Summer Events 2023

Summer Events 2023 | Chris LeDoux Days

Music and rodeo. The two things Chris LeDoux excelled at during his lifetime are the two ways he continues to be celebrated during the annual Chris LeDoux Days, held every Father’s Day weekend in Kaycee, Wyoming. Perhaps the one thing that meant more to Chris than his passions was his family, and his widow and five children each have a role to play in producing Kaycee’s biggest event of the year, slated this year for June 16-17. 

Ned LeDoux is one of the main performers during Chris LeDoux Days each year, playing many of his dad’s classics. Photo by Stacy Hays Michael.  
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Population 274, the town of Kaycee has become synonymous with the name Chris LeDoux, even though he did not move there until adulthood. His father being in the Air Force, Chris lived in places like New York City and France as a boy. The family moved to Cheyenne, where LeDoux started high school rodeoing, through which he met John Forbes. A summer job “in the hills of Kaycee, Wyoming” would change the course of his life. He met his wife, Peggy, and raised his family of seven while pursuing his careers in rodeo and music. 

Not only did LeDoux compete in rodeo and make the National Finals Rodeo, he was crowned the World Champion Bareback Rider in 1976. And LeDoux did not only play music, he was nominated for a Grammy, won an Academy of Country Music award, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Suffice it to say that LeDoux achieved superstar status in both his chosen paths in his life, cut short at 56 years old by cancer. His boys, however, feel that their dad would be pleased at being honored by his two favorite things in the little town of Kaycee. “I have a feeling that he’s always looking down and probably has a big ol’ grin on his face,” says Ned.  

“Good Ride, Cowboy” is the statue created by D. Michael Thomas of Buffalo, Wyoming. The monument stands in Chris LeDoux Park in Kaycee, Wyoming. Photo by Stacy Hays Michael. 
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Ned is a core part of Chris LeDoux Days’ Saturday evening entertainment. He provides what many have said to be the reincarnation of his dad’s voice. Indeed, Ned says that part of his purpose is keeping his dad’s music relevant into the next generation. “I just really love playing his stuff. I played drums for my dad for seven years, and I got into singing not even 10 years ago, playing in these little dive bars. There might not have been 10-15 people in the crowd, but people were paying attention when I played Dad’s old rodeo originals. When I got done with those shows, people would come up to me and say, ‘I haven’t heard Bareback Jack or Photo Finish in years.'”  

Ned and the family usually invite bands they are friends with to play at Chris LeDoux Days. Corb Lund, Cody Johnson, and Aaron Watson have been headliners in the past. This year, Reckless Kelly accepted their years-long invitation to play with Ned at Chris LeDoux Days, and the bands will be opened by cowboy musician, Brenn Hill. 

The rodeo consists mainly of horses that buck, featuring local and college talent. Pictured: Kyle Bloomquist. Photo by Stacy Hays Michael. 
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Chris LeDoux Days was meant to be a one-off event in 2010 for the purpose of unveiling the D. Michael Thomas statue of LeDoux in its new home in a park in Kaycee. Named “Good Ride, Cowboy” and sharing a name with the Garth Brooks song, the monument features Chris in fine bareback riding form aboard Stormy Weather, the buckskin upon which he won his world championship. For the unveiling, bucking broncs at the arena seemed fitting, followed by a performance by Chris’s band, Western Underground. Those in attendance were estimated between 6,000 and 7,000 people that first year, and they drank the town of Kaycee out of beer.  

Feedback from locals encouraged the family to continue with Chris LeDoux Days the next year, and the year after that. “We didn’t know what we were doing,” says Ned. “In the early days, we were just trying to figure it out.” Peggy is the main organizer, Ned hosts and invites the entertainment for the evening, and his brother Beau handles the logistics of their rodeo. Now, they are looking forward to their 12th year.  

Chris LeDoux encapsulated the word “cowboy” in many ways. The event in his honor consists of all the things he loved. Pictured: Ian McGivney. Photo by Stacy Hays Michael. 
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And he sang Life’s a Highway 
There’s only one way you’re gonna get through it 
When she starts to twist, be more like Chris 
Pull your hat down tight, and just LeDoux it 
When that whistle blows, and that crowd explodes 
And them pickup men are at your side 
They tell you “Good ride, cowboy, good ride” 

– Good Ride, Cowboy by Garth Brooks 

The rodeo still consists of mainly bareback and bronc riding. Forbes Rodeo Company, local to Kaycee, brings most of the bucking horses, accompanied by other Wyoming stock contractors such as Summit Pro Rodeo and Trumbulls. Pickup men are mostly local, too, including Sandy Bob Forbes, Jhett Johnson, Colt Hamaker, Cody Cunningham, and Shawn Scolari, plus a few more non-locals. More than 40 horses are bucked before the short round, not including re-rides, so it takes a considerable amount of horsepower and manpower.  

