike. You have to learn the difference in the animals size, strength, formation of the horns, build of neck and shoulders and a lot of things. Every move has to be perfectly timed to a split second.” Of course, the steers she was bulldogging usually weighed around 1,200 pounds, about twice what today’s bulldogging cattle weigh—and back then, they literally “bit them on the lip” to help bring ‘em down (hence the name bulldogging)!<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Along the way, she suffered a myriad of injuries and broken bones. However, the old adage, “The show must go on,” rang true with Fox and she would continue putting on exhibitions, injuries or no.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In 1935, at the Fiesta De Los Vaqueros rodeo in Tucson, Arizona, Fox was a contract act performing a ladies bulldogging exhibition. On the first day, she suffered a broken rib. She still went on to perform during the next several days of rodeo in spite of the pain. She did not want to let show management down.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>She remained one of rodeo's top performing women athletes through the 1930s. Fox was always a press favorite. Unforgettable is an image of her having just turfed a steer, covered in dirt or mud, and smiling at the camera, grinning from ear to ear. There are numerous photos like this in the archives. She literally traveled the world while rodeoing. She proved to be a charismatic, crowd pleaser whenever she appeared in the arena.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Fox summed up her ability this way: "If I can just get my fanny out of the saddle and my feet planted, there’s not a steer that can last against me."<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sometime in the latter half of the 1920s, her first marriage ended in divorce. However, in 1929, she remarried. Her second husband was another champion rodeo hand, Charles "Chuck" Wilson. Together they traveled the circuit from New York to Los Angeles, hitting all points in between. They also relocated their home operation to a ranch near Winslow, Arizona.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>During the last half of the 1930s, there were great changes in rodeo. The Wild West shows had pretty well phased out by then (and with it the exhibitions such as Fox performed). Also, the new Cowboy Turtles Association (CTA) was born in 1936, and they soon became the primary sanctioning board for professional cowboys. The new association however, did not allow women performers to enter rodeos. As a result, the Women’s Rodeo Association was formed thereafter.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Whether it was the changes, or just her age (approaching forty by now) Fox Hastings retired from rodeo towards the end of the ‘30s. She and Chuck settled in and became full-time Arizona ranchers.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>During the 1940s, Fox became plagued with health problems. Several reports have been given as to what it was, but the most popular theory is tuberculosis. Reports say that Chuck stood faithfully by his wife during this difficult time, often nursing her himself.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Tragically, on July 30, 1948, Chuck Wilson died in Winslow of a heart attack, leaving behind a sickly widow. Two weeks later, at the Adams Hotel in Phoenix, Fox took her own life. The coroner's report states she died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds to the abdomen and head. She left a note, saying, "I don't want to live without my husband."<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In 1987, Eloise Fox Hastings Wilson was inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Rodeo Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. It was noted her career had included steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, and rodeo trick riding. On October 26, 2011, Fox was also inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame at Fort Worth.<br />
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Jim Olson ©2014<br />
www.TotallyWestern.com <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-37159787290741989412013-11-17T15:12:00.009-07:002013-11-17T15:12:43.913-07:00A Christmas poem for you by Jim Olson...<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Cowboy Night Before Christmas</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Onward came the cowboy, came from afar </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Curiously following the glow of a star</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Arrived at the livery, a place for his horse</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Few extra oats on a chilly night of course</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Told the stable man, hey, thanks for the light</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Lit the desert nicely - such a dark night</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The man just grinned and said with a nod </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sir, it ‘twas not me - I believe it was God!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There ‘tween a burro and sheep freshly shorn</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Cooed a little baby, not long ago born</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Parents huddled, three men gathered round </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Gazed lovingly, at a babe on the ground</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Well Cowboy was curious as men usually are </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">& Knew right there, the purpose of the star</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">No doubt in his mind, that he was on hand,</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">To witness a miracle, the worlds only perfect man</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Well the Babe stared at him, right into his soul</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Knew all about him, but how did he know?</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Had piercing blue eyes that seemed to speak </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Cowboy got a message & his knees grew weak</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then a horse rip-snorted, he sat right up in bed</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Guess he’d been dreamin’, twas all in his head</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Jumped up with a start, realizing the dream </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It seemed so real, these things that he’d seen</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A voice came to him from somewhere within </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Said Cowboy - past is gone, you’re forgiven</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Trust your instincts inside - I put ‘em there, </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Remember I’m with you, here and everywhere</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Tend your horses, cattle and your fellow man</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For to do right by me, treat ‘em best as you can</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Remember now, to be kind to children </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And care for your soul - you must make amends</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He pondered a while this message received </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Shore enough a miracle, is what he believed</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It rattled round in his head loud and clear</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Help your fellow man - both far and near</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Cowboy resolved to do better, best he could </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The world surely needs, a bit more good</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Why then he felt warm and fuzzy all over </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Like a wild horse herd, running through clover</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He sat there a-rubbin’ grog from his eyes</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Looks to the window - saw another surprise</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Perched on the sill - a snow-white Dove </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Knows it has to be, a sign from above</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Cowboy smiled, thought man what a night </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Dove then nodded and took off in flight</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Twas no use a-trying to sleep after that </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Got up, got dressed - stuffed on his hat</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And he passed the calendar - on the wall</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">December 25</span><span style="font: 8.0px Cambria; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> - well don’t that beat all?</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now out in the barn, it’s time to throw feed </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But the horse is sweaty, what’s wrong with the steed</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Why he’s been ridden - evidence clear showed </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Looks in the bin and & oats have been throwed</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A cold winter chill went straight down the spine</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I knew then I’d encountered - something Divine!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Jim Olson © 2011 - 2013</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.JimOlsonAuthor.com/">www.JimOlsonAuthor.com</a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000000;"> </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-50016145659905789982013-09-22T15:55:00.002-07:002013-09-22T15:55:39.516-07:00Lucille Mulhall — First Cowgirl<br />
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To see a petite young lady roping and tying a steer or performing stunts a-horseback is special. To do it in the early 1900s, an era of rough and tough, “real” cowboys, and do it as well as, or better than the men is incredible.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lucille Mulhall was born October 21, 1885, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Colonel Zack and Agnes Mulhall. The family relocated to Oklahoma during the great land rush of 1889 and homesteaded one-hundred-sixty acres. The Mulhalls eventually laid claim to about eighty-thousand acres of rangeland located north of Guthrie—some of which was leased land. However, much of it was open range they simply controlled and claimed by virtue of use and being on it (a common practice of the day).</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>By age seven, Lucille was riding the range, being taught cowboy ways by the men who rode the plains, in what was then “Indian Territory.” Zack Mulhall once claimed that when his daughter was only thirteen, he told her she could keep as many of his steers as she could rope in one day. He bragged, “She didn’t quit until catching more than three-hundred head!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Col. Zach Mulhall (a title bestowed upon him despite never serving in the military) started a “Wild West show” in the early 1900s. Many early movie cowboys, including Tom Mix, and Will Rogers got their start in Mulhall’s Congress of Rough Riders and Ropers. Lucille also starred in the show. She was among the first women to compete in roping and riding events with men and earned many championship titles. Today she is celebrated as the first cowgirl. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Will Rogers wrote, “Lucille's achievement in competition with cowboys was the direct start of what has since come to be known as the Cowgirl. There was no such a word up to then as Cowgirl.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The term was coined to describe Lucille when she dazzled Easterners in her first appearance at Madison Square Garden in 1905. "Against these bronzed and war-scarred veterans of the plains, a delicately featured blonde girl appeared,” a New York reporter wrote. "Slight of figure, refined and neat in appearance, attired in a becoming riding habit for hard riding, wearing a picturesque Mexican sombrero and holding in one hand a lariat of the finest cowhide, Lucille Mulhall comes forward to show what an eighteen-year-old girl can do in roping steers. In three minutes and thirty-six seconds, she lassoed and tied three steers. The veteran cowboys did their best to beat it, but their best was several seconds slower than the girl’s record-breaking time... The cowboys and plainsmen who were gathered in large numbers to witness the contest broke into tremendous applause when the championship gold medal was awarded to the slight, pale-faced girl.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>However, Lucille was a cowgirl long before becoming an entertainer. "By the age of fourteen,” the New York Times reported, "She could break a bronco and shoot a coyote at five-hundred yards.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Newspapers tagged her with titles like "Daring Beauty of the Plains,” Queen of the Range” and "Deadshot Girl,” but the one that stuck was "Cowgirl.” It has been argued that the term "cowgirl" had been in use since before she was even born, but few would argue that Lucille was the first to give it national meaning.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Even the great Geronimo was an admirer of Lucille's talent and once gave her a beaded vest and decorated Indian bow—items she reportedly treasured her entire life.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Teddy Roosevelt was also among Lucille’s fans. While campaigning in Oklahoma as a vice presidential candidate in 1900, he saw her perform. It was the Fourth of July, and she roped in front of a large crowd at a "Cowboy Tournament” in Oklahoma City. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Daily Oklahoman reported, "Roosevelt was most enchanted with the daring feats of Lucille Mulhall. She rode beautifully throughout the contest and lassoed the wildest steer in the field.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Teddy Roosevelt was so impressed by Lucille’s skills that he invited the Mulhalls to join him and a select group of the Rough Riders for a private dinner. That night Lucille gave the hero of San Juan Hill a silk scarf she had worn during the contest.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Zack Mulhall then invited Roosevelt to stay at his ranch—Teddy accepted. After watching Lucille’s skills with a horse, rope and gun on the ranch, Roosevelt encouraged her father to get her more exposure. "Zack, before that girl dies or gets married or cuts up some other caper,” Roosevelt reportedly said, "you ought to put her on stage and let the world see what she can do.” The rest, as they say, is history.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Legend has it that during the visit, Roosevelt went riding with Lucille and they spotted a grey wolf. This whetted Roosevelt’s appetite for a hunt. The wolf eluded them that day but Roosevelt told Lucille if she could catch the wolf, he would invite her to his inaugural parade.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Some claim she later roped the wolf, then killed it, others say she shot it at five-hundred yards. But by all accounts, she sent the pelt Roosevelt who displayed it in the White House after he and McKinley won the election. Lucille and family attended the inauguration and Roosevelt reportedly gave her a saddle and an 1873 Winchester.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Besides starring in Mulhall's Wild West show, Lucille also performed in the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West show (another well-known wild west show from the day), in Vaudeville, and Lucille’s career even took her to Europe, where she performed for heads of state and royalty. In 1913 she and her brother, Charley, formed a company and produced “The Lucille Mulhall Roundup.” <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lucille became known world-wide as the greatest (and first) cowgirl—the result of her fine roping skills and an uncanny knack with horses. Her talents were, in part, fine-tuned by another natural cowboy—Will Rogers, who was a life-long friend of Lucille’s (both came from Oklahoma ranching backgrounds). Couple that with her slight figure and ladylike demeanor and you had a cowgirl anomaly. More important however, she was authentic, genuine and generous—crowds loved her. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It has been said that she had a natural connection with horses. She claimed her horse, Governor, knew many tricks. In an interview Lucille said, “My system of training consists of three things: patience, perseverance, and gentleness. Gentleness I consider one of the greatest factors in successful training. Governor, the horse I ride in our exhibitions has nearly forty tricks. He can shoot a gun; pull off a man’s coat and put it on again; can roll a barrel; can walk up stairs and down again—a difficult feat; is perfect in the march and the Spanish trot; extends the forelegs so that an easy mount may be made; kneels, lies down and sits up; indeed, he does nearly everything but talk.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>She was briefly married in 1907 to Martin Van Bergen, a cowboy singer who was an opening act in the show. Together they had a son. She was also married in 1919 to Tom Burnett, whose father had established the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas. Each marriage lasted only a few years and it was reported that Zach Mulhall remained the most important man in her life.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lucille basically retired from world-wide travel in 1917 as live Wild West performances were being overshadowed by the up and coming Hollywood westerns. However, she continued to perform throughout the 1920s and 30s, mostly in Oklahoma and Texas. She made her last known public appearance in September of 1940.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Lucille Mulhall died near the home ranch in an automobile accident on December 21, 1940. She was only fifty-five years old. She was posthumously inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1975 and National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1977. Long live Cowgirls! </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-65068208125993184302013-06-17T10:18:00.001-07:002013-06-17T10:18:57.985-07:00Mabel Strickland<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">First Lady of Rodeo</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A pretty little gal named Mabel Delong was born in 1897 near Wallula, Washington. Her parents were Mr. William F. Delong, a shoe shop owner and guest columnist for the local paper (The Wallula Gateway) and Mrs. Anna F. Delong. The Delong’s homestead is now under the waters of Lake Wallula, on the Columbia River, behind the McNary Dam—since 1954. