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Fort Worth’s National Cowboys of Color Museum Click here for the cover story in PDF format. This year the National Cowboys of Color Museum and Hall of Fame (NCCM) is taking the city of Fort Worth back to its roots with a full four days of events during Labor Day weekend. The four-day weekend will be full of special events starting with Thursday’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony and ending with a special presentation by the Lone Star Regulators on Sunday. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will kick-off the events beginning Thursday, August 30. Held at the Fort Worth Club, dignitaries from across the country will descend on the Metroplex to honor these great legends of the American West. This year’s noteworthy individuals include western entertainers, award winning rodeo riders and western women pioneers. The honorees begin with the renowned western entertainer (songwriter, recording artist, writer, television personality, actor) and 2006 Poet Laureate of Texas, Red Steagall. Next on the honorees list is Rex Purefoy who is well known as a professional trick roper, trick rider, his gun spinning and fancy shooting and was a Kansas City American Royal rodeo performer. Also, world class Tennessee Walking Horse trainer and farrier, Frank White, will be honored.
“We are pleased to recognize these individuals for their contributions to the American West,” says Gloria Reed-Austin, executive director of NCCM. “This year is the most exciting year yet as we have an entire weekend of events planned to highlight the important accomplishments and meaningful contributions of our honorees as well as celebrate western culture.” Posthumous inductions this year will include ranch cowboy and founding member of the Southwestern Rodeo Cowboy’s Association, Rufus Green, Sr., who was the first African-American to compete in the Calf Roping event in the Houston Stock Show and Rodeo. Also, Verna Lee Hightower who was the first African-American woman to participate in the Barrel Racing competition in Houston’s 37th Annual Stock Show and Rodeo in 1969, as well as the first African-American female to become a member of the Girl’s Rodeo Association (GRA) in 1970. Cathay Williams, best known as the first African-American female to enlist in the U. S. Army and the only documented female U. S. Buffalo Soldier, and Tom Three Persons, a legendary rodeo cowboy from Canada will round out this year’s list of outstanding honorees to whom the museum will pay tribute. On Friday, a special musical treat will come to the city with a “Legends of Blues” concert featuring blues icons Buddy Guy, The Muddy Waters Band featuring all original members including Pinetop Perkins and James Cotton and Robert Johnson contemporary David “Honeyboy” Edwards together for one evening at Billy Bob’s Texas: sponsored by Idearc Media. The concert is set to raise funds for the NCCM and its efforts including a campaign for a new building project. “This will be a concert that blues lovers will talk about for years to come,” says Jim Austin, co-founder of the museum. “We’re expecting to see every inch of the building covered with blues lovers ready to see these great legends take the stage.” Saturday continues the wild west tradition with a full day of activities including an all-star western city parade, an afternoon of pre-rodeo events and, of course, the Cowboys of Color invitational rodeo. Attendees of the rodeo can expect to see all their favorites from years past and enjoy a few new surprises in the show. The weekend will wrap up on Sunday with an action packed presentation by the Lone Star Regulators, Fort Worth’s local mounted shooting association. “We hope that everyone who attends the weekend and those who visit the museum will share in the enjoyment of a new vision and leave with awareness that today’s West came into being through the struggles and triumphs of diversity,” says Reed-Austin. The full calendar of events for the weekend: 2007 HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY BENEFIT CONCERT & DANCE 12th ANNUAL COWBOYS OF COLOR INVITATIONAL RODEO “LONE STAR REGULATORS” COWBOYS MOUNTED SHOOTING ASSOCIATION MATCH National Cowboys of Color Museum HOURS: Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Current
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