Breaks in the action while the chutes are reloaded are relieved by specialty acts, youth barrel racing, and ladies breakaway roping. G Bar G Saddlery of Riverton, Wyoming donates a saddle to the winner of the youth barrel racing yearly. A Calcutta is held before the short round for all the adult events, and the beer gardens flow freely throughout the day.  

While ropers and bronc riders are not difficult to find in Wyoming, bareback riders are a smaller population. Luckily, the College National Finals Rodeo is held that week, which gives Beau some options for recruiting. “That’s a blessing to have that there. My job is finding bareback riders. That is one of the hardest jobs to do,” he says. Most of the college participants in CLD are also “short round bound” that Saturday evening in Casper, which means their schedules can get tight. Even Sandy Bob Forbes and Jhett Johnson – the rodeo coaches at Chris LeDoux’s alma mater, Casper College – have to beat it back to the CNFR that night. Yet, they all make it work with a classic, LeDoux-style photo finish.  

Kids are invited to participate in various events throughout the day. Photo by Stacy Hays Michael. 
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Just like at RodeoHouston, says Beau, many attendees of the rodeo are actually there for the entertainment afterward. The street is closed off with a city block or two for a dance floor, and the evening commences with cowboy music while artists pay tribute to the pioneer cowboy who went before them. “I’ve got a brand-new album out, but people are always guaranteed to hear Dad’s classics. That’s the way it’s always going to be,” says Ned. He and his co-performers often collaborate to sing each other’s songs, as well as LeDoux’s, in an exhilarating performance that can never be duplicated.  

Chris often said, “Without Roy Rogers, there would be no Chris LeDoux.” He emulated the morality and integrity of the American Cowboy no matter what stage he was on, and passed those values to his children and friends. In Kaycee during Chris LeDoux Days, cowboys are still king.  

For more information about Chris LeDoux Days, see chrisledoux.com.  

Chris and Peggy LeDoux’s granddaughter, Rae Butler, running barrels at Chris LeDoux Days. Photo by Stacy Hays Michael. 
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Summer Events 2023 | Hugo Ranch Rodeo Steeped in Cowboy Way

Twenty-two years ago, some locals in Hugo, Colo., approached Tina Waite about the idea of putting on a ranch rodeo in their town. She and her husband, Daryl Waite, who then managed the Withers Ranch near Hugo, had experience with ranch rodeos. She said yes, agreed to be the secretary, and today the Colorado Championship Ranch Rodeo is bigger than ever and continues to grow. This year it will be held June 23-24. It was the first ranch rodeo in the state sanctioned by the Working Ranch Cowboys Association – which has strict requirements to support their mission of preserving ranch history and educating the public.  

One secret to the success of the Colorado Championship Ranch Rodeo is teamwork and longevity. Photo by Cheyenne Rice. 
 
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“We try to align our event with the purpose of the WRCA and let people see ranch cowboys do still exist,” said Tina Waite. “Like that song says, ‘You just can’t see them from the road.'” The winning team at Hugo also earns the right to compete at the World Championship Ranch Rodeo in Amarillo, Texas. 

Since the first rodeo in 2001, the Hugo event has turned into a two-day event jam packed with western entertainment and activities. Friday night opens with the first performance of the ranch rodeo, with a calcutta beforehand and dancing to live music afterward. Saturday opens with the Top Hand contest, the youth ranch rodeo, Jeremiah Ward Memorial Open Bronc Riding, a chuckwagon cook-off, and the second perf of the main ranch rodeo. This year a concert has been added Saturday night, featuring the traditional West Texas musician Randall King. Both days offer a western trade show with more than 30 vendors.  

One secret to the success of the Colorado Championship Ranch Rodeo is teamwork and longevity, says Waite. “We have a really good committee of 10-12 people; everyone has their role and they just do what they do, you don’t have to worry about checking up on things.” 

The other is family – all members of the Waite family have been involved since the rodeo’s inception.  