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Her father first introduced Mabel to horses, at about age three. She took to them immediately. Within a few short years, the young horsewoman was training with Bill Donovan, a local trick rider. In 1913, she entered her first rodeo, the Walla Walla Stampede and won the trick riding. After winning the next two consecutive years as well, she was asked by George Drumheller of “Drumhellers Wild West Productions” fame, to hit the road doing trick riding and relay races across the country. Her parents agreed to let her go on the condition she be accompanied by a chaperone. After all, she was a beautiful young lady—and just coming of age. So began the professional rodeo career of Mabel Delong. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>She was a petite gal of five-feet, four-inches and around one-hundred pounds. Newspaper accounts from the day called Mabel, “The Lovely Lady of Rodeo” and some said she looked more like a “Follies beauty” than a Rodeo Cowgirl. Author and Rodeo Historian, Gail Hughbanks Woerner once wrote, “Her features were delicate, her hair was always done in the most attractive style and her western clothing fit perfectly and was always of the most flattering styles.” She soon caught the attention of rodeo champion, Hugh Strickland of Bruneau, Idaho. The two were married in 1918.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>After having a daughter (April) and an attempt at settling down to become Idaho farmers, the couple decided to hit the rodeo trail to earn money as they had about gone broke farming. Hugh taught his wife to ride broncs, rope calves and steers and even steer wrestling. The duo paid their debts with rodeo winnings, gave up the farmer’s life, and never looked back—they were making more money on the rodeo trail.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mabel went on to become one of the most recognizable and popular cowgirls of the early days of rodeo. It has been said that she was the most photographed cowgirl of all. Photographers loved to take pictures of the lovely little lady as she competed in trick riding, relay racing, roman riding, steer <i>and</i> bronc riding and calf <i>and </i>single steer roping! She was also a Rodeo Queen and was likely to win at a number of different events on any given day. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mabel looked more like a model than a champion cowgirl, but her winning ways put her in tight competition with the cowboys. She could rope as fast as most of them and set several records during her time. (It should be noted here that before 1929, cowgirls competed right alongside the cowboys at most shows. Separate girls events were few and far between.)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There was a growing national concern back then over how competitive sports, such as rodeo, could harm women. Most cowgirls competing in those days were more of the brutish sort, not necessarily portraying the proper image of a lady. Few were delicate and feminine looking like Mabel. The debate even reached the small town (back then) of Pendleton, Oregon, where Mabel had been named 1927 Rodeo Queen. The following was written in her defense: "There is nothing masculine in her appearance and she does not wear mannish clothes. She dresses with excellent taste, whether in the arena or on the street." -The East Oregonian 1927</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Without ever intending to, she was being mixed up into a women’s liberation movement. She responded to a newspaper reporter once, “I know you think I’m a paradox, but I belong in the saddle for I’ve been there since I was three. I love the open, dogs, horses, guns, the trees, the flowers...Still I love dresses and everything that goes with them. I can’t tolerate the mannish women anymore than I can stand the womanish man.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When asked about her and Hugh’s relationship she was quoted, “Now, here’s the way it is with Hugh and me: He’s a one-woman-man, and—well, I’m a one-man-woman. My home is my heaven. Hugh’s my husband, and that doesn’t mean maybe; he’s my manager; he’s my daddy sweet-heart and we’re pals right down to the heel of our boots.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>One of the most famous photographs of Mabel was when she appeared on the cover of the 1926 Cheyenne Frontier Days program, featuring her as a bronc rider, from the same rodeo in 1924. Amazingly, she was smiling and waving to the crowd while riding a bad bronc named, Stranger. She was the first woman ever to grace the cover of Cheyenne’s rodeo program.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In all her years of riding, she was only seriously injured once. Mabel was performing in trick riding at the Madison Square Garden “World Championship” rodeo. She attempted to pass under the horse's neck and grab the saddle on the other side as they went around the arena full-speed. Even though she had done this numerous times before, somehow, she lost her grip, fell beneath the horse and was trampled. She was severely injured and reported as "near death." She recovered however, and went on to continue her winning ways.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A few championships credited to Mabel include: Pendleton, Oregon; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Walla Walla and Ellensburg, Washington; Dewey, Oklahoma and Madison Square Garden, New York.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Once, when asked in an interview if she hoped her daughter, April, would follow in her footsteps, Mabel said, “I don’t want her to follow my game. It’s too hard for a woman, and then, maybe when she is old enough, there won’t be any contests.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mabel was right, by the depression years of the 30s, rodeo opportunities for women had all but disappeared. It wasn’t until the formation of the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) in 1948 that women began competing in all rodeo events once again. (Although this time it was only against other women, not men as well, like back in Mabel’s day.)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>During the 1930s, Hugh and Mabel relocated to Hollywood to work in the movies as many rodeo cowboy from that day wound up doing. They were in high demand for bits in Western movies, which were becoming very popular. Mabel preformed stunt work and had minor acting roles in many films; her pinnacle part being in “Rhythm of the Range” with Bing Crosby. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>While filming a scene for “Rhythm,” a set was duplicated to look like the arena at Madison Square Garden—where she had been badly injured in 1926. As Mabel walked on set, she fainted in front of a gate looking just like the one where she had been trampled. She was rushed to the hospital where physicians reported a hemorrhage had reappeared at the site of the old wound! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>While living in California, Mabel, along with Bonnie Gray and Bertha Blancett, founded the Association of Film Equestriennes, an association of women stunt riders and actresses. Mabel had established herself as a sought-after movie actress and stunt woman.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In 1941, Hugh Strickland passed away from a heart attack and Mabel then remarried to a man named Sam Woodward. The couple lived in Buckeye, Arizona where Mabel served the Appaloosa Horse Club on their Board of Directors from 1949 through 1965. As one of the first women ever elected to the board, Mabel was active in both the local and national levels. She was respected by her colleagues because of her determination and extensive experience as a professional horsewoman. Mabel owned, bred and showed Appaloosas for many years after leaving the rodeo and Hollywood scenes.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>She has been inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Hall of Fame, the ProRodeo Cowboys Hall of Fame, the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, the Pendleton Hall of Fame and the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, only the induction into Pendleton’s Hall of Fame happened during her lifetime. Today the Mabel Strickland Cowgirl Museum is active in Cheyenne, Wyoming. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mabel Delong Strickland Woodward died in 1976, at age 79, after a long battle with cancer. Her ashes were spread at her home in Buckeye, Arizona. She will forever be remembered as the first lady of rodeo.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Jim Olson (c) 2013</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-12453515024294288872013-01-15T19:36:00.007-07:002013-01-15T19:36:57.218-07:00Last Rodeo Pioneer<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Bart Clennon</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In sharp contrast with rodeos of today, back in 1945, Madison Square Garden’s, “World Championship Rodeo,” in New York was a grueling fifty performances over a thirty-day period! A man named Bart Clennon won the saddle bronc riding contest at that show. As a matter of fact, he won many bronc riding championships in the early days of rodeo; Reno, NV; Fort Worth, TX; San Angelo, TX; Burwell, NE; Red Bluff, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; Deadwood, SD, Miles City, MT; Kissimmee, FL and Boston Garden to name a few. Bart says, “I never kept any records, but I know that I made a living rodeoing for over twenty years.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>While his rodeo resume is quite impressive, what is even more notable is that he was the last living person of the original sixty-one fellows who signed the famous “Boston Garden strike document,” then walked out of performing at the rodeo in 1936. (Bart Clennon was born in Aberdeen, SD, 1910.) This led to an eventual formation of the Cowboy Turtles Association (CTA) - the predecessor of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA). <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Clennon, lived for many years in the Tucson, AZ area, a few miles north and west of the back entry road to old Tucson Studios, with his two sons, Bart Jr. and Terrance. His family went with him during much of his career and they saw many things together. Not all that happened on the rodeo trail was glamour and nostalgia though, as is often reported. The family recalls a tragic event in 1946 when two Army bombers collided mid-air as they performed for the crowd in Great Falls, Montana during the state fair. Bart and a friend were working stock behind the chutes when debris fell everywhere, killing over twenty horses and at least eight men.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Bart once said about the early days of rodeo, “We didn’t always get paid for winning. Sometimes the winners were determined (unofficially of course) before the show even started. But other times when you did win, the contractor may not pay the prize money out. We were kind of at the mercy of the producer in those early days.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It was not all that bad however, as a matter of fact, most of it was good times and Clennon said about getting started in the sport, “Back in those days, you would work for those old ranchers and farmers and make maybe $1 per day. Then those old tightwads would deduct days when the wind blew too hard or it stormed and you couldn’t work. So when I won $35 dollars at my first rodeo, I was hooked.” That was Ash Creek, SD and the year was 1928. He went on to work for several different rodeos and wild west shows (there was not much difference between them at the time) and sometimes got on as many as thirty to forty broncs per week!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In part due to grievances listed above, in 1936, at the Boston Garden rodeo, cowboys who were fed up with the status quo of rodeo production at the time decided to stand up for themselves, demanding better treatment. It was not easy. First off, Colonel W.T. Johnson, the producer, had paid to ship most of the contestants and their horses to Boston by train from out west. He also had sponsored rooms for a good many, making most of the cowboys indebted to him in some manner. When the cowboys threatened to strike if certain demands were not met, he told them they would have to find their own way home if they did - he would do his best to strand them in the east.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Clennon was worried, but the cowboys stuck together and walked out on the first of thirty scheduled performances. Johnson attempted to put the show on without them, using grooms and stable hands to fill in. That night Bart, “...paid $2 for a ticket to the rodeo and sat in the stands next to Howard McCrorey. When someone would come out of the chutes us cowboys would holler. Ol’ Howard was hollering so loud that I hardly had to...he’d beller like a bull!” Things eventually worked out and the cowboys soon thereafter formed the CTA. “We called it the Turtle Association because we were so damned slow to start and finally stick our necks out,” Bart recalls with a smile. He signed up and was given card number 418.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Bart is proud of his involvement with the formation of what was to eventually become the PRCA. With a gnarled finger, he smiles and points to his name on a nicely framed copy of the original strike document and says, “They’re all gone. I am the only one left.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Bart was known as “a cowboys, cowboy.” Casey Tibbs once told a magazine reporter that Clennon was, "One of the best bronc riders I ever saw, and I can't figure out why he never won the (world championship)." </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Clennon recalls many good times with the prankster Tibbs including riding to a rodeo in California with a group of top cowboys from the day, one of them was Bud Linderman. Tibbs was driving wildly, and when they arrived, Bud jumped out of the back seat and said, “Anyone who rides with that S.O.B is plumb crazy!” Bart and Casey were friends and it was an honor for Bart when he was inducted into the Casey Tibbs Rodeo Center in his native South Dakota in 1995. He was also inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s “Rodeo Historical Society” in 1996 and remained a PRCA gold card member to the end (believed to be the oldest ever). </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Clennon quit rodeoing when he was about forty - after receiving his second broken neck. He then went to work as a hard rock miner and was in such amazing shape, he passed for 28, which was the age limit for new hires. He later was in the hardware business and eventually retired from that in his eighties.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Bart would recall the many broncs he rode with an amazing clarity of mind, for a man of any age, much less 101-plus. He did this with friends and rodeo buffs who stop by and listen. However, he once said in an interview that the greatest accomplishment he ever had, “...was when I married Geraldine Parkinson...the family traveled with me all over to rodeos...” Clennon lost his wife in 1982. Then he was fueled on by the many cherished memories of traveling the rodeo circuit and being together with his family. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"></span>Men like Bart Clennon changed the game of rodeo forever. His story ended on the night before turning an official 102 years of age. A few days before, he came down sick one last time. The legend died only hours before midnight - he almost made 102.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-15970955509712455142012-11-05T17:47:00.002-07:002012-11-05T17:47:14.093-07:00In The Beginning... <br />
