Bonnie and I were at the Merritt pro-rodeo in September 2002 when my longtime friend and cowboy poet Davy Longworth invited me to perform at a benefit concert, the proceeds of which would help to buy livestock feed for the drought stricken cattle ranchers of southern Alberta. I accepted and this was my introduction to the show's sponsor, the British Columbia Cowboy Heritage Society. The B.C.C.H.S. consists of cowboys, poets, ranchers, singers, and just about everybody else who is interested in celebrating and preserving cowboy culture. Following my performance at the 'Say Hay' benefit I was approached by the Vice President of the B.C.C.H.S. Mark McMillan who asked if I would like to be part of the 2003 "Kamloops Cowboy Festival". The "Kamloops Cowboy Festival" is a gathering of cowboy poets, singer/songwriters and western artists held annually in March in the city of Kamloops British Columbia Canada. People come from all over North America to participate in showing their western talents and wares. You can purchase everything from custom saddles to hand made cowboy boots.
The day Bonnie and I left Vancouver headed for the festival we happened upon one of the worst snow blizzards I'd ever encountered in my life. We tried our best to keep traveling but the white-outs were so bad that we had to stop in a town called Hope and look for a hotel room to spend the night. We were hoping the snow would let up and the roads would be cleared by morning so we could drive up the more sheltered Fraser Canyon route to Kamloops. We woke up early and after digging our little Subaru out of the snow, headed in the direction of the festival. After we arrived and checked into our Hotel, I decided to navigate the icy pavement to check out the venue, pick up my performers package and see what was going on.
When I stepped into the main theatre I was taken aback to see the place jammed to the rafters at 11:00 a.m. It stayed that way for the three days of performances. The forty five minute sets each consisting of a different half dozen poets and singers taking turns reciting poems or singing songs, went on continuously all day and well into the evening. The entertainment was extraordinary and the audiences absolutely brilliant. If you have never been to an official cowboy poetry gathering you should do yourself a favour and seek one out. The stories are never ending, varying from the poignant to the hilarious. The humour is out of this world. I guarantee you will leave feeling great and you will likely have sore sides from laughing.
The B.C.C.H.S. has invited me to perform on several more concerts since then, a highlight being a show at the "World Famous Williams Lake Stampede" where as a bonus I got to see two performances of the rodeo. All the shows have been astounding!!! It's a real pleasure to have the opportunity to play for such gracious and appreciative audiences.
I would like to thank Davy Longworth, Mike Puhallo, Mark and Kathy McMillan, Matt Johnston, Frank Gleeson and all those, involved in keeping the cowboy way alive, for adopting this Cement City Cowboy. If you want to learn more about the cowboys and cowgirls and the "Kamloops Cowboy Festival" drop by and visit British Columbia Cowboy Heritage Society
