If you have a western event, you better have chuckwagon cooking. The crowd showing up for the third annual Rock'n Western Rendezvous in Loveland, Colo., was happy to line up for a dinner served up by Colorado chuckwagons during a beuatiful Friday night on June 02, 2017. Photo by Lincoln Rogers |
The third annual Rock'n Western Rendezvous at The Ranch complex in Loveland, Colo., was a cowboy-themed event through and through. From ferrier competitions to ranch rodeos and chuckwagon cooking, the atmosphere was western and family friendly. Photo by Lincoln Rogers |
Kyd Kelley from Three Forks, Mont., (second from left) a journeyman ferrier and a tester with the American Ferriers Association, judged the ferrier competition at the third annual Rock'n Western Rendezvous in Loveland, Colo., (June 02-03, 2017). In this photo, Kelley discusses the work turned in by some of the 16 ferrers during the competition. Photo by Lincoln Rogers |
Heath Poyner (Greeley, Colo.) checks the status of the iron in his forge during the intermediate level of ferrier competition at the 2017 Rock'n Western Rendezvous in Loveland, Colo. (June 02, 2017). Photo by Lincoln Rogers |
The crew of the Mountain Trails Chuckwagon (Rye, Colo.) was ready to cook on Friday night at the 2017 Rock'n Western Rendezvous in Loveland, Colo., (left to right) Dave Wade, Cheryl Hart, Chad Hart and Dean Decker. Photo by Lincoln Rogers |
The sound of ringing steel was constant inside a barn hosting the Ferrier Compeition at the third annual Rock'n Western Rendezvous over the weekend of June 2-3, 2017. Sixteen ferriers of all experience levels showed up in Loveland, Colo., to compete against each other for cash, prize, and award buckles in an event organized by the Rocky Mountain Ferriers Association. Photo by Lincoln Rogers |
John Schaffner (Wray, Colo.) worked to get his dutch ovens heated as he prepared beef tips, biscuits, cowboy hashbrowns and cobbler for the expected 100-plus people who would be showing up to eat chuckwagon cooking at the 2017 Rock'n Western Rendezvous in Loveland, Colo. Schaffner has been chuckwagon cooking for 20 years. Photo by Lincoln Rogers |
There were plenty of shopping opportunites on hand for the third annual Rock'n Western Rendezvous at The Ranch events center at Loveland, Colo. Clothing, accessories and even custom furniture and doors from Rustic Custom Designs tempted visitors to the cowboy-themed event. Photo by Lincoln Rogers |
One of the working ranch cowboys worked on separating the right calves from the group during the Team Penning event in slack competition on Friday afternoon (June 2) at the 2017b Rock'n Western Rendezvous at The Ranch in Loveland, Colo. Photo by Lincoln Rogers |
The Broken H/Hebb Cattle cowboys worked together as a team during the Stray Gathering event in Friday night's ranch rodeo at the third annual Rock'n Western Rendezvous. Photo by Lincoln Rogers |
The sight and sounds of the Rock'n Western Rendezvous' ferrier competition on Friday afternoon (June 2, 2017) drew the next generation of cowboys like moths to a flame. Photo by Lincoln Rogers |
The Wild Cow Milking event is always full of action at the Working Cowboys Ranch Rodeos. The Beachner Brothers Livestock team from Kansas scrambled to get their mama cow under control, so they could get some milk in a bottle and take the unnofficial lead in the crowd-pleasing event. Photo by Lincoln Rogers |
The weekend of June 2-3 saw the third annual Rock’n Western Rendezvous take place at The Ranch in Loveland, Colo. With a promise of an “authentic western experience,” fans of all things cowboy could find plenty of things to like throughout the weekend.
Cow horse classes, shopping, and trick roping were located throughout the complex. Sixteen farriers of all experience levels vied for about $2,000 in cash and prizes in the Ferrier’s Competition, which was sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Farriers Association. And if that wasn’t enough, there were mouthwatering chuckwagon vittles served up by a pair of Colorado chuckwagons hailing from the towns of Wray and Rye. Last but not least, the main attraction was the Working Ranch Cowboys Association ranch rodeo, where events like Wild Cow Milking and Ranch Bronc Riding were the name of the game. If you missed it this year, the fourth annual Rock’n Western Rendezvous will arrive back in Loveland, Colo., in 2018. ❖
— Rogers is a freelance writer and photographer located east of Parker, Colo. He can be reached at lincoln@lincolnrogers.com or you can find him on Facebook at Official Lincoln Rogers Writing & Photography Page.