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<span data-mce-style="letter-spacing: 0px; font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0px;">There was Rodeo. It started as a contest between cowboys to see who was the best roper and rider.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;">Soon it evolved into ranches competing against each other to see who had the best cowboys - much like a ranch rodeo of today. Before long, organized events were taking place in towns like Prescott, Arizona which claims to have the world’s oldest rodeo (started in 1888) and Payson, Arizona who argues they have the world’s oldest continuous rodeo (started in 1884). Then you have Pecos, Texas who claims the right to the world’s first rodeo (1883) but history tells us that William F. Cody (AKA Buffalo Bill) staged his first Wild West Show (which also had rodeo events) in 1882 at North Platte, Nebraska. </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" data-mce-style="white-space: pre;" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>But wait! There is more; Santa Fe, New Mexico also claims the first rodeo based on a letter dated 1847 written by Captain Mayne Reid from Santa Fe to a friend in Ireland: "At this time of year, the cowmen have what is called the round-up, when the calves are branded and the fat beasts selected to be driven to a fair hundreds of miles away. This round-up is a great time for the cowhand, a Donny-brook fair it is indeed. They contest with each other for the best roping and throwing, and there are horse races and whiskey and wines. At night in clear moonlight, there is dancing on the streets." </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" data-mce-style="white-space: pre;" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Many will argue exact historic dates of the sport, but none will doubt the birth of rodeo was a contest of the cowboy.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" data-mce-style="white-space: pre;" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In the early 1900s, rodeos were largely unorganized and scattered. The events as we know them today were mostly acts mixed in with wild west shows - which were more common at the time than a rodeo, as thought of in today’s terms. As a matter of fact, rodeos and wild west shows enjoyed a parallel existence in the early days and one was really not much different than the other (they even had a lot of the same stars and contestants). </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" data-mce-style="white-space: pre;" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Many towns held annual “rodeos” but these shows were more commonly known as cowboy contests, stampedes, frontier days celebrations and of course, wild west shows. The term rodeo was not widely used until organization started to infiltrate the sport (in 1929). While rodeo had become a way of life for a select few in its earliest days, there was no standard to the event schedule, rules, judging, etc.. You might have a steer roping sandwiched between an Indian relay race and a shooting exhibition. Then they might go on with saddle broncs and steer wrestling followed by the “chicken pull” and trick roping. It’s been said there were over a hundred different events or acts to choose from, including a unique event held each year at Chicago where mounted cowboys went to lake Michigan, were floated out on a barge, and were then forced off, having to swim their horses several hundred yards back to shore! The first one back was the winner. Buffalo Bill Cody obviously had the most recognizable wild west show, and his show was more act and less rodeo, but rodeos of the day were a lot more wild west show than you think of in terms of your typical rodeo today.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" data-mce-style="white-space: pre;" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>These shows were very entertaining and popular with the crowds. However, cowboys competing in these performances were not thought of like a modern independent cowboy athlete is today. The organizers thought cowboys should be happy with cowboy wages and payouts for winning events were reflective of this mindset. At the time, cowboy wages were about a dollar per day ($30 a month). So if a cowboy could win (or was paid) that much, or sometimes even up to $100 for winning an event, he ought to be happy - and most were. Many cowboy from back in those days have been quoted as saying that winning a hundred dollars or so at a rodeo was more money than they had ever seen at one time in their whole life and that is what got them hooked on the shows. There were problems with this system however.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" data-mce-style="white-space: pre;" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Cowboys still had to pay an entrance fee, much like today, and the amount of fees paid by the contestants was not reflected in the winning payout. Then there was the problem of each producer or town having their own ideas of how the show should be ran and which events to include. There was little standard in judging the riding events and rules varied from place to place. Then there were always those few who worked the system to their advantage and sometimes winners were determined before the show even started! (Unofficially of course.)</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" data-mce-style="white-space: pre;" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Accusations of bribes and crooked judges ran high. The rodeo cowboy became disgusted with this situation over time. It took a while, but he finally realized he was the star of the show; folks paid to see him perform, and he was not getting a fair share. There were thousands of dollars being made on some of the bigger shows from ticket sales and contestant entry fees, but only a few hundred would be paid back to the winners. This was fine for a few, but it was starvation for the overall lot. Just enough was being paid out to keep them coming back, with hopes it would be their turn to win the next show; kind of like dangling the proverbial carrot.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" data-mce-style="white-space: pre;" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>All of this changed however in 1936. That was the year professional rodeo was born. Rodeo organization was actually started in the northern states in 1929 with the formation of the Rodeo Association of America (RAA). This association was made up of managers and producers and did not include the cowboy in decision making and therefore was often contentious, seldom recognized and eventually it was merged with the Cowboys Turtle Association (CTA). They called themselves “turtles” because they were slow to organize but eventually stuck their heads out. They were the first cowboys to have a say in how the show ran. In 1945, the Cowboys Turtle Association changed their name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) and in 1975 it was changed to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" data-mce-style="white-space: pre;" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It was Boston Garden, 1936, and the cowboys were fed up with one Colonel William T. Johnson of Texas; promoter and organizer of major rodeos such as Madison Square Garden and the Boston show. While Johnson had a knack for producing spectacular shows and attendance was usually high, he refused to listen to the complaints of the cowboy. So they went on strike, demanded their entrance fees be added to the payout and that standard rules and judging be implemented. </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" data-mce-style="white-space: pre;" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Johnson was livid and told the cowboys to leave the grounds; he would put on a show without them. As they rode out of Boston Garden, a-horseback, the press was there taking pictures. The press sympathized with the cowboys and the public was soon on their side. That night Johnson attempted to put on the performance using stable hands, grooms and wild west performers. The cowboys sat in the audience and booed. It became such a spectacle, with a poor performance, that the audience joined the cowboys in their disapproval. The Boston committee told Johnson to stop the show and work with the cowboys. Johnson said, “I’ll drive my stock into the bay before I give into their demands!” Cowboy Hugh Bennett, one of the strike organizers hollered, “We’ll saddle up and help you!”</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" data-mce-style="white-space: pre;" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Johnson eventually agreed to negotiate when the managers of the Garden told him to come to an agreement with the cowboys or he would be thrown out as well. Negotiations lasted throughout the night and into the next day, however, an agreement was finally reached. The seed of professional rodeo had been planted. There were sixty-one men who signed the original document which eventually led to the formation of the Cowboys Turtle Association that fateful day in Boston. Only one of those men remain alive at the time of this writing, Bart Clennon was a contestant at the Boston Garden show that October/November 1936. He turned 102 on November 5th, 2012. More on Bart soon.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;">(c) Jim Olson 2012</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-37653817435874113752012-07-31T10:12:00.002-07:002012-08-09T17:16:45.126-07:00Lee Anderson<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h9uCqsgKHk1mzophAxFiiMzh6mQIlbDfY6YpFGo9mLg8MKjXFyYqobWff6ak9pTZPglK8laTpW06CO7swtLOUoUqub463hP4yPsmt80xKdiG8xzSnUhXDiK8rRhtcUw_toTNImWXceFj/s1600/Pioneer+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h9uCqsgKHk1mzophAxFiiMzh6mQIlbDfY6YpFGo9mLg8MKjXFyYqobWff6ak9pTZPglK8laTpW06CO7swtLOUoUqub463hP4yPsmt80xKdiG8xzSnUhXDiK8rRhtcUw_toTNImWXceFj/s320/Pioneer+2011.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lee Anderson, Vaquero!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Horseman of the Old School</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Living historian, author and superb horseman, Lee Anderson, is a student - shall we say master - of the old</b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Vaquero</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> “Bridle Horse” methods. He jokingly admits, “I am probably the only Swedish vaquero you’ll ever meet.”</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Born in Iowa, Lee has had a life-long affection for horses. He has ridden and trained in just about every genre of horsemanship, from Western to English and from the show ring to the pasture. He can drive two, four, six and even an eight-up team hitched to a wagon! He has trained and shown in reining, pleasure and trail and also worked with dressage, hackney, jumpers…and of course, the western cow-horse. His passion however, is the “Bridle Horse.”</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>For those who aren’t quite sure what a “Bridle Horse” is – it refers to a horse trained in the old </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vaquero</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> methods – methods not seen much in this country for 100-plus years. A layman will recognize a bridle horse as one which eventually ends up in the use of a spade bit. Many people are taken back by the spade and automatically assume it is a harsh bit based upon its appearance. Not true. In the </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>wrong hands</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>, any bit is harsh. Lee quotes, “All souls criticize that which they do not understand.” A horse trained in this method responds to a feather’s touch of the reins.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>In the hands of a true bridle horseman, a well-trained bridle horse is pure poetry in motion. For example, it has been recorded that the old </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vaqueros</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> were big sportsman and loved to show off at festive occasions. One such game played went something like this: A hair was plucked from the horse’s tail and the “breakaway” in the reins was replaced with said tail hair. This meant if you pulled any harder than necessary to break the hair, your reins broke. The horse was then blindfolded and put through a series of intricate moves, showing its pure trust in the rider. For the finale, horse and rider ran full-tilt, straight at a solid wall. The team stopping closest to the wall, without hitting the wall or breaking the “breakaway hair” was the winner and the </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vaquero</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> considered a top horseman. (Before criticizing a contest such as this, keep in mind it was a different time, place and culture.)</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>When asked why old methods such as these are fading, Lee responds, “In today’s day and age, not many are willing to spend half a lifetime learning the proper methods of horsemanship so they can spend four or five years training a horse this way.” Lee is passionate about it however and says, “It’s like driving a high performance sports car. Whatever you want is there…and at a touch.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>To a learned master such as Lee, he realizes every piece of the horseman and horse’s gear work intricately together to achieve an eventual result with the slightest of effort. He says, “The spade is a bit of signals. When properly used, a horse receives signals long before he ever feels the bit and responds before the bit is ever actually used.” Each piece of the tack and gear are a part of that signal system, not to mention the rider himself. Lee can pull the bridle off his horse and preform intricate maneuvers using nothing more than body language. Anderson uses a piece of string as a “breakaway” in his reins every day. Much like the old </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vaqueros</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> and their horsehair, if he uses more than just a slight tap of pressure on the reins, they break!</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>After many years of being fascinated with horses, Lee chose to concentrate on this old style of horsemanship because he felt it most in tune with the horse. After a lifetime of studying what makes a horse tick, Anderson has even written a book on the subject. </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Developing the Art of Equine Communications</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> is all about how to communicate with your horse, from a horse’s understanding and point of view. In Lee’s opinion, the bridle horse style of horsemanship comes closest to that.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>He studied horses and how they react to certain situations for over half a century. He noticed that most times, communications with a horse are approached from a human point of view, yet a horse can only understand things from a horse’s viewpoint. Lee has made it his life’s work to understand more from the horse’s view.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Lee has been known to spend hours sitting in a pasture full of horses just watching them. He studies their moves with each other in natural surroundings - how they interact together. Most people know, by nature, a horse is a “prey” animal, but few think of that when dealing with a horse. Man is, by nature, a predator and horses are easily scared of them. Lee is probably one of the best modern-day trainers who understands the philosophy of a horse, from the horse’s perspective. He felt compelled to write </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Developing the Art of Equine Communications</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> to clear up some of the myths and misinformation out there.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bow</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>As a historian, Lee does a presentation called </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Four Hundred Years of Southwest Cowboys</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>. He does this in any one of three different outfits: A 1750 Spanish Colonial Caballero, an 1850 Mexican Vaquero or an 1890 American Cowboy. For each look, he has all of the period correct clothing and gear for rider and horse. The outfit may change depending upon what the situation calls for, but the historical presentation is tailored to fit what the client asks for. Lee goes over the evolution of the cowboy from its origins, beginning with the Spanish </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Hacendado</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> (rancher) of the mid-1500s up through today. The first brand laws were recorded in New Spain (now Mexico) in 1529 and Lee is well versed in the history of the </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vaquero</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> - Cowboy from then through today.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Lee says, “We must include the Spanish origins in the history of the cowboy because the </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vaquero</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> was rounding up, roping, and branding cattle more than 300 years before the first American Cowboy ever threw a leg over a horse. By 1800 a highly sophisticated </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vaquero</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> culture had reached its peak in what is now the state of California. To this day, no mounted herdsman on earth has ever achieved the elegance, the presence, the beautiful equipment, the exquisite horsemanship or the sheer artistry of the everyday working </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Californio</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>.”</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>He has spent much time and research in getting his outfits correct for each time period as well. Everything Lee puts on he and his horse is either an authentic antique piece or a reproduction from the period, made by Lee himself. He says, “The Vaquero was a flashy dresser. He was extremely proud of his status amongst his peers. Then, due to the influence of the emerging American Cowboy culture the Mexican </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vaquero</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> lost quite a bit of the elegance and finesse of the Spanish Colonial </b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vaquero</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> but he never fully accepted all of the trappings and methods of the American Cowboy culture…these things are covered at length in a presentation. The heyday of the American Cowboy only covered about 20 years…</b></span></span></span><span style="font: 16.0px Georgia; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The modern image of the cowboy is loosely based on the drovers that made the three month long (cattle) drives. The cowboy most people are familiar with today is purely a Hollywood creation. However, my preference just happens to be the real cowboys… and I am well aware of the difference between ‘</b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>reel cowboys</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>’ and ‘</b></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>real cowboys.’</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>”</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Besides having a life-long passion for understanding what makes a horse tick, and the history of the cowboy, Anderson is a study of human nature as well. He is extremely good-natured and has a wry sense of humor. Lee claims, “I intend to live to be 125 and not die from natural causes, but at the hands of a thirty-year-old, jealous spouse!” You gotta love a man past seventy with an attitude like that!</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Jim Olson © 2012</b></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.JimOlsonAuthor.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>www.JimOlsonAuthor.com</b></span></span></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-37135347154759599512012-06-20T17:09:00.000-07:002012-08-09T16:14:57.181-07:00Everett Bowman... Cowboy Leader<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySq2_sR4PGNy4N9N9nwqIOcvVIHusylCh0SIfcltSzZkm_kLFpIZXbc3g85w6kA9_IShcGV8PmxfFioamPJTE-TCzRiudVfETcQzIPBsaJgmuH8HVj7oMe3oiYNhv3qdj6sJLSID5pTin/s1600/Scan+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySq2_sR4PGNy4N9N9nwqIOcvVIHusylCh0SIfcltSzZkm_kLFpIZXbc3g85w6kA9_IShcGV8PmxfFioamPJTE-TCzRiudVfETcQzIPBsaJgmuH8HVj7oMe3oiYNhv3qdj6sJLSID5pTin/s320/Scan+2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World's First Rodeo Trailer</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Everett bowman was born July 12, 1899 at Hope, New Mexico (the
family actually lived near Weed) and he was a cowboy from the word go. Arguably
remembered as one of rodeo’s greatest legends, this ten time World Champion Cowboy
helped bring modern-day rodeo to where it’s at today.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Everett was the first president of the Cowboy Turtles Association
“CTA” (the predecessor to the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association or “PRCA”).
