National
The Desert Cowboys Express™ is about to hit the steel rails of Southern Colorado. The National Day of the Cowboy 501(c)3 and the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad have engineered a special event to honor the Desert Cowboys; a unique group of men and women who served in the deserts of the Middle East. These brave citizens left ranches, homesteads, and farms, to promote freedom in foreign lands. In the superior execution of their duties, the Desert Cowboys demonstrated that Cowboys are as adaptable and resourceful as ever. “Ride with Pride,” as we recognize this special group of soldiers and DOD civilians at a festival of cowboy culture where they’ll be presented with a National Day of the Cowboy 2010 Cowboy Keeper Award featuring “Simple Things,” the artwork of artist, Jim Clements.
The ceremony will take place on top of Colorado’s spectacular La Veta Pass. Guests will arrive via two historic trains on Sunday May 30, 2010 (Memorial Weekend). Your ticket includes a scenic round-trip excursion with the soldiers, music by Fred Hargrove, Belinda Gail and Jon Chandler, poetry by rancher Floyd Beard and Poet Lariat Diane Tribitt, WWPAS performers Buck Montgomery and Hotshot Johnny, Reenactors from Fort Garland, vendors, and a hot meal featuring locally raised beef. Other special guests include Jeff Connors (son of Chuck Connors), Jamie Nudie (granddaughter of Rodeo Tailor Nudie), and Julie Ream, granddaughter of Cactus Mack and a 2007 Cowboy Keeper Award winner. One highlight will be the performance of “Toe Roaster,” a magical, heartwarming, campfire play, written by (and starring) hit songwriter, Bryan Kennedy, a co-writer on some of Garths’ hits, like “Good Ride Cowboy” and “American Honky Tonk Bar Association.” Bryan’s saddle pals, songwriters Troy Jones (People are Crazy), and Wynn Varble (Waitin’ on a Woman), are the other two colorful Toe Roaster characters.
The NDOC has worked since 2005 to ensure cowboy things were sent to the Desert Cowboys while they were in Iraq and Afghanistan. Subscribers to the National Day of the Cowboy News will remember reading Starline Brass sponsored NDOC flags for them, while Western Horseman Magazine sent books and magazines, and Western Jubilee Recording sent cowboy music. Fast Back Ropes heard the Cowboys were practicing with one rope, so they sent 30 ropes their way. Wade Kimes sent western music, and Leanin’ Tree shipped cowboy stationary. Publisher Dakota Livesay sent Chronicle of the Old West issues, and, when the Cowboys’ laptop bit the dust, Mike Watson from Mountain Pass Builders sent them not one, but two laptops.
Asked why the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad offered to host the Desert Cowboys Express, Ed Ellis, one of the owners, explained, “We’re grateful for the sacrifices of all men and women in uniform, but the Desert Cowboys have often gone beyond the call of duty, going back to the Middle East over and over. From the comfort of our homes, the Middle East seems far away and a little unreal, but it has been very real to the Desert Cowboys, and we're proud to honor them here in Colorado.”
Call 877-726-RAIL to purchase Desert Cowboys Express tickets or go to the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad website www.rgsrr.com. A limited number are available due to the capacity of the trains, so get your tickets early to ensure you’re part of this wonderful NDOC benefit and event. Tickets for the Saturday, May 29, Wild Rags & Wranglers gala kick-off dinner and auction, led by auctioneer extraordinaire, Dakota Livesay and the famed Cowgirl Historical Foundation, may be purchased by calling Larra Atwater 719-892-0212 or at the NDOC site, www.nationaldayofthecowboy.org. Sponsorship and vendor opportunities are also available by contacting Larra Atwater.
Join us as we honor the Desert Cowboys and Ride with Pride!
Top of Page
|