Daryl, who retired from the Withers Ranch and is now a fulltime saddle-maker, and their sons, Chance and Caleb (married to Cat with son Declan), have helped in all areas from the start. Daughter Jessica (Waite) Casteel, who lives in Vale, S.D., with her husband Travis and their kids, Haddie and Tapadero, draws the program cover and designs the ranch rodeo posters. Daughter-in-law Tayla, married to Chance, manages the trade show.  

In turn the event has created opportunities for the family. “Working with the ranch rodeo association has been a huge blessing for our family,” said Waite. “We’ve met some wonderful people. It’s given our family and our kids a chance to connect with some really good cowboys and work on some really good ranches.” 

The main ranch rodeo competition at Hugo accepts 14 teams of four to six members, with no specifications on age or gender. However, all members must be prequalified through the WRCA which requires members’ income is from ranching on operations that meet criteria of a certain number of mama cows or yearlings ran. This year the events in the main rodeo will be stray gathering, number sorting, team branding, wild cow milking, and ranch bronc riding. 

Last year was the first year of the WRCA youth ranch rodeo at Hugo. Team members can be aged five to 16 on 5-man teams. Events are trailer loading, team branding, doctoring, and sorting, and instead of the bronc ride they do a wild steer race, where teams must mug a steer and have someone ride it across a line. 

The Top Hand Contest is a single man competition, featuring trailer loading, dally calf roping, and sorting. All these events are done with just one guy on their own and no help from anyone else, said Waite. Participants are invited to compete in the Top Hand competition after being named top hand at other ranch rodeos throughout the year.  

Waite, whose full-time job is working at Eastern Slopes Rural Telephone in Hugo, said over the years they have just continued to add a little more each year. “But we’re about at maximum capacity on what we can fit in one weekend,” she said. “We just are always trying to make it better and more appealing to the public, and also trying to help get a winning team at the world championship.” Over the 22 years, several teams that won Hugo have gone on to win the WRCA world championship rodeo. 

The ranch rodeo is aligned with the WRCA’s rules of requiring competitors make their living from the ranch, showcasing that the working cowboy is not a thing of the past. Photo by Cheyenne Rice 
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Cody Heck runs a cow-calf (and yearlings if it rains, he said) operation in Clarendon, Texas. His ranch rodeo team has competed at the Colorado Championship Ranch Rodeo for the last four or five years, and before that he competed there with a different team. “Hugo has always been a great rodeo,” Heck said. “Tina and her boys and Daryl do a great job putting that on with two full rounds of competition and good cattle and good bucking horses. And good people – definitely good people.” 

On Heck’s team with him are Jody Padilla, Ethan Roucloux and Rylan Ferbrache. Last year they qualified to go to the world at the Maverick Ranch Rodeo in Cimarron, New Mexico, but so far have never won at Hugo. “We’ve been second a few times,” Heck said, “but that rodeo is definitely one of the highlights to go to each year.” 

A chuckwagon cook-off, open bronc riding, and Randall King concert are all features of this year’s ranch rodeo in Hugo. Photo by Cheyenne Rice.  
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Summer Events 2023 | The Box Family Influence on the New Raymer Fair 

The New Raymer Fair was a “dream come true” for Archie Box.  He felt that a lot of the kids out here were so far from Greeley that they did not get a chance to show their 4-H project at a fair. Archie took his ideas for a fair to the New Raymer Lions Club and found everyone in agreement. It was to be a fair open only to members living in the northeast corner of Weld County. 

Archie Box in the rodeo arena in New Raymer 
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In July, 1950, that dream was born with the first fair, then known as the New Raymer 4-H Achievement Day, held south of Highway 14 in a grain storage building with the arena events in a vacant block north of the highway. At that first fair, Archie’s children, Allen Box and Karen Jean Box were amongst the top showmen listed for beef and horses. The fair of 1951 was held in that same area of New Raymer. Seeing that the New Raymer fair had a future worth preserving, Archie then formed and chaired a committee within the Lions Club to push towards acquiring land and adding improvements for future events. By the fair of 1952, land had been purchased and the 44×96 ft. 4-H Building had been erected for a total of $3,394.25. It was constructed by community members and business men with only one paid carpenter having been hired. In years following, the sheep, hog, and dairy barn were quickly added and the rodeo arena was put in on the south end of the area. The grandstand was added later.  

Some of the events held during the early years in the arena were musical chairs, reining classes, Brahma riding, barrels, Shetland pleasure, Western pleasure, the bending race and the milk race. Announcers in the early years included Dave Hill of Greeley and Bud Van Berg of Sterling. 