As a matter of fact, he was one of the first organizers of the association and
signed up as member (card number) fifteen; but first and foremost, he was a
cowboy.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The Bowman family moved from New Mexico to the Safford, Arizona
area when Everett was about thirteen. One of his first full-time jobs away from
his parents ranch was that of a cowboy with the famed “Chiricahua Cattle
Company” also know back in the day as “the Cherries” or the “Three C’s” which
ran cattle all up and down that rough Arizona – New Mexico border country. The
foreman at the time was quoted as saying, “Everett made the best </b></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>hand</b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> we ever had. It was amazing; never
saw anything like it! He became a top roper, he was tougher than leather – was
the strongest man I’d ever seen.” <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> At the age of twenty-three, Everett and his brother Skeet, along
with eight other cowboys drove a large herd of cattle from Globe, Arizona to
Ely, Nevada. This may have been one of the last “old time” great cattle drives,
stretching over 900 miles! When they reached Ely, after being on the trail most
of the summer, the Bowman brothers decided to “stay on” and give cowboyin’ in
Nevada a try. However, one cold winter in that “North Country” changed those
boy’s minds. Everett said, “That country has two seasons - winter and late
fall.” They cowboyed there a little over a year, then returned to Arizona,
making the entire round trip a-horseback.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Once back in Arizona, Everett (along with brother Skeet) pursued
a full-time rodeo career. That turned out to be one of the best moves ever
made.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Although officially credited with ten World Championships,
author (and nephew to Everett), Lewis Bowman, claims Everett won at least
eleven. You see, prior to 1929, records were sketchy and, in some cases,
championships were determined by winning a certain rodeo. Lewis says he may
have won even more than eleven.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Officially, Everett was a two-time World All-Around Champion,
four-time Steer Wrestling Champion, three-time Calf Roping Champion and gained
one Steer Roping title. He won or placed at most of the day’s biggest shows
such as Madison Square Garden, Cheyenne, Calgary, Ellensburg, Prescott and
Pendleton to name just a few. He even rode bucking horses till about 1928, but
gave it up and stuck with the timed events saying, “Too many events and a man
is no good at any of them.” The timed event end of the arena was where he
shined anyhow. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> At six-foot, two-inches and 200 pounds, Everett was a physical
specimen. To date, Everett is one of only three men who have won rodeos “triple
crown” (three world titles in a single year) more than once. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>He accomplished that feat two times. Trevor
Brazile and Jim Shoulders are the only other men to do that. Bowman became
known in media circles as “Rodeo’s Babe Ruth.” His fellow competitors often
spoke of him as “A Cowboy’s Cowboy.” He competed in full-time rodeo competition
until 1943, a period of about twenty years!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Other advancements credited to Bowman include towing the first
horse trailer on the rodeo circuit and being the first to fly to rodeos.
Everett’s older brother, Dick, fashioned a hand-made wooden horse trailer
in1924, which Everett and younger brother Skeet took on its maiden voyage from
the home ranch in Safford, Arizona to Cheyenne, Wyoming. They put one horse in
the trailer and one in the bed of the truck (as was customary then). When they
arrived in Cheyenne, the Bowman boys received a lot of strange looks, but it
wasn’t long till the contraption caught on. Then in 1929, Everett is credited
with being the first cowboy to get the bright idea to charter a private
airplane to get him to more rodeos. That idea also seems to have caught on as
well. By the late 1930s, Everett bought his own plane and learned how to fly it
for himself, something he did the rest of his life.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Perhaps Everett’s biggest contribution to the sport of rodeo
however was his involvement with the CTA. He served as the association’s
president from its inception in 1936 until it reorganized as the Rodeo Cowboys
Association (RCA) in 1945. The guy’s called themselves “Turtles” because it
took them so long to get started and have a voice in rodeo business for
themselves. For too many years, cowboys had been unhappy with their entry fees
not being added back to the pot, the type and order of events and non-standard
judging practices. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> In 1936, at Boston, all that changed when Everett and his
fellow cowboys went on strike and refused to compete unless the aforementioned
grievances were rectified. When the dust settled, the predecessor of the PRCA
was born, and Everett was a big part of it all. It has been said, that once he
got an idea formed in his head, it was hard to change. He went “toe to toe”
with many rodeo committee members during his day, in the best interest of the
cowboy.</b></span><span style="color: #0a080a;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>
</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Many of the fundamental changes that are now the bedrock of rodeo came about
under Bowman’s leadership.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> According to Lewis Bowman, “Everett Bowman (president) and
brother-in-law, Hugh Bennett (secretary/treasurer) were the cogs that got the
Cowboys Turtle Association into gear. The men signed up the cowboys and kicked
‘em straight (sometimes literally). Their sister wives, Lois and Josie, were
the official timers and record keepers. The girls stowed the books and
association’s money in the back seat of their car and kept records between
rodeos.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Competitor, Phil Mills, said of Everett, “He did more to put
the cowboy in good graces than any other man.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Lewis also tells of another event he witnessed as a boy, “One
year at Cheyenne, this fellow and Uncle Everett got into a heated argument
about having to join the association to compete in sanctioned rodeos. This
fellow took a swing at Everett, who blocked the punch with one hand and landed
a crushing blow at the same time with his other - knocking the guy out and
breaking his nose. He then threw fifty dollars on the man’s chest and told two
guys to haul him to the doctor and get him fixed up. A couple hours later, the
guy returned with his nose all bandaged up. He threw twenty dollars back at
Everett and said, ‘Here’s your change Bowman - Doc only charged thirty dollars.
By the way, I’ll join your danged association.’ Everett smiled, handed the man
back the twenty and said, ‘If your going to join, keep this and put it towards
your dues.’ The two men remained good friends after that.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> After retiring from rodeo, Everett settled on his own ranch
near Wickenburg, Arizona where he spent the last parts of his life. He also
worked as a sheriff there for a time. He still loved the sport of rodeo and
would, “talk rodeo” with anyone who came by. Bowman judged many rodeos after
retiring from competition and added “Mule Trainer” to his resume. Always the
showman, he continued to make public appearances up into his sixties. At age seventy,
Everett accepted a part in the movie, The Great White Hope, taking the role of
a pastor. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> As a true natural athlete, he took up the sport of golf, and in
his later years, became quite good at it. He even hit a hole in one at age
fifty-five. Upon doing this, Bowman put down his golf clubs and retired from
the sport of golf saying, “You just can’t get any better than that.” Just as
with rodeo, he retired at the top.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> In 1951, Everett underwent surgery to remove a throat cancer.
