HEADIN’ TO THE DUBLIN RODEO
Save the date of Saturday, July 26th. I will be performing in Dublin, Texas, my home town, at the Heritage Rodeo Museum to celebrate The National Day of the Cowboy. I will be accompanied by a passel of my friends who are more talented than I am. The day will kick off at 10 a.m. to noon with inductions into the Living Legends Hall of Fame where Agriculture Commissioner and World Champion Calf Roper Sid Miller and World Champion Bull rider Ty Murray will both be inducted.
In 1937 Everett Colborn purchased controlling interest in a rodeo company Colonel W.T. Johnson’s World Series Rodeo. He bought a ranch 15 miles south of Dublin, the 14,000 acre Lightning C. In April of 1940 Dublin citizens witnessed the first performance of Colborn’s “World’s Championship Rodeo” In 1942 Everett Colborn and his partners merged their rodeo with the rodeo of movie star, Gene Autry. In 1946 The “World Championship Dublin Rodeo” is changed to “Pre-Madison Square Garden’s World’s Championship Rodeo.” But times change and the event closed in 1959 after Everett Colborn retired. The Dublin Heritage Rodeo Museum was opened in 2003.
HEADIN’ TO THE DUBLIN RODEO
The day had shore been tough an’ if that weren’t enough jest to make a feller want to spit. I laid out my duds, then I lathered up in suds, but found that the hot water had quit! Now a cold water bath will shore cool off yore wrath, an’ it don’t take you long to git clean. But as you ponder yore plight, you git awful quiet, an’ your thoughts tend to wander unseen. I planned to take this ride, with my wife by my side, headin’ to a far off rodeo. Now she knows that her man always has a good plan, an’ with me she intended to go. So we loaded the ol’ truck an’ trusted to luck, as we pulled out on that gravel road. We had packed sorta light, got things stuck out of sight. Best try to follow the cowboy code!
Shucks, yore lookin’ fer fun, an’ the trips just begun, with nary a worry to dread.
Jest ridin’ along it seems, daydreamin’ our dreams, of how fame an’ fortune would be spread. By winnin’ first place, I’d shore set such a pace, other hands would be a-shoutin’ “calf rope!” ‘Fore the end could draw nigh, contestants would shore sigh, “There ain’t a chance!” an’ give up their hope. So we headed on out with nary a doubt that this trip would certainly be great! Adventures we would share without even one care, jest send others a-haulin’ their freight! Now that seems a bit brash, tho I had made a splash, as a rookie I had lots to learn. So I jumps in with both feet, the champ to unseat. ‘Cuz this year the prize cup I will earn! I settled to my task, no mercy will I ask, workin’ hard to develop my skill. Many long hours it will take to win the sweepstake, but I know how to handle the drill. So for hours I would work, not one job will I shirk. An’ I toiled to bring it to perfection this new self taught gift, that would for shore cause a rift, seen pert near in every direction. They just wouldn’t believe, tho some would shore ‘nuff grieve when they heard that ol’ score read out loud. When I prance in front of them, things will shore look grim.
But my wife will cheer and be proud. Then the sky brighted up, as they brought out that cup, polished to shine like a golden globe. It was three foot tall, made the arena look small, bright lights were flickerin’ like a strobe!
I know it will be soon, they are singin’ my tune! Yet, …I feel as if somethin’ ain’t square. Then my wife calls to me an’… I wake up to see…??? I’m holdin’ my spittoon in the air!!
© Ol’ Jim Cathey
Do what you can to keep our heritage of the West and the American cowboy alive!
Join us Sunday morning at First Baptist Church Marlin, Texas where you can enjoy cowboy coffee and preaching straight from God’s Word.
God Bless each of you and God Bless America!