The pet class, started in 1965 by Archie and wife Famie Box, was the crowd favorite of the two-day affair where everyone received a silver dollar and a ribbon. The pet class is continued today by the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Archie and Famie. Also in 1965, Karen Jean Box served as the announcer for the first time. In a 1966 article, the fair was then being called the Northeast Junior Fair at New Raymer. In that same article it was stated that “The Box Clan is perhaps one of the most well known in east Weld.” 

By 1967, Archie was in his 16th year as Fair Manager. Amongst other duties, Famie also hosted a BBQ luncheon every year for dignitaries, judges, and invited guests that was talked about as one of the best around the county. In the paper in 1968, a great three generation picture showcased the Box Family with the headline of “New Raymer’s First Family”. The caption read “the three generations of the Archie Box family pictured above have dominated the 4-H Fair and Rodeo since its inception in 1950. They have no less than 150 grand champion trophies in their trophy case.” Archie was Fair Manager with the exception of one year from 1950 until his death in 1974 when his son, Allen, took over. 

Box Family circa 1945 
(b) Allen, Doris, Pauline 
(f) Karen, Archie, Famie, Louise 
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Throughout the early years of Archie’s tenure, his two youngest children, Allen and Karen Jean, showed fat beef and horses at the fair. Grown children Doris, Pauline and Louise, were also greatly involved in assisting the 4-H home economics classes, the ever-vital fair cook shack, and assisting Famie with the barbecue luncheon and the pet class. When Allen suffered a stroke in 1982, he was assisted by Jerry Samber and officially retired his duties to Jerry in 1984. 

 In 1989, continuing their parents’ legacy of dedication to the fair in New Raymer, the Box Foundation made up of the four living children – Doris, Pauline, Allen and Karen Jean – developed and sponsored the then named Hereford Heifer Hopeful program to give away two beef heifers during the fair. The name was quickly changed the next year to the Heifer Hopeful to open up the opportunity for other area cattlemen to donate a heifer that was not of the Hereford breed. 

In 1990, Karen Jean retired from announcing after 25 years and passed the torch to her niece, Carol Sue. As we all know, Karen Jean’s legacy will forever live in our ears as we hear famous one-liners such as, “Whip and ride,” “Ride ’em like you stole ’em,” and “Let’s go! Let’s show! Let’s rodeo!” Karen Jean, after much begging and pleading, did come back to help Carol Sue in the afternoon announcer’s booth around 2005. We will certainly, without fail, miss hearing her unique voice echo across the prairie for two special days each summer. 

In 1992, with the then known Lions Club deciding to dissolve, the Northeast Weld Drylanders Organization was born to continue on the success of the local fair. The fair, held each year in July, has proven to be not only an educational and motivational experience for young people but a coming together of community clubs, organizations, businesses, and individuals to develop, support, and conduct the fair. It is also a coming together of friends and family where memories are made and stories are told. To some it may be small, but to those born and raised spending two days each July in the scorching heat and dirt on the New Raymer fairgrounds, it is known and felt as the “World’s Fair!”  

With this coming July being the 74th Annual Northeast Weld County Fair and Rodeo, the fair was and will continue to be something that Archie and Famie can be proud of. All generations of the Box family have dedicated hours to the continued success of the fair. They have shown animals and home economics exhibits, did the announcing, served on the Lions and the Drylanders committees, taken money at the dance, taken charge of the cook shack, volunteered to mow and paint and pick up trash, gone after the morning donuts, helped establish other popular fair events such as the Stick Horse Race, wrote the fair premium checks, timed events, sold ads for the fair book, arranged the trophies on the hood of a car in the arena for the trophy presentation time, cooked and served the Friday and Saturday night feeds, donated money and sponsored awards, designed and printed the fair programs, took rodeo entries, arranged the sound system, served as 4-H leaders in New Raymer and the list goes on. 

The Box family is now in its 5th generation of participating in the fair, with our youngest generation showing and winning awards, just as Box generations ahead of them did. I am pretty sure Grandpa is boasting with pride. So strong was his belief in 4-H and young people that for many years all checks distributed by the fair board carried the message, “A kid brought up in 4-H will seldom be brought up in court.” 

An article published in 1980 may have said it best: “The events and format of the fair in New Raymer have changed little over the years – names change some, but numerous surnames repeat year after year with many families with long-established firm roots in the community. In that steady, solid, and unchanging format lies much of the charm of the fair that serves the farms and ranches of northeast Weld County.” Archie and Famie, you did a dang good thing. 