It lasted six hours. Rodeo stock contractor, Everett Colborn, heard about this
and sent Bowman a letter which stated, “It does not surprise me your surgery
took six hours, it probably took about four of that just to get through the
hide.” It was done in good nature and as a testament to Bowman’s toughness.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The sport of rodeo also loved Everett Bowman, inducting him
into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979. He was also admitted to the National
Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City in 1965, the first </b></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>living</b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> man to be so honored. The rodeo
grounds in Wickenburg are also named for their long time resident and rodeo
legend. The Everett Bowman Rodeo Grounds are still in regular use to this day
and the city of Wickenburg has a large bronze statue commemorating Everett. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The “Father of Professional Rodeo,” Everett Bowman, passed in
1971 while flying his own airplane. Then PRCA president, Dale Smith, read the
eulogy at Everett’s funeral and famed cowboy, Rex Allen, sang. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sKFxOxHI1M0cNjPrrytVxhXsJzz_N0ijc02OI0Kk9speF1ksGKY_rFdLCdGUsYoXQ4O1yyPVCpekJSOmi8VfOBoACxmJd8P6wlEVu04J1snunFiH9wsm-IhpGQyURxHWr_9BHhSyhzRy/s1600/Bowman_Joe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sKFxOxHI1M0cNjPrrytVxhXsJzz_N0ijc02OI0Kk9speF1ksGKY_rFdLCdGUsYoXQ4O1yyPVCpekJSOmi8VfOBoACxmJd8P6wlEVu04J1snunFiH9wsm-IhpGQyURxHWr_9BHhSyhzRy/s1600/Bowman_Joe.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everett Bowman</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Jim Olson © 2012<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.jimolsonauthor.com/" target="_blank">www.JimOlsonAuthor.com </a></b></span></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-53499945340642484182012-05-02T21:21:00.001-07:002012-08-09T17:35:23.132-07:00Growing up Country<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> You may not know it, but I grew up country. Not country like, my family tree don’t fork, kind of country. LOL! Not a house per acre in a subdivision kind of country (although there are a lot of great rural folk usually living in these areas). But a down-home, proud-to-be-an-American, from the heartland, own a pickup truck cause a car won’t make it down your road, don’t need any bureaucrat telling you what to do, raise your own food, cowboy hat wearing (to keep the sun off), raising cows, horses, chickens, goats, hogs, dogs and even cats (for chasing mice) kind of country! You know what I mean – COUNTRY!</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The half-horse town nearest to where I grew up was about two miles distant. It consisted of a Baptist church, about five homes, an old store (closed), a vacant cotton gin and a vacant feed yard. I caught the school bus there. At various times I arrived at said bus stop by means of walking, riding a bike, a-horseback or driving depending upon what was available and general weather conditions throughout the seasons.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The next town of any significance was another ten miles and consisted of a school (K-12), three churches, a store/post office combination and about a dozen houses (this is where I went to school). I had to ride the bus for an hour, traveling from farm to ranch, in order for it to pick up enough kids to make a load. Basketball was the only sport available for boys to play because you needed five people to make up a team (one or two subs were nice) and that was about all we had in the athletics program. FFA was required curriculum. There were only about eight to ten kids in my grade each year.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The town we considered “town” was about fifteen miles the other direction and had 12,000 inhabitants at the time. I say 12,000 because that’s what the sign at the city limits claimed – “Welcome to Portales, New Mexico. A town of 12,000 friendly people…and 3 or 4 old grouches.” People had a lot of fun with that sign, and from time to time, vandals would change the “3 or 4 old grouches” to various other sayings…but it was usually in good fun. The sign was right however, there were (and still are) a lot of friendly people in that part of the world. I think it’s because they are mostly a rural, agricultural type area. As a matter of fact, the prosperity of local business owners was tied (in one way or another) to commodity prices.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Because of my upbringing, I gained unique and useful knowledge such as what it’s like to milk a cow, by hand, at 4:30 am, then again that evening - taught me about regularity and responsibility. I know how to butcher a chicken and pluck feathers from the warm bird, while it’s still twitching and flopping around. I know what it’s like to mend fence in 100 degree weather, assist an animal with birthing, hang wet clothes on the line in a steady wind, tromp in muck up to your knees to doctor a sick animal during a storm, get bucked off in a sticker patch, be kicked by a horse or cow protecting their “personal space,” hooked by a bull (whose “personal space” is usually much larger), how to entertain yourself without the aide of “electronic gadgets,” dress in layers so you can bear being outside in a day that starts off in the 30s at daybreak and winds up in the 80’s by afternoon, be both wind-burned and sunburned from working outside all day. I know all that and more…and I love it.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I love it because I also know what it’s like to see mountain views ten, twenty or even fifty miles off on a clear day. I know what it’s like to stare up at the stars with an unobstructed view while hearing a cricket chirp a half-mile off on a clear, still night. I know what it’s like to have a special bond with animals - even if you plan to eat them later, the sight of a colt taking its first suckle, what it’s like to actually </b></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>know</b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> your neighbors, the feeling of independence you get surviving in the country, the pride of raising your own food and yes, me being a male, the freedom to leave my house in any direction and being able to “do my business” outdoors…with worrying about whose around.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Things weren’t always easy growing up this way. Being poor and rural, you had to be tough to survive. If you have ever chopped your own wood because it’s your only source of heat, had to gather a meal before eating it, lived in a house where you could see your breath in the un-heated bedrooms during winter, cut weeds in a farm field for minimum wage daylight till dark on a hot summer day, spent a full day in the saddle (working – not pleasure riding), had blisters on your hands, or had to choose between buying gas or groceries with your last twenty dollars because the “harvest check” is not in yet, then you know what I’m talking about.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Growing up country taught me many things. It’s a way of life like no other and I’m glad for it. I learned things like why it’s important to respect God and country, the true value of a dollar (one you earned yourself), how to be responsible (not only for yourself but for animals and others), how to be independent, to really appreciate and respect nature, to work hard, to speak another language (Spanish), to change my own tires, fix a vehicle good enough to get back home with bailing wire and duct tape, basic veterinary skills, to be diplomatic when dealing with animals and people, horticulture and the difference between beast of burden, meat animals and pets (and know they all have their own special place in the world), the value of a friend you could count on when you really need a hand, and, well, you get the picture.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I have a lot of fond memories of grow up this way. If you have ever “bobbed for apples” at a “ Country Jamboree,” rolled your bedroll out and slept under the stars, known the satisfaction of doing a job few others could, watched an animal being born, smelled fresh-cut hay, danced a jig in the high school gymnasium at the yearly social, seen a sunrise or sunset a-horseback with no obstructions around, eaten “rocky mountain oysters” over a branding fire or a tomato fresh off the vine, spent a Saturday night riding around in a four-wheel drive with a twelve pack and a spot light and thought it was the time of your life, listened to the same Chris Ledoux tape over and over on the way to a rodeo in the middle of nowhere, ate the best food ever at a “potluck” gathering, or if you have ever tasted home-made ice cream, made with cream you personally strained from milk, gotten by hand, from your own cow, then you know what I’m talking about. </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> A lot of folks think that growing up country is a handicap, but pardner, I’m here to tell you, it’s not! Great men like Abraham Lincoln grew up very country (and poor). Dale Carnegie, arguably one of the greatest writers and speakers of the 20th century grew up on a farm in Missouri. Canadian songstress, Shania Twain, grew up with nothing, in the rugged wilderness near Timmins, Ontario. As a boy, Johnny Cash worked along side his family in Arkansas cotton fields. Writer, Max Evans, once trailed a herd of horses, with only one other man for help, from Jal, New Mexico to Guymon, Oklahoma when he was a young boy. They later made movies from books he’d written about his experiences! There are thousands of other examples; I could go on and on about great folk (both well-known and unknown) who were raised “country.”</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Personally, I wear “growing up country,” like a badge of honor. I wouldn’t have had it any other way!</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Jim Olson © 2012</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now that's COUNTRY!</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-13633773758843259912012-03-21T09:29:00.000-07:002012-08-09T17:39:51.061-07:00Paul W. Arviso Sr. - He Paved the Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul - Bull Riding, Back in the Day</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The Arviso clan from the Crownpiont, New Mexico area has a long and interesting history. For example, Jesus Arviso, whose family came from Spain and then settled in Sonora, Mexico, was once traded for a horse. </div>
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In the mid-1800s, young Jesus’s family was raided by a band of Apaches; he was taken. Years later the Apache who had Jesus traded him to a Navajo man for a beautiful black stallion. Jesus finished growing up as a Navajo and eventually married into the tribe. As a result of his unique experiences, he now spoke fluent Spanish, Apache and Navajo. Those talents came in handy, as he became a key translator, and important figure, in treaty negotiations between the U.S. Government and the Indians during the 1860s. Two generations later, his grandson, Paul W. Arviso Sr. was instrumental in popularizing the sport of rodeo on the Navajo reservation. </div>
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Paul was born many miles west of Crownpoint during 1920 into a family of stockmen. His grandfather Jesus had done well serving as an interpreter and was rewarded with much livestock. Paul’s dad was a great stockman and also had been a horseracing jockey. Out with the herd from his earliest memories, this was where young Paul learned about stock. Riding burros and mules while chasing cattle, goats and several thousand head of sheep, made him a superb stockman. Living out on the range as they did, he also grew up tough. He and his brothers even used to ride “Billy” goats and rams around the corrals just for fun. Those corrals were the earliest “arenas” for what was to later become “a legend” of Native American Rodeo. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Paul was about fourteen when the family moved closer to town. He was then entered into a boarding school for the first time, making him quite old for a first grader. But even though he did not spend many years in school, he was well educated in livestock and the common sense department. In his later years, he continually speaks at meetings and community events to inspire and motivate young people. He emphasizes the importance of education. “I didn’t have the opportunity for a formal education, but you do, so go after it. Education is valuable and will go a long way,” he advises. </div>
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It was also 1934 when he discovered rodeo. </div>
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The group commonly given credit as having the first organized rodeos on the reservation was called the “Rough Riders Rodeo Club Association.” Paul was one of its earliest members. Paul and other members of the club set up bucking chutes, holding corrals and a timed event chute. Then families would come from miles around in wagons and cars, forming a semi-circle to be used as the arena fence. Those old-time rodeos were more than just competitions; they were a celebration, bringing members of the Navajo nation (and eventually other tribes as well) together. It was during this time Paul developed a life-long love of rodeo. </div>
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Paul dedicated his life to rodeo at a young age and was serious about it. He trained physically and mentally (before that was common) and practiced regularly to hone his already great stockman skills into that of a rodeo cowboy. </div>
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Paul competed at just about every rodeo you can name across the Southwest and Four-corners region at one time or another. He was a regular All Around Cowboy winner as he competed successfully in most every event including bareback, saddle bronc, bull riding, wild horse racing, wild cow milking, team tying, steer wrestling, calf roping and even an event known as the original chicken pull. For those who have never heard of “the original chicken pull,” it involves uncanny horsemanship skills and daring. To start with, a chicken was buried in the soft sand of the arena with just his head and neck exposed. Riders came down the arena at a full gallop, leaned over and plucked the chicken out of the ground. The fastest time won, and, as you can imagine, it was a big hit with the crowd. </div>
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As another testament to his all around skills, Paul was both header and heeler in the team tying (later team roping) event and both a “dogger” and hazer in steer wrestling. Sometimes he also worked in the capacity of judge, flagger and even rodeo clown! He did it all when it came to rodeo. Paul says, “Rodeo is more than just a sport, it’s a way of life.” </div>
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In 1942, Paul was drafted into the U.S. Army and did his duty during World War II. While stationed in Burma, India, a group of guys got together and staged a rodeo as a form of entertainment. Paul entered the bareback and saddle bronc riding…they used pack mules for the rodeo stock. He wound up winning first in both events. His prize money was a box of cigars in one event and a case of beer in the other. Paul laughs and says, “After the show, we really had a party.” </div>
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Back home, over the next several years, rodeo gained in popularity on the reservation. Then, in 1958, a group of guys decided to form an official association - the All Indian Rodeo Cowboys Association (AIRCA). Paul served as the first vice president. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
He was actually asked to be the first President of the AIRCA, but declined in favor of letting someone with a little more education take on those duties. He wanted only the best for the association and selflessly put any thoughts of personal gain aside. Paul’s nephew Roy Spencer honorably served as President. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
During those early years, men such as Paul and his long-time friend, Sonny Jim, (another well-known name in Native American Rodeo) were the ones who showed the world that an Indian could also be a cowboy…and a good one at that. These were the group of men who paved the way for today’s Native American Rodeo Cowboys to become what they have. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In a magazine interview for the 4th of July & PRCA Rodeo Celebration at Window Rock, Arizona, Paul once said, “I’m always praying for them to get somebody up there in Las Vegas some of these days.” It was always his dream for the younger generation to compete successfully in the Pro-Rodeo circuit and represent the Indian Nations. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Paul did not realize it at the time, but along the way, he became a hero to a whole new generation of guys. Many time Indian National Finals Rodeo qualifier and champion, Lucius Sells, once told the Navajo Times, "I'd like to mention my (grandfather) from Crownpoint, Paul Arviso Sr.. Being around him when he was roping…it's a talent I got. It's just a gift from God that he gave to me. I guess they would say it's in the blood." </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Just like most of those old-time rodeo cowboys from that generation, Paul was tough. Back in the day, he hauled his horse in the bed of his truck, then later on, in a self-made one-horse trailer. Also, back then most of the roads across the Reservation were not paved, so if it was raining, you were likely to get stuck in the mud on the way to rodeos, then spend several hours digging out. At the rodeo, Paul and his family often camped in tents or outside on the ground, but they had a ton of fun. </div>
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As he grew older, Paul moved on to competing in “the old-timer’s rodeo association” where he continued his winning ways, adding events like breakaway, ribbon roping and his all-time favorite, steer riding, to his resume. He has fond memories of competing with many men who have “now gone home” - Paul’s words for what most call death. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Paul taught his own kids (nine of them) and many other youth the basics of horsemanship and how to care for a horse. One of his own favorite competition horses was named “Rawley.” That horse was an all-around champion as well, being used in many different events during a rodeo. Paul said, “Respect the horse. Take care of your horses and they will take care of you.” </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In 2003, the Navajo Nation Fair and Rodeo honored Paul by bestowing the title of “Legendary Cowboy” on him. He received a beautiful custom saddle and a plaque for that. Now in his 90s, Paul still enjoys the sport of rodeo as a spectator and is constantly amazed at the talent of the younger generation. He is, in part, responsible for that talent as he served as mentor, inspiration and role model to many of today’s rodeo cowboy. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On April 5th, 2012, Paul turns ninety-two! Also, in 2012, he has been nominated for acceptance into the Rodeo Hall of Fame. Many friends and family are pushing for his acceptance and anxiously await the October results. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Along with his many memories of competing with some of the all-time great Native cowboys, Paul is especially proud of the fact that the younger generation is now stepping it up a bit and competing “…up there in Las Vegas.” </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Men like Derrick Begay, Erich Rogers and Spud Jones who now qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo have the likes of Paul W. Arviso Sr. to thank for exciting the reservation about rodeo and paving the way by letting the world know that the Indian can also be one heck of a cowboy!<br />
<br />
Jim Olson © 2012<br />
<a href="http://www.JimOlsonAuthor.com/">www.JimOlsonAuthor.com</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now That's RODEO! (1950s)</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-81704103712601783542012-02-01T18:26:00.000-07:002012-08-09T10:04:50.712-07:00Chuck Sheppard<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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One Tough Hand<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Regarded as “the toughest
four-event cowboy around,” 1946 world champion team roper Chuck Sheppard was
one of the old-time greats. He carried Cowboy Turtles Association (CTA) # 68- a
number held the rest of his life. Of course, CTA eventually became known as the
Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA). He also won a world championship
in calf roping during 1951 in the International Rodeo Association and twice
finished up as the reserve all around champion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
He competed in every event in rodeo
at one time or another, but calf roping, team roping, bulldogging and saddle
bronc riding were his main events. Calf roping and bronc riding being where he
thrived in the early days. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an
interview, Chuck once said, “ I only quit riding bulls and bareback cause I’d
get sored up and it made my other work tough.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Along with working every event,
Chuck also judged rodeos for over 25 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One year, at Cheyenne, he entered the steer wrestling and steer roping
events and judged the others! Amazing! He was also honored to flag the team
roping at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) and the steer roping at the National
Finals Steer Roping (NFSR).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Chuck was inducted into the
National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Hall of Fame in 1985, the ProRodeo
Hall of Fame in 2000,<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> the Phippen
Museum’s Arizona Ranchers & Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2008 </span>and was
awarded the Ben Johnson award for rodeo excellence in 2001. First and foremost
however, Chuck Sheppard was a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cowboy</i>…
and a good-natured one at that!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Born on a ranch near Globe, Arizona
in 1916, he was a cowboy from the word go. Chuck’s parents had traveled from
Texas in a wagon. They set up their own ranch on Mescal Creek southeast of
Globe in the Pinal Mountains, an area so rough and remote, the only way in or
out, with or without supplies, was to pack in by horse or mule. Good cow dogs
are more practical than a fence in that country.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
His dad, Horace (AKA Shep), thought
nothing about putting Chuck on a horse at a very young age. He expected his son
to “keep up.” By the age of nine, he was riding the rough string horses to
gentle them down for his little brother and mother to ride. He learned to catch
and “lead” wild cattle as a mere boy. By the time he was a teenager, he was one
tough cowboy, able to do things with horses and cattle even some seasoned hands
are unable to.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Younger brother, Lynn Sheppard,
once wrote, “Dad and Chuck roped the wild cattle on broncs and tied them to
trees. They were led out the next day... The Pinal Mountains were covered with
brush… dogs were a necessity.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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During the “dirty 30s,” at 16 years
of age, Chuck moved to California to be with his mother, hoping to find work
there. What he did find was an event that changed his life forever – he entered
a rodeo at Hayfork, California. Chuck once said, “I won some money, had fun
doing it and I think that’s what amazed me so much.” For the next 25 plus
years, Sheppard’s life revolved around rodeo. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He became known as “Mr. Everything.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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As a testament to his all-around
abilities, he won numerous titles at both ends of the arena. Denver, Los
Angeles, Phoenix, Pendleton in calf roping and Salinas, Tucson, Chicago, Los
Angeles in bronc riding and all-around titles at Denver, Tucson, Prescott,
Lewiston and Boise to name a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
winning titles was not first in Chuck’s book – putting food on the table was.
