-----Original Message-----
From: Julie Carter [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 9:35 AM
To: Bar W Ranch; Chuck Stocks; [email protected]
Subject: The American Cowboy ropes in a day of honor
The American cowboy ropes in a day of honor
By Julie Carter
The United States Senate has proclaimed July 23 to be the National Day of the American Cowboy.
The resolution was introduced by Wyoming Senator Craig Thomas and embraced by the agriculture industry.
Recognizing that pioneering men and women helped establish the American West and that the cowboy spirit continues to infuse this country with its solid character, sound family values and good common sense, the day of honor was approved.
The cowboy is declared to be the embodiment of honesty, integrity, courage, compassion, respect with a strong worth ethic and patriotism.
The resolution recognizes the cowboy as one who loves, lives off of and depends on the land and its creatures for his livelihood. It acknowledges the cowboys' excellent stewardship, protection, and enhancement of the environment.
Although cowboys and the west are synonymous with each other, ranchers aren't just found in the west. The agriculture census lists 800,000 ranchers doing business in all fifty states of this country.
Cowboys are definitely not a feature of western bygone days. The senators acknowledged that the rancher cowboy continues to "play a significant role in America's culture and economy."
The rodeo cowboy is part of the sixth most-watched sport in America and membership in rodeo and other organizations surrounding the livelihood of cowboy transcend race, gender and spans every generation.
The resolution calls the cowboy an American icon and declares him to be part of America's ongoing commitment to an esteemed and enduring code of conduct.
It fills my heart with pride to not only be part of such a heritage but to also see it honored in such a way.
But in true form of the cowboy, they will humbly just shrug off the attention and go on about their day. If you ask one what it feels like to be an American icon they will honestly look at you and say, "What's that?"
They work on holidays, Sundays, their birthday, their wife's birthday, anniversaries and throughout all four seasons of the year irregardless of weather conditions. A clock is for setting meeting times but governs little of what happens on the ranch.
July 23 will find the majority of the American cowboys stacking hay, checking cattle and their waters, fixing pipeline leaks, pulling a well, branding a few late calves, building fence, mechanic-ing on a pump jack or the feed pickup, waiting on a rain and pondering the cattle market for a timely sale of their calf crop.
If there is a celebration it might be that they are forced to go to the family reunion they would rather avoid. A selection of them will be entered in a summer rodeo somewhere and a few others will simply be horseback in places where he can almost imagine it is still l890.
I don't know if the suits on Wall Street will acknowledge the honor given the American Cowboy or if the masses in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington D.C. will even know about it. It doesn't matter.
The day is an honor given. It won't change the cowboy in any way. He is not the dying breed he said to be by those that drive up and down the road looking for him.
He is as much an enduring part of Americana as baseball, apple pie and Microsoft.
Julie can be reached for comment at [email protected]
From: Julie Carter [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 9:35 AM
To: Bar W Ranch; Chuck Stocks; [email protected]
Subject: The American Cowboy ropes in a day of honor
The American cowboy ropes in a day of honor
By Julie Carter
The United States Senate has proclaimed July 23 to be the National Day of the American Cowboy.
The resolution was introduced by Wyoming Senator Craig Thomas and embraced by the agriculture industry.
Recognizing that pioneering men and women helped establish the American West and that the cowboy spirit continues to infuse this country with its solid character, sound family values and good common sense, the day of honor was approved.
The cowboy is declared to be the embodiment of honesty, integrity, courage, compassion, respect with a strong worth ethic and patriotism.
The resolution recognizes the cowboy as one who loves, lives off of and depends on the land and its creatures for his livelihood. It acknowledges the cowboys' excellent stewardship, protection, and enhancement of the environment.
Although cowboys and the west are synonymous with each other, ranchers aren't just found in the west. The agriculture census lists 800,000 ranchers doing business in all fifty states of this country.
Cowboys are definitely not a feature of western bygone days. The senators acknowledged that the rancher cowboy continues to "play a significant role in America's culture and economy."
The rodeo cowboy is part of the sixth most-watched sport in America and membership in rodeo and other organizations surrounding the livelihood of cowboy transcend race, gender and spans every generation.
The resolution calls the cowboy an American icon and declares him to be part of America's ongoing commitment to an esteemed and enduring code of conduct.
It fills my heart with pride to not only be part of such a heritage but to also see it honored in such a way.
But in true form of the cowboy, they will humbly just shrug off the attention and go on about their day. If you ask one what it feels like to be an American icon they will honestly look at you and say, "What's that?"
They work on holidays, Sundays, their birthday, their wife's birthday, anniversaries and throughout all four seasons of the year irregardless of weather conditions. A clock is for setting meeting times but governs little of what happens on the ranch.
July 23 will find the majority of the American cowboys stacking hay, checking cattle and their waters, fixing pipeline leaks, pulling a well, branding a few late calves, building fence, mechanic-ing on a pump jack or the feed pickup, waiting on a rain and pondering the cattle market for a timely sale of their calf crop.
If there is a celebration it might be that they are forced to go to the family reunion they would rather avoid. A selection of them will be entered in a summer rodeo somewhere and a few others will simply be horseback in places where he can almost imagine it is still l890.
I don't know if the suits on Wall Street will acknowledge the honor given the American Cowboy or if the masses in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington D.C. will even know about it. It doesn't matter.
The day is an honor given. It won't change the cowboy in any way. He is not the dying breed he said to be by those that drive up and down the road looking for him.
He is as much an enduring part of Americana as baseball, apple pie and Microsoft.
Julie can be reached for comment at [email protected]
