Growing up in the 1950's on a steady diet of western shows, my sister, Sue Ellen Head, and I loved the cowboy stars and their horses---especially, the beautiful, wonderful horses. The first rodeo I ever saw was in the Heart of Texas Coliseum, about 1954, and Hopalong Cassidy and his white horse, "Topper", were the guest stars. Or it could have been Gene Autry and "Champion the Wonder Horse"--- it's only been fifty-three years ago! When Roy Rogers came to town about 1958, Daddy took Sue and I--and we were just little kids--- to the fairgrounds early one morning and left us there all day to help walk Roy's six palomino horses used in his performance. We were crushed to find there was more than one "Trigger"!
We also had the thrill of walking "Jubilee", Dale Robertson's chestnut horse with a flowing flaxen mane and tail. "Jubilee" was one of the most beautiful horses I have ever seen. Other favorites were the Cisco Kid's "Diablo", the Lone Ranger's "Silver", Tonto's "Scout", and Dale Evan's " Buttermilk".
I will never forget the first Grand Entry I rode in. Sue and I had bestowed the name of "Champ" on our beloved old nag in honor of Gene Autry's "Champion the Wonder Horse". When I was about ten years old, I decided to ride Champ out to the heart of Texas Fairgrounds and ride in the Rodeo Grand Entry, at that time a big event with hundreds of horses and riders. Figuring Daddy would say No, I didn't even ask him, but just took off that evening on Champ, going down North 5th Street from Cameron Park and heading up Colcord Avenue, straight to the Fairgrounds, a good ten miles or more from our house. Trotting on the sidewalks almost all the way, Champ and I made good time. We were almost to the Coliseum when Daddy pulled up behind me in his yellow 1950 Ford. He wasn't all that mad, so Champ and I made the Grand Entry, then started for home, back down Colcord in the dark, with Daddy following us in the car all the way, to make sure that skinny little girl on that scrawny old nag made it home all right!
When I was about fourteen, I had again ridden Champ to the Rodeo and was sitting on him out by the cattle barns. My cousin, bareback rider Tommy Merritt, was sitting on the fence, talking to a familiar-looking man. It was Clu Gulagher who played "Billy the Kid" on television and was the star of the Rodeo that year! Tommy motioned me over and introduced me to Clu, who romantically kissed my arm from my wrist to my elbow. I didn't wash that arm for a week!
As a young married woman--married to a real cowboy, of course!-- I was standing in the Heart of Texas Coliseum alleyway when an extremely handsome, very muscular man with brilliant blue eyes and dressed in a turqoise muscle shirt, black pants and black boots--definitely not a cowboy-- came up and started talking to me. He had a foreign accent --either New York or New Jersy. I finally understood he was inviting me to a party in his hotel room after the rodeo. I snapped, "I'm married", and decided to ignore him. Ten minutes later, he rode into the arena and was introduced as Robert Conrad of the TV show, "The Wild, Wild West!"
2 comments:
I love reading your blog, brings back so many wonderful memories of childhood and growing up. Boy those were the days. Wish kids today had some good heroes and things to do like we did. Nut not today! Keep writing.
Good afternoon my old friend, I didn't mean that as an insult, I guess it's because we are getting on up there in age, ya can't deny that! Lol! Yeah, the fair and rodeo bring back many memories of the days gone by, I remember when Sue and I couldn't wait each year for the fair and rodeo, we'd make out yearly jaunt to the Fair Western Store in Lott, Texas and get all spruced up with new boots, Wranglers, yes Wranglers, not LEVIS! We would sometime take what little vacation we had and spend the entire week out there. But Saturday nights had to top it all of, we always really looked forward to seeing friends whom we hadn't seen all year, usually met up with them at the beer tent behind the Coliseum, shared many a cold one just shootin' the bull over a cold one. I guess thoise days are gone as is the beer tent, but the memories will last a lifetime! Keep on writing, I read every one and they bring back many memories.
Your old friend,
Richard Wilshire
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