He rodeo'd because it was a way to make a living.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Chuck’s youngest daughter, Lynda,
once said, “Rodeo wasn’t like it is now. Back then we’d get out of school and
be gone all summer. You’d stay eight or 10 days in Salinas, drive all night to
get to Cheyenne and stay in someone’s home. They did not have hotels (or living
quarter trailers) like they do now, they all did it - it was about survival.
They worked hard back then.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I rode bucking horses for 24
years,” Chuck said. “You can tell that by looking at me. I rode some of the
best there ever was and got bucked off some of the sorriest.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Chuck also spent 10 years as a
board member of the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA), which is what the
association was known as between the CTA and PRCA. During that time, he is
credited for coming up with the design on the world-champion saddles, among
many other accomplishments.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In about 1951, the Sheppard family
moved from California to Arizona where Chuck spent the rest of his life. In ‘59
he retired from full-time rodeo, although he made the NFR in team roping during
1963 while only competing part time. He used to say, with a smile, “When I was
rodeoing, I always ate chicken…not superstitious - its just when I did good, I
ate the meat – when I did bad, I ate the feathers!” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
During the late 1950s he went to
work for historic K4 ranch near Prescott, Arizona. He worked there until he
finally retired at 82 years of age, but he’d stayed so long he was just like
family...he never really retired. As a matter of fact, he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">did</i> become family - his youngest daughter, Lynda, married John
Kieckhefer (grandson of Bob Kieckhefer who started the ranch) and they reside there
to this day - amongst others of the Kieckhefer clan. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
K4 ranch owner, John Kieckhefer and
Chuck were instrumental in the purchase of the great stud “Driftwood Ike” in
1963 from Roy Wales. He stood at stud there for 17 years. This was a big
influence in taking the breeding program at the ranch to a new level. Sheppard
was in charge of the breeding program as well as the large cattle herd for the
ranch. Chuck partnered with John on many horses and ran a couple hundred head
of cows, owned with wife Gwen, on leased ground around the Prescott area as
well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Along the way, and as a method to
show their remuda, Chuck got into showing and racing horses. He did very well
in the show ring and showed just about all classes including halter, cutting
and reining. He found great excitement in horse racing and, just as with rodeo,
Chuck found success on the track. “I got to running horses just for fun and
then one summer I won 13 races over at Prescott Downs.” One of his horses named
“Ant Hill” won 15 races in a year. Chuck wound up winning many stakes races
over the years. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
He was one of those all-time great
cowboys who excelled at just about everything he did. Grandson, Rick Kieckhefer,
said, “If you didn’t learn something from him (Chuck), you weren’t listening
very good. He would help out anybody as long as they had a little try. He was
just as proud as he could be of people when they did well. He was a great guy
to have in your corner whether you were related to him or not.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Every day Chuck Sheppard woke up,
he loved what he did, he was fun to be around, always upbeat and he had a
whimsical saying for just about everything.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grandson, Charlie Lewis, told a
story on Chuck: “We were going into a big pasture in search of some remnant
cows, I was probably about 18 or 19. Granddad gave me instructions to make a circle;
boy it was a hot day, about 105. When I got back to the truck, probably an hour
and a half later, he was nowhere in sight. I loped up to the top of a hill
about half a mile distant to scan the country for him; a little worried about
him to be honest…he was pretty old then. When I got to the top of the hill,
there he was, asleep under a tree with his horse unsaddled. I noticed right
away the horse was not sweaty; he had probably ridden straight from the truck
to the tree to take a nap! When I woke him up, he said with a grin, ‘Horse got
hot, needed to cool him off!’”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Chuck was very fond of his family.
He and wife Gwen had two daughters, Stella and Lynda and a whole herd of
grandchildren, many of whom are well known in rodeo/cowboy circles to this day.
Not long after passing on to the next realm in 2005, some of the grandchildren
helped organize the “Chuck Sheppard Memorial Roping,” which raises money for
the Chuck and Gwen Sheppard memorial scholarship fund. The scholarship is given
to students who are enrolled full-time at Yavapai College and seek a degree in
agricultural or equine studies programs and are involved in organizations such
as FFA, 4-H, Arizona High School Rodeo Association and Arizona Junior Rodeo
Association. The event will enjoy its 6th year in 2012.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
During an interview prior to being
inducted into the “Cowboy Hall of Fame” Chuck said, “We’ve had an exciting life
– started out with nothing so there was nowhere to go but up…” <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Jim Olson © 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-56134257873685136762012-01-01T20:57:00.000-07:002012-08-09T10:05:45.484-07:00Clarence “Casey” Darnell<div class="Style1" style="text-align: center;">
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<div class="Style1" style="text-align: center;">
Natural Born Horseman<o:p></o:p></div>
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Raised on a large ranch in the San Bernardino Valley, an area
encompassing the “boot heel” of New Mexico and the very southeastern portion of
Arizona, Casey Darnell was born a cowboy in 1917. This area is well known for
its good “cowboy” ranching families. It was the haunt of Geronimo and Cochise
before that. Tough characters have been molded from the clay of this area for a
very long time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The talented Casey was a Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association
(PRCA) gold card member, inducted into the American Quarter Horse Association
(AQHA) hall of fame, an honorary Vice President of AQHA, past president of the
New Mexico Horse breeders association and New Mexico Quarter Horse Racing
Association, an AQHA director and judge for 21 years, trained and showed a
World Champion performance horse, flew 27 bombing missions over Germany during
WWII and the list goes on. What most folk will tell you about Casey Darnell
first off, however, is, “He had a way with horses.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Daughter, Emily Darnell Nunez, had this to say about her
father, “When my dad would walk into the barn, every horse in the place would
stick their head out over the stall gate as if they were greeting him. He’d
then proceed to visit each one, talking to them like they were his kids. Some
he praised - others got a pep talk, but each one couldn’t wait to get a visit
from him. It’s as if he had a special connection to them.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Casey went through several transitions throughout his fabled
career as a horseman. He started off in the ranching world where, as a kid, he
was horseback more often than not. Then came rodeo where he became known as a
top contender. Next he moved into reining and show horses where he gained even
more notoriety, and in the latter stage of his life, horse racing became king.
All these genres involve horses, but they are distinctly different. Few excel
at more than any one of these during a lifetime. Casey was gifted in the horse
department.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Brother, Fred Darnell, of Animas, New Mexico once wrote, “Ounce
for ounce - pound for pound, Clarence Ellsworth Darnell was the best hand I
ever seen. He didn’t give a darn if a horse bucked, ran off or fell over
backwards, he kept on grinning and making a hand.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
As a rodeo competitor Casey was a top hand. He excelled in the
roping and bull dogging events. For many years he traveled the west, making
countless friends along the way. He even placed at the “Grand Daddy” of ‘em
all, Cheyenne, Wyoming! Although not a big man physically, he overcame physical
limitations with horsemanship skills - and cowboy grit. He was a long time
member of the PRCA, eventually becoming a lifetime Gold Card member.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Casey spent many years in the horse show world as well. He
trained and showed about all classes and types of horses, including reining. In
1957, he had a World Champion performance horse named Skippity Scoot. Along the
way, he transitioned from being a competitor, to that of a highly sought after
judge. While spending 21 years as an official AQHA judge, Casey was known for
being impartial to possible outside influences around the shows. He didn’t care
if you were a world champion or a beginner; he called it, how he saw it, on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that day</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Once, when asked by a champion, who was used to winning, “Why
didn’t we (the contestant and horse) win?” Casey replied, “Well now, you did
not have the best horse out there today.” He did not sugar coat things, but he
had a way of putting it that made you like it…never malicious, and still
grinning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
In the early 1960s, Casey was introduced to horse racing and it
became a passion of his thereafter. During a family visit with wife Blair’s
kinfolk in the east, they stopped at a thoroughbred farm in Kentucky. Casey was
hooked. He bought his first thoroughbred on the spot. He was a regular in
Southwestern racing circles from then on. A horse Casey trained and raced at
Santa Fe Downs even wound up running in the Kentucky Derby. Son Cliff Darnell,
who is also a trainer, qualified the horse for the Derby where it wound up
running 9th out of a field of 19. Casey was pleased with his involvement.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Casey once said, “I love what I do. I love training horses.” He
went on to give some advice, “You have to do the little things well.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Casey was well known - a legend you might say - in the New
Mexico horseracing world, but his connections reached far beyond the racetrack.
Casey knew everybody. Well, maybe not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everybody</i>,
but he had a lot of influence and was well renown. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Daughter Mary Darnell said, “He never felt out of place,
weather he was in New York City or Apache, Arizona...it was all the same
to him. My mom would take him to various functions around the world and he
would dress in his Tux, if required, but always had his boots and hat added to
the ensemble...and people loved him where ever he went.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Daughter Emily recalls being at an event in Tingly Coliseum in
Albuquerque, sitting with her dad. “The then, Governor of the State of New
Mexico, Bruce King, stopped to shake hands and visit with my dad as if he was
somebody important.” She recalls thinking, “Wow, my dad must know everybody!”
