On Saturday, February 21, 15 students from the Big Bend Area gathered with family and friends at the Event Center of the Museum of the Big Bend to recite original poems they entered in the Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering Youth Cowboy Poetry Contest. One hundred and ninety poems were entered in the contest from as far away as Ohio.
The West of the Pecos Cattle Women sponsored beautiful plaques awarded to first, second and third place winners of the contest. President Sharon Gentry, with Vice President Adele Coffey, presented the plaques to winners along with Certificates of Participation to all the contestants who spoke.
Masters of Ceremony at the youth session were directors of the Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Elizabeth Baize and Karen McGuire. Baize opened the session with the winning poem from the high school level called “A Cowboy’s Life” written by Reese Jenkins, a student at Uvalde Classical Academy.
Students from Presidio County who recited their poems were as follows:
Dalleigh Mellard, a first grader, won Third Place in Level 1 with her poem “I Love Peppy.” This poem was written in special memory of a family horse that died.
Peppy was my best horse
We went a long way together
She lovingly nipped the baby calves
We rode through the creek water
She was first to carry me in a lope
She put her head down so I could love on her.
Micah Baize, a fifth grade student won Third Place in Level 3 with his poem “The Calf that was Gonna Kill Us All.” The poem tells of a firsthand experience when Micah and his friends were driving cattle.
Early one crisp morning
We were gathering for branding.
We were going through a lot of brush
And the cows were in a bit of a rush,
When Thomas, a buddy of mine,
Noticed a calf hanging back in line,
We kept pushing him up,
But he wouldn’t stop stalling up.
Well, that buddy of mine,
He just waited till the right time,
Then he threw his twine
And caught that little bovine.
His brother Aiden jumped off his frisky horse
And grabbed that little calf with force.
That calf started kicking and bawling,
His mama started calling.
That mama she was mad,
And things looked pretty bad.
She started kicking dirt up like a bull
And I thought we might not get out whole.
Aiden gave a loud call,
“Be quiet, or you’re gonna kill us all!”
He held its mouth shut,
Then he took a short cut.
He swung the calf on his horse
Then jumped aboard with a show of force.
That mama finally calmed down,
And that’s where I’ll wind down.
Lyla Luppino, a Marfa ISD seventh-grader, wrote the poem “Three Barrels One Chance” and received an Honorable Mention in Level 4. When judges read her poem they knew that she had firsthand experience with barrel racing.
Three barrels, one chance
Hear the crowd roaring in the stands
The pressures on—cowgirl make it worth
Show them proof of your hard work
Just you and your stallion’s breath—steady
The arena is waiting—get ready
Hold those reins up tight as they call out your name
Release those reins and give that stallion slack
Make sure to race that barrel path
First barrel pick up those reins and hold that saddle horn tight
Sharp and clean around—do it right
Don’t knock it down, push in those stirrups
First barrel—clean … don’t stay low—GET UP!
Spur! Spur! Kick! Kick! Here comes the second one—don’t slip!
Wow! You did it the same
Looks like your still in your pace
But wait! Time is ticking, you can’t get a slow time or lose without winning
Last barrel—don’t knock it
Or that’s a five second penalty and no more rounds
Pick up, get low, sharp turns, push in, around!
You did it! Final strive to the gate
Whip! Whip! Kick, kick! Spur! Spur!
Give it all you got!
Race that stallion how he was taught
Crowd loud, fans proud, heart pounds
You did it cowgirl thirteen seconds flat
You won the championship now listen to the fans clap.
Third Place winner in Level 5 was Kaela Baize with her poem, “Moonlight Desert Ride.” She was inspired to write this poem by living on Ryan Flat and her love of working cattle on local ranches.
As the sun sets behind tall, jagged mountains,
Cowboys tired after a good branding day
Put out the fire, let the cattle out of the pens,
And head towards the ranch house, a few miles away.
The full moon is rising over the hills to the east
As they head carefully down the rocky two-track.
“If we’d brought the truck we would sure have been creased,”
Says the boss. “But it still takes a while getting back.”
As the well washed-out road winds through thick ocotillo,
The ranch hands see a band of javelinas trot by.
And from a high ridge they catch a glimpse of the Rio,
Winding on out of view like a ribbon of sky.
Then as everyone turns down a draw with steep sides,
They spot a band of wild horses bedded down for the night.
One cowboy sees a nice one and away he rides!
All follow his lead, though the chance of success is slight.
Swinging his rope, one quick man closes in,
Holds his breath, throws the loop-he won’t get to try again-
Dallies down, pulls up short, then shouts “Yeah! I got him!”
It’s a little bay colt with a short, scruffy mane.
He’s a strong little mustang, not too old to train.
The rest of the herd has by now slipped from sight.
Scrawny mesquite trees, roots washed bare by the rain,
Lean over the draw as the cowboys ride on in the night.
A million stars and a bright, full moon
Cover everything in silvery light.
From a few yards ahead some ground owls croon,
Then when the group comes too close, take flight.
The creek bed fans out in a wide gravely wash,
And the cowboys now ride up and over the bank.
When finally they come to an old water trough, the wild hoss
Comes up with the rest; it’s been a while since he last drank.
The cowboys swap yarns as the house comes in view;
A coyote somewhere yip-howls the alarm, and a dozen more take up the cry.
“They’ve seen us,” someone laughs as the dogs join in too.
Soon they ride through the gate beneath the star-sprinkled sky.
Well-known performer in the West, 14-year-old Maggie Rose Hedges, delighted the crowd with her fiddle, autoharp and songs, accompanied by her dad, Andy Hedges.
The Youth Session was a delight and inspiration. All look forward to what these talented young people will come up with next year.