Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?

By Frances Allday, Publisher

For children who grew up in Houston in the fifties and sixties, the rodeo was a special event. Whether it was going to the parade, the fat stock show or the rodeo, there was an excitement about the guys and gals in cowboy hats, riding horses and strutting their western garb. Bucking broncos, charging bulls, and roping cattle was something you didn't see every day. Even schools closed for the rodeo parade so that children and school bands could attend. Almost every child, it seemed, dressed in cowboy or cowgirl fashion with hats, boots, kerchiefs, and usually a toy gun in a holster. But the biggest thrill for most kids was seeing the star of the show in person. In that era there was only one entertainer for the show and most of the time it was a TV cowboy hero.

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans frequently appeared. Roy was proclaimed the "King of Cowboys," and his charm and charisma rose above the others. He was a gentleman, and could yodel with the best of 'em. But when the bad guys did their evil deeds, Roy was ahead of the posse in bringing them to justice. He was never one to use his fists or his gun readily, but he was not afraid to fight the bad guys when necessary. He could be tough and strong, with nary a foul word to be heard by his young audience. Dale was dubbed "Queen of the Cowgirls" and was the epitome of the supportive wife. Donned in western skirt, boots and hat, she was always ready to help her husband capture the bad guys. Roy Rogers in real life seemed to be a lot like his TV persona. He was known as personable, charitable, religious and very down to earth. He was genuinely interested in the live stock show, always going to look at the animals when he appeared here. It is said that he once put on a fireman's uniform and a fake mustache so he could visit the livestock pens unrecognized.

Some of the other famous cowboy stars of the Rodeo during those years were the Cisco Kid and Pancho, Hugh O'Brien as Wyatt Earp, James Arness as Marshall Dillon, Chuck Connors as The Rifleman, and the stars of the Bonanza TV series. All were of the same genre of cowboy characters: men who were fearless, protective, respectful of the womenfolk, and willing to stand up to bad guys. The scripts of these TV shows always ended with the hero

restoring order and justice, or righting some wrong. The Rifleman and Bonanza dealt with single dads as cowboys. In both series there was a strong positive father image that showed the father not only giving guidance to his sons on practical pursuits like ranching, but also on how to do the right thing in life.

In reflecting on memories of past rodeos and the cowboy heroes of yesterday, one has to feel a certain sense of loss that these cowboys have ridden off into the sunset. The cowboy mystique has vanished in America. Perhaps society no longer needs the attributes and values that it needed to tame the west. We certainly don't need horses or covered wagons to get around, and we don't need to fight off cattle rustlers. Or perhaps we have so denigrated and belittled the word "cowboy" by our political rants that the world has no respect for the name. I believe America needs to look again at the persona of the cowboys of our youth, and the history of the qualities and values that made this country great. Happy trails.

Me, dressed for the Rodeo, 1950s-style

(Near Northwest Banner, March 5, 2007)