Casey made friends easily and had them all across the country.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Casey and wife Blair were also active in youth activities. Not
only did they teach their own children to become involved in equine activities,
but they introduced many other youths to the horse world as well. This often
made the difference in a youth’s life, helping them choose between a good path
or bad. They loved the 4H program and were involved as leaders. But more than
that, they did simple things, such as taking kids on trail rides and pack trips
into the mountains. They became such authorities on the subject of training
youths with horses; they were featured in a Western Horseman article, giving
detailed advice on the matter. In part, Casey had this to say, “Riding, to most
parents, is a way to get a kid past a certain stage…there are some kids that
will go on with it…these mature boys and girls will get great satisfaction out
of being able to make a horse do what they want him to do.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Casey got his nickname while still a youth on the family ranch.
Although his first name was Clarence, he was dubbed Casey because he could
drive a bulldozer, cleaning dirt tanks and whatnot, so well that he was named
in honor of the legendary railroad engineer, Casey Jones. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Daughter Mary also tells us of another amazing feat
accomplished by Casey, which had nothing to do with horses. It involved his
time in the army during WWII. Before being drafted, Casey was simply a working
cowboy. He listed “cowpuncher” as his occupation on military papers. But
ironically, within about 60 days of joining the military he was flying a B-26
bomber over Germany. Talk about being thrown into something in a hurry! Casey
wound up flying 27 missions during the war - quite different from the “cow
punching” job he had right before. After the war however, Casey did not talk
much about his time there and he never showed an interest in flying again,
keeping to his beloved horses instead.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
A former Arizona State Legislator, Ralph Cowan, wrote a letter
of recommendation for Casey. In part it reads, “He is loyal, honest and above
board at all times and can be relied upon to do his best in whatever he may be
called upon to do.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Daughter Mary said, “He always told me do what you love, work
at it everyday and the rest will fall into place.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Clarence “Casey” Darnell died in 2001, but his legend status in
the horse world lives on. Words from his tombstone pretty much sum it up –
“Well Done.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Casey once said, “Get in the hunt. Believe in yourself. Work hard.
Watch and listen. Don’t forget to laugh. Plan for the future. Go after your
dream.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Style1" style="text-align: left;">
Jim Olson (c) 2012</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-50535639662540743932011-12-13T21:37:00.002-07:002012-07-18T11:50:42.601-07:00A Poem by Jim Olson<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cowboy Night Before Christmas<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Onward came the cowboy, came from afar </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Curiously following the glow of a star</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Arrived at the livery, a place for his horse</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Few extra oats on a chilly night of course</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Told the stable man, hey, thanks for the light</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Lit the desert nicely - such a dark night</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>The man just grinned and said with a nod </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Sir, it ‘twas not me - I believe it was God!</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>There ‘tween a burro and sheep freshly shorn</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Cooed a little baby, not long ago born</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Parents huddled, three men gathered round </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Gazed lovingly, at a babe on the ground</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Well Cowboy was curious as men usually are </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>& Knew right there, the purpose of the star</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>No doubt in his mind, that he was on hand,</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>To witness a miracle - worlds only perfect man</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>The Babe stared at him, right into his soul</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Knew all about him, but how did he know?</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Had piercing blue eyes that seemed to speak </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Cowboy got a message - knees grew weak</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Then a horse rip-snorted, he sat right up in bed</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Guess he’d been dreamin’, twas all in his head</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Jumped up with a start, realizing the dream </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>It seemed so real, these things that he’d seen</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>A voice came to him from somewhere within </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Said Cowboy - past is gone, you’re forgiven</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Trust your instincts inside - I put ‘em there, </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Remember I’m with you, here and everywhere</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Tend your horses, cattle and your fellow man</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>For to do right by me, treat ‘em best as you can</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Remember now, to be kind to children </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Care for your soul, you must make amends</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>He pondered a while the message received </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Shore enough a miracle, is what he believed</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>It rattled round in his head loud and clear</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Help your fellow man - both far and near</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Cowboy resolved to do better, best he could </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>The world surely needs, a bit more good</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Why then he felt warm and fuzzy all over </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Like a wild horse herd, running through clover</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>He sat there a-rubbin’ grog from his eyes</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Looks to the window - saw another surprise</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Perched on the sill - a snow-white Dove </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Knows it has to be, a sign from above</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Cowboy smiled, thought man what a night </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Dove then nodded and took off in flight</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Twas no use a-trying to sleep after that </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Got up, got dressed - stuffed on his hat</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>As he passed the calendar - on the wall</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>December 25</b></span><span style="font: 8.0px Cambria; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><sup><b>th</b></sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b> - well don’t that beat all?</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Now out in the barn, it’s time to throw feed </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Horse is sweaty, what’s wrong with the steed</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Why he’s been ridden, evidence clear showed </b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Looks in the bin and oats have been throwed</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>A cold winter chill went straight down the spine</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Knew then I’d encountered - something Divine!</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></b></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Cambria; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Jim Olson © 2011</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-80908330538154569722011-12-02T23:43:00.001-07:002011-12-02T23:43:03.936-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">For all my friends competing at the NFR...and life in general.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">If you think you are beat, you are,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">If you think you dare not, you don't</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">If you like to win, but think you can,t,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">It is almost certain you wont.<br /><br />If you think you'll lose, you're lost<br />For out of the world we find,<br />Success begins with a fellows will-<br />It's mostly a state of mind.<br /><br />If you think you are outclassed, you are,<br />You've got to think high to rise,<br />You've got to be sure of yourself before<br />You can ever win the prize!<br /><br />The battle's don't always go<br />To the stronger or faster man,<br />But sooner or later the one who wins<br />Is the person who BELIEVES they can!<br /><br />~Unknown~</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-85803350451114589572011-11-26T08:00:00.001-07:002012-08-09T10:06:24.181-07:00Fred and Deborah Fellows<div align="center" class="Style1" style="text-align: center;">
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Cowboy Artists<o:p></o:p></div>
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A large metal sign bearing the brand “backward F, forward F”
welcomes you to a ranch outside of Sonoita, Arizona. It is a beautiful place,
reminding you more of upper central California or the Davis Mountain country
northeast of Marfa, Texas. With its large oak trees and rolling grassland hills
at an elevation of around 5,000 feet, it is definitely one of the more
beautiful spots in the Southwest. It is the home of many fine ranches, cowboys
and cowgirls.<o:p></o:p></div>
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She was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame (the
second lady from Arizona after Sandra Day O’Connor). She is a lifetime member
of the National Sculpture Society. Her monumental sculptures appear in about
two dozen locations across the country including the Hall of Champions in
Colorado Springs, Colorado; the Horseshoe and South Point casinos in Las Vegas;
several Boy Scout of America monuments; several Vietnam Veteran War Hero
monuments and numerous museums. The full list is long and impressive. Her name
is Deborah Copenhaver Fellows. (Deb to those who know her.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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He is the longest living member of the Cowboy Artists of
America (CAA). He has served three different terms as the CAA president and at
the time of this writing is the current director. His art adorns places like
the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum in Cody, Wyoming; the Phoenix Art Museum in
Phoenix, Arizona; and the Desert Caballeros Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona. His
art has graced the cover of over two-dozen magazines and has honorable mentions
in articles in dozens more. A current work of his entitled “We Pointed Them
North” has become the “logo” for the Cowboy Artists of America and the
Traditional Cowboy Arts Association’s annual sale and exhibition held at the
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. His name is Fred Fellows.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Many great accomplishments of these two famous artists are well
documented. A simple Internet search will turn up a multitude of information on
the art of this talented duo. When you visit with them, however, they prefer to
tell you about team roping, ranching and raising horses. They are quick to
point out that their art is, “… art from experience.” Drawing and sculpting
what they know and love is their passion. <o:p></o:p></div>
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First and foremost, the Fellows are true Westerners. Fred is a
lifelong team roper (header) with an eye for a good head horse. Deb is the
heeler of the team, and she has a family rodeo history, which includes her dad
(Deb Copenhaver) and brother (Jeff Copenhaver), both world champion cowboys in
their respective generations. The Fellows family has competed in rodeo events
most of their lives.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Deb, once Miss Rodeo Washington and a runner-up to Miss rodeo
America, looks like you would expect a former rodeo queen to look like.
However, upon closer inspection, you see a gal tough as any man, sporting a
much nicer exterior. Roping, cowboying and many long hours with sculpturing
tools have made her as tough as her male counterparts. Pretty and proper to
look at, yet tough as nails, she is quite an impressive woman.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fred is the quintessential cowboy. Rugged good looks on a
6-foot-plus frame with a large cowboy hat leave no question that this is a guy
who has spent much time outdoors on the back of a horse.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fred likes to talk roping horses and is quick to mention a
horse he once owned<span style="color: red;"> </span>which was a brother to the
great horse, Walt, owned by professional roper, Travis Tryan. A mutual friend
in Montana, Walt Vermendahl, raised both horses. One day Fred decided that his
horse was not being put to its full potential, being turned out in a pasture on
the Fellows ranch, so he wound up selling it. The horse then ended up where its
brother once was, in the Tryan rope herd. The horse has been a winner at the
professional level since.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fred is an avid history buff on just about anything cowboy or
Indian. His collection of Old West memorabilia is one of the most extensive
private collections you will find anywhere. He knows the history of each and
every piece, how it was used and where it came from. This knowledge comes in
handy when working on art. If one of them is working on a piece depicting the
1800s, early 1900s or contemporary times, they pay attention to minute details
such as getting the clothing, tack and accessories correct for the period. Deb
says, “In my opinion, it takes away from a piece if it’s supposed to be late 1800s
and the horse is wearing a hackamore that wasn’t even invented until the
1940s.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Deborah also has a passion for good running horses. At the time
of this writing, the couple has 14 head of horses on their ranch near Sonoita.
Each has a roping horse or two; everything else is racehorse stock. The ones
who don’t pan out on the track are then used as barrel racing and rope horse
prospects. Deb is passionate about the bloodlines of the horses and laughs as
she says, “I often trade stud fees for art… That comment has gotten me more
than one strange look at formal gatherings, but eventually I explain what
paying stud fees means to someone in the horse business.” Some of their more
notable horses are Corona Cartel, Streaking La Jolla and Treis Seis, all of which
have had their share of success on “the track.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The couple mentions the fact they have been on and worked with
some of the West’s most famous ranches. This is an important factor, which
carries over to their artwork. The Parker ranch in Hawaii; Haythorn Ranch in
Nebraska; the Padlock and I X ranches in Montana; the JA, 6666 and o6<span style="color: red;"> </span>ranches in Texas and the Y7 ranch of New Mexico are
but a few of the ranches they have been around. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After twenty-one-plus years of marriage, the two still act more
like newlyweds than a couple approaching the milestone “silver” anniversary.
