celebrate the cowboy In a world filled with television and movie action heroes, the American cowboy is one of the unsung heroes. But now the government has set aside July 23 to honor this quiet frontier figure with the first National Day of the American Cowboy. "A lot of people want to be a cowboy," local cowboy Bob DeMitry said. "You don't always have to be on a horse in order to be a cowboy." According to DeMitry and Pat Tooley, it's the qualities that a cowboy embodies that truly make him, or her, what they are. Those qualities they said are integrity, honesty, courage, an unbeatable work ethic and sense of patriotism. The resolution to honor the cowboy, passed by the Senate, recognizes that pioneering men and women helped establish the American West, that their spirit continues to infuse the country with its solid character and sound family values and good common sense. The resolution also notes there are nearly 800,000 ranchers who conduct business across the United States and that rodeos are the sixth most watched sport in America. Tooley, president of the Clarkson Horseman Association, said the day of recognition is a long time in coming. He not only "talks the talk" of a cowboy, he will be living it for five weeks on a working 68,000 acre ranch in Wyoming. He will ride the trails, sleep under the stars and work at bringing the cattle down from their grazing places in the mountains. "This proclamation for the American Cowboy honors the men and women who work the ranches year round," he said. |