5 generations of Box family at the dedication of the Box Family Arena 2015 
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Summer Events 2023 | When the Steaks are High

On Thursday night, last August during the Lincoln County Fair and Rodeo in Hugo, Colorado, the Lincoln County Stockmens Association and the Lincoln County CattleWomens held their annual Steak Fry after the county fair beef show like they have every year, but instead of simply eating a steak dinner like they have for the past decade, a fundraiser was held in conjunction for a fellow CattleWomen in need.  

With the addition of the benefit auction, the number of steaks that Stockmen members had to cook was doubled. 
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“One of our closest friends, Megan Mosher, was diagnosed with a pretty aggressive form of cancer,” say McKenzi Stone of the CattleWomens. “Her and her husband, Wade are a well-respected ranching family in our community so myself and several other people put our heads together and started planning a benefit and we had the idea of holding it during the Steak Fry.” 

In the past, the Steak Fry has been a way for the Stockmens Association to raise scholarship money for graduating seniors, so expanding the fundraising efforts was a good fit and a smashing success. Possibly because of how well-liked Megan and her husband, Wade, are in the community, both members of the Lincoln County Cattlewomens and Stockmens Associations respectively, but also because of the generosity of their Colorado neighbors.  

“When we got word out that we were going to do a benefit for them, donations just started pouring in,” Stone says. “People were sending us things and we had a lot of community support.” 

At the end of the night after holding both silent and live auctions, selling items such as a half-day photoshoot from a local photographer, a barrel of oil from the local gas company, an elk hunt, a hog and processing, a breeding to an AQHA stallion, multiple grills, a ton of hay, a half of a beef, a rifle, leather goods and so many more generously donated items, the organizations raised $52,477 total.  

The event was such a success that Stone was ready to make the benefit fundraiser an annual event during the Steak Fry, so in a turn of events, Stone is spearheading a new organization called the Eastern Plaines CowBelles to continue the benefit 

“The benefit is going to be primarily ran by the CattleWomens and then the dinner portion, the steak fry will be manned by the Stockmen and we’re going to call it the CowBelle’s Benefit,” Stone says, adding that they want to model the event after Feeders and Friends, a feedlot rodeo and benefit auction held in New Raymer, Colorado who has been raising money for families in need for almost 20 years.  

The Cowbelles are still deciding on who this year’s benefit recipient will be, but are excited and ready to help another local family going through a hard time. 

With the addition of the fundraiser, Stockmen members are kept even busier during the event, last year they doubled the number of steaks they had to cook in the two-hour time frame. The steaks are purchased by the Stockmens from local grocer, Osborne’s Supermarket, where the steaks are cut in house by the owner. If they are running low on steaks before the end of the dinner, the grocer will cut and deliver more for them. In the past, the Stockmens have cooked and served around 125 steaks for the evening but last year with inclusion of the benefit, served 250 steaks and possibly could have cooked a few more.  

“It is a lot of steak in a very short amount of time,” says Aaron Kravig of the Stockmens Association. “There’s usually two guys manning the barbeque, two guys putting steaks on and two guys carrying steaks away.” 

Kravig says there’s no real trick to cooking that many steaks other than timing the charcoal just right so that the first steaks are getting done when it’s time to start serving at 5 o’clock, then the temperature maintains until 7 o’clock. 

They also serve potatoes, locally sourced corn on the cob and locally made rolls as well as cobblers provided by the CattleWomen members. 

The Lincoln County, Colorado community showed up for their neighbors in the form of waiting in long lines for their steak dinner and deep checkbooks for auction items.  
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“I think it’s important to note that the community really supported the program, they supported the scholarship fund, they might give us a $50 bill when the ticket is $20 and don’t want any change back, and it was also very evident last year that they’re supporting the local people in need too, so we’ll keep doing it,” Kravig says. 

Summer Events 2023 | Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering

They’re keeping the art of the cowboy alive in Encampment, Wyoming. 

All-star show performers Annie and Amy are joined on stage by Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering president Jason Swenlund, on banjo, and Washtub Jerry, at the 2022 Cowboy Gathering. Photo courtesy the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering Outfit. 
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For the twenty-first year, the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering will take place July 14-16 in Encampment.  

It’s a gathering of cowboy poets and musicians, singing, reciting poetry, and fans enjoying a jam session, songwriter workshop, western entertainment, and good food. 

A variety of artists perform throughout the weekend, said Steve Moulton, past president of the Encampment gathering and a board member and volunteer. 