They spend each day working side by side in their luxurious art studio on the
ranch. Fred says, “A typical day is to go out to the studio after breakfast,
and we each work on our respective projects. After lunch together, we go back
out and work ‘til late afternoon. Then we might saddle up some horses and run a
few steers, coming back in the evening to go over our projects together. It is
much better to have four sets of eyes critiquing our work than two. Sometimes I
will see little things Deb has overlooked and visa-versa.” The two spend most
of their time together, truly enjoying each other’s company.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Whether traveling the West, gaining experience on some of its
famous ranches, or working with their own animals at home, Fred and Deborah
Fellows take pride in transferring the real West into their highly acclaimed
artwork.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-43583603315544998452011-11-13T16:00:00.000-07:002011-11-13T16:00:21.770-07:00By popular request...<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My First Saddle<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span>Giving is an art. Lending a helping hand to the needy is akin to a drop of water on a pond, still as glass. When the initial drop hits, it makes a little splash (the good feeling). However, the ripple effect goes on and on, accomplishing more than one little droplet could’ve ever hoped to on its own (the everlasting rewards). I learned valuable lessons about helping others when I was a kid. One such lesson learned involves the story of my first saddle. It must’ve been when I was about 11 years old…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">My family always had livestock, did some dry farming, but my old man thought a horse was an unnecessary expense. Our little place could be worked afoot, with a pickup, or by trapping the few cattle, we ran, in the corral. Typical little nester / starvation outfit on the wind-swept, high plains of eastern New Mexico. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">All I ever wanted however was to be a cowboy. Not just a guy who wore a hat and boots, but the real deal. There were a lot of real cowboys around that part of the country and I admired them. Sure, some were wild and free, not housebroke by many standards, but most were stand-up kind of guys. They were my earliest heroes. Of course, you’re not much of a cowboy if you don’t own a horse or saddle, I concluded.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">So one summer I convinced my dad to let me hoe cotton for a neighbor at $1.00 per hour. My motive was to buy a horse since my folks wouldn’t (couldn’t) buy one for me. The old man agreed, as long as it didn’t interfere with my normal duties on our place (which were plenty). <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">I woke an hour or two earlier that summer and went to bed an hour or two later. I worked my little butt off and thankfully the neighbor was flexible on my work schedule. I spent every waking hour possible in that cotton field craving the $1.00 per hour which represented a means to my eventual goal of being a cowboy. I managed to labor quite a few hours each week in that hot cotton field. These, of course, being hours over and above the ones I worked on our place as part of my “keep.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Towards the end of summer, Mr. Neighbor found out what I was working for; offering to trade me a crossbred Appaloosa filly for the summer’s wages I had coming. Being sooo anxious to actually own a horse, I agreed. Looking back on the deal now, all I’ve got to say is the neighbor made one heck of a trade! It was my first experience (lesson) on horse trading but that’s another story. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">I now owned a horse and my dad wouldn’t buy extra feed for her; too costly. I had to work harder than ever to keep my horse fed as school was started by then. Most of the time I pulled weeds from the bar ditch to feed her, other times I hauled hay or did chores for neighbors in exchange for feed. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Long about that fall, I started to ride her.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">You see, I had no saddle. Something like that would’ve been useless around our outfit and therefore it was obviously a frivolous expense. A halter came with the trade and I’d bought an old bridle at the auction for a couple bucks. That was my entire inventory of tack. I rode my treasured horse anyway…bareback. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Other kids in school who were supposedly “cowboys” made fun of me behind my back but I didn’t care. I wanted to be a real cowboy and have my very own horse. I’d show ‘em all…I’d find a way to get a saddle…perhaps next year?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Training an unbroken filly by an eleven year old boy is one thing. Training a young filly by an inexperienced eleven year old boy who had no instruction and no saddle is quite another. That was one of my first experiences with perseverance and patience.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">One day after school, the mom of one of my classmates invited us out to their ranch for some reason. I believe it was the first time I’d ever been out there. I really paid attention because this was a REAL ranch. I was impressed! The DePuy family ran cattle on about 32,000 acres of sand hill country and they were known for raising good horses.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Before we left for home, the lady of the ranch, Marlene DePuy, offered me an old saddle from the barn. I was astounded…didn’t quite know what to think. It was too big a gift to be taken lightly. I offered to work it off, make payments, what ever it took but she insisted I just take it and that was that. The old saddle didn’t have any látigos, cinches, was dried out, cracking, and had a miss-matched pair of stirrups. At the time it probably wasn’t worth $20.00 (about $100.00 today) but to someone who had as little as I did, it was a HUGE gesture. Back then I considered it the most valuable gift I’d ever received.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">At the lady’s advice I took it down to a local saddle shop and the man there helped me get the old thing back into useable shape. After throwing in a saddle blanket and a wore out catch rope, my bill came to much more than I had available. Luckily, he let me charge things. It took me almost the rest of the school year to repay him.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">I now had what I needed to be a fully outfitted cowhand! That’s where the education really began. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">I practiced daily with the old catch rope. I rode every chance I could in spite of very little instruction. Every time I’d see Mrs. DePuy however, she’d ask about my horse and how things were coming. She was always wise to a young boy’s feelings and would drop little hints about horses and cowboying which were very helpful. Never direct orders, mind you, not unsolicited advice (I was too prideful for that) just helpful hints I was too foolish to ask for. Somehow she knew to be careful, not wounding my fragile, budding confidence. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">I hung on her every word without trying to show my ignorance too much. Through trial, error, lots of wrecks and just pure-d ole grit and determination, somehow I got through it all. That saddle and hints garnered from Mrs. DePuy helped launch my cowboy career ahead by years. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Eventually I traded up in the horse and tack department. Shoot, I’m still doing that to this very day! But everyone starts somewhere and now you know my humble beginnings into cowboydom. I’ve owned many horses and saddles since then but never have I forgotten my first ones, or what it took to get them. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The real story here is about giving, sharing and helping people out who need it more than you do. Marlene DePuy knew the art of giving. When she gave me that saddle, the only thing she got initially was the little “Splash” (the good feeling). That’s not why she did it though; not just for a little thanks either. She assisted people because she loved helping people. Marlene did stuff like that for folks all the time. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Unfortunately, Mrs. DePuy met an untimely death about a decade later. I had already gone out into the world to find my own place by then and I’m sure I never thanked her enough. The effects from her unselfish acts were definitely not wasted. I know, at least in my case, their still being felt in the pond of life to this day. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">I learned from fine folks like Marlene DePuy. That’s how I got my start and I’ve never forgotten acts of kindness done for me; especially those done when I needed it most. I know as well as anyone how small acts of kindness can make a huge difference in another’s life. I also know the ripple effect of giving goes on and on; possibly longer than your own mortality!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Thought I’d just share that lil ole story with you. It did, and still does, mean a lot to me. Thanks, Marlene.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">Jim Olson<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">© 2010<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
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</div><!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8299547407989486713.post-5607727253607757802011-11-07T15:29:00.000-07:002011-11-24T08:31:56.814-07:00Giving Thanks<br />
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Giving Thanks<o:p></o:p></div>
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It started close to 400 years ago in New England. The modern Thanksgiving holiday tradition traces its origins to a 1621 harvest celebration at Plymouth. There is also evidence of an earlier celebration by Spanish explorers in Florida during 1565. As far back in recorded history as you can go - around the world, there have been celebrations of thanks at harvest time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Plymouth feast and Thanksgiving are what we now celebrate however. They were prompted not only by a good harvest, but also in appreciation of the Wampanoag Indians who helped the Pilgrims by providing seeds; also teaching the settlers the fine art of hunting in the area.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some say if the Indians could have foreseen the future onslaught of European settlers coming, they may not have been so hospitable! But seriously, it would not have mattered; this continent was destined to be discovered by the rest of the world. Sooner or later, somebody would have “found it,” that’s for sure. Progress and change were coming no matter what.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I always say there is a silver lining to every situation. Thinking along those lines, looking at it from a positive point of view, folks should be glad the Pilgrims who came here first (after the Indians that is) were the Christian based Europeans. Imagine if Red China or another country such as that had gotten here ahead of Columbus. There would be no “Native American” culture alive and thriving here…or any other type of free “American” culture for that matter. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” Alphonse Karr<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are always positives in every situation, something to be thankful for; you just have to look for it. I am thankful that America is here today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Being thankful is so much more than a once-a-year holiday tradition. Daily thanks are more important than some may realize. It has the power to set the tone of an entire day, project, week, year, or lifetime. It is hard to be grouchy, negative or in a bad mood when you are focusing on being thankful! <o:p></o:p></div>
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I start every day by giving thanks for my many blessings in life…even if at times they seem hard to count. But no matter what kind of spirit I wake up in, it doesn’t take long to change my outlook once I’ve thought about the positives in life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“What ever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Gal. 6:7 <o:p></o:p></div>
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Remember what we plant within ourselves in the way of thoughts, feelings and attitudes are the seeds of our outer life experiences. All things have their beginnings within us…in thought. For some that is hard to believe, others never really think about it, but upon further analysis, it can be no other way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The ancestor of every great action is a thought.” Ralph Waldo Emerson<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you approach life in a surly or negative mood that is exactly what life will give you back. Snapping at the person behind the counter or on the other end of the phone does not get you better customer service. As a matter of fact, it gets you worse service and you will not get favors, special treatment or opportunities that a positive person in a good mood will get. Give attitude – get attitude, in one-way or another that is always the case. When you get right down to it - it is your thoughts, which control your attitude. How you think about things determine your being in a good or bad mood.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Besides not getting customer service and productive interactions with your fellow man, thoughts are also the basis of most everything material as well. Buildings, machinery, techno-devices, money and such do not just spring into reality on their own, by spontaneous combustion. They originate as the product of someone’s thoughts and dreams first. Folks who invent and plan those products and successful ventures never do so out of negativity or with a “that won’t work” type of attitude. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Whether you think that you can, or that you cant, either way you are right.” Henry Ford<o:p></o:p></div>
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Many go as far to say that things on the invisible plane such as “luck,” “fate,” and “chance,” whether good or bad are created through your own thoughts. Think productive, happy, positive thoughts and things seem to go your way. Be negative, grouchy and surly and things never seem to work out for you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The latter type of folk generally point a finger at the positive type and say things like, “He was just born lucky, everything he touches turns to gold while everything I touch turns to bull manure.” The so-called “Midas touch.” They honestly believe that - then wonder why life turns out bad for them. There is a direct correlation between what you think and feel and how things turn out for you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Think about it: Everything starts with a thought (even this great big universe started out as a Divine thought somewhere). How you think then sets the tone for how you feel. Negative, grouchy thoughts turn into bad moods just as happy, positive thoughts turn into good moods. <o:p></o:p></div>
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How you feel, determines the mode of action you take in life. If you feel good, you interact with folks likewise. You come up with positive solutions to obstacles in business or work; the opposite is also true if you are surly or negative. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Last, but not least, your actions become chain-reactions, which set up the results you get from life. Nobody likes to be around a grouch. They will find ways to excuse themselves from a situation as soon as possible. People do not like to see you coming if they know the exchange may be an unpleasant one. Also, when an opportunity comes along, whom do you think gets first chance at it? Not the guy who is negative, that’s for sure. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So your actions have a direct correlation on the results you get out of life; that has not been disputed for ages: “Work harder,” “Try more,” “Dig deeper,” “Go the extra mile,” are all sayings which have been around forever it seems.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What folks don’t always realize, however, is the attitude they approach life with makes a big difference in how well those work ethics pan out for them. I guarantee the guy with a happy and positive attitude, and the same work ethic, will beat out the grumpy one…sooner or later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” Willie Nelson<o:p></o:p></div>
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So what does all of this have to do with giving thanks, you may ask? Simple. By being thankful for what you have, by focusing on your blessings in life instead of the shortcomings, it naturally puts you in a better mood. It is hard to remain in a bad mood when you focus on being grateful. Thinking about what you don’t have in life instead of being thankful for what you do have is counter-productive anyway.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“A man is just about as happy as he makes his mind up to be.” Abraham Lincoln <o:p></o:p></div>
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That is a profound statement. How <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> you make your mind up to be happy, one may ask? Start with being thankful and you are half way there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father.” Col. 3:17<o:p></o:p></div>
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Great people of achievement, and the Bible, tell us over and over again to be thankful. Why do they do this? Because they know by being thankful, you put your thoughts into a more positive mode. Doing this changes your attitude. As you change your attitude, you change how you approach life. When you approach life feeling good and positive, your actions (efforts) change, then you get better results.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I thank God for my handicaps. For through them, I have found myself, my work and my God.” Helen Keller<o:p></o:p></div>
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Try not to focus on things outside of your control; it does no good anyhow. Start with being the best you can be, work on self first, then your whole world changes. It is simple. The great people of the past and God have always taught us this - good starts from within. Of course, this eventually manifests into better realities without. The easiest way to begin is by being thankful for what you now have. I recommend you do it daily at a minimum. It will have a profound and positive effect on your life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This Thanksgiving, there is nothing wrong with sitting around, stuffing yourself on a nice home-cooked meal. But please remember that giving thanks (not just once-a-year or once-a-week - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but daily</i>) is a very important step in creating the reality you will live with tomorrow and every tomorrow thereafter. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Happy Thanksgiving to all!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jim Olson<o:p></o:p></div>
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© 2011<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11903384630449434849noreply@blogger.com2