Activities kick off on Friday, July 14 with a Campfire Jam Session and open microphone. Anyone who wants to can share a song, recite a poem or story, and play musical instruments they’ve brought along.  

The fun continues on Saturday, July 15. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Jack Schmidt will host a stacked Dutch oven demonstration, with Schmidt reciting poetry as he cooks.  

At 10 a.m., a Songwriter Workshop takes place, featuring performer Doug Figgs, as Figgs gives advice about songwriting. Lunch (for a fee) is sponsored by the Encampment/Riverside Lions Club. 

Saturday afternoon the Western Entertainment Roundup takes place, with a variety of performers: Doug Figgs, Many Strings, Terry Nash, Jamie Nield, Caitlynn Taussig, Washtub Jerry, Kaden Miner, Jo Lynn Kirkwood, Kristyn Harris and Andy Nelson.  

The All Star Cowboy Poetry and Music Show is Saturday night and is the only ticketed event of the weekend. Held at the Encampment School, it features Kaden Miner, Kristyn Harris and Andy Nelson. Tickets are $20 (children ages 12 and under are free) and can be purchased at the door.  

On Sunday, a Cowboy Ranch Breakfast will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.; the cost is $15/plate. 

Cowboy church wraps up the weekend, held at 10 a.m. and led by Becky and Ken Kreusel. Historic tours of the Grand Encampment Museum are available all weekend.  

Attendees are asked to bring chairs for the Friday evening and Saturday day-time events, and may need coats for the outdoor events.  

The cowboy gathering started in 2003, Moulton said, when the gathering that took place in Rawlins, Wyo. was discontinued. The Encampment gathering has hosted some big-name poets and musicians, although the number of fans they can accommodate is limited, due to limited hotel rooms. Attendees can also bring RVs and stay in the local RV park.  

Moulton said they try to hire new acts each year, while having favorites return, like Many Strings, a husband and wife team from Utah. “People love them,” he said. “They do a lot of comedic songs, and people enjoy them so we bring them back every year.” 

Doug Figgs, a poet and singer from New Mexico, has performed at Encampment several times, as has Terry Nash, a poet from Colorado. 

Jamie Nield, a student at the University of Wyoming and an up-and-coming artist, will perform. Caitlynn Taussig is another young performer, of whose earliest performances were at Encampment, and Jo Lynne Kirkwood will be making her inaugural trip to Encampment.  

The most unique artist among this year’s lineup is Washtub Jerry, who plays bass on a washtub.  

Of the three main stage entertainers, Kaden Minor makes his first trip to Encampment; Kristyn Harris is a “driving force in this business,” Moulton said, and Andy Nelson, who, with his brother, operates COW (Clear out West) Radio.   

Bill and Edith Schrayer have attended every year of the Encampment Cowboy Gathering. 

The Virginia Dale, Colo. couple likes cowboy music, Bill said, and lived in the Encampment area when Bill worked on a ranch there more than fifty years ago.  

The first year of the Gathering, they got a wild hair. “We finished putting hay up one night, and since we knew the area and it sounded interesting, we headed up there.”  

They bring their RV and lawn chairs and congregate with other gathering attendees, some who have become good friends. “Everyone just goes and has a good time,” he said. “We drink a little beer and swap a few stories.”  

Bill said he can’t “carry a tune in a bucket” but that doesn’t matter. The gathering “is just a lot of fun. Everybody has a good time.”   

Cowboy poetry and music involves the ranching industry, and sometimes helps non-rural people understand ranching better, Moulton said.  

“It brings the public to better understand (the cowboy’s) way of life, through that medium.” Poets and musicians explain ag terms like calving or branding between songs or recitations.  

The gathering is a great way to share the ranching lifestyle with non-ranchers. 

“If you teach people from the city about your way of life, and they become interested in it, follow it and understand it, when they see stuff in the newspaper about ranchers and different problems they have, they have a better understanding of why farming and ranching is so important to the economy and our way of life. 

“It puts a face to ranching.” 

Noted cowboy poet and a founder of the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering, Chuck Larsen, served as emcee and entertainer for a dozen of the outfit’s 20 years, before passing away last year. Photo courtesy the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering Outfit. 
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For more information on the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering, visit the website at GrandEncampmentGathering.org or the Facebook page at GE Cowboy Gathering.  

Headliners, entertainers, fans and wannabe cowboy poets and musicians are invited to participate in the popular Friday night “Campfire Jam Sessions” during the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering. Photo courtesy the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering Outfit.
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