It wasn’t their first rodeo— or reunion— not by a long shot. The good folks of Motley and Dickens Counties, whose forebears had been gathering at Roaring Springs going back a full century to celebrate the cowboy way of life, came together again last week to mark the occasion once more.
They turned out in droves, despite the heat, enjoying a plethora of hometown activites that volunteers have labored for a months to organize. The came to converse, connect, and compete. They showed up to show off, and to test their skills on the dance floor, in the rodeo arena, and behind the cookstove.
Those who came to enjoy all these efforts as spectators didn’t go away disappointed. Though final numbers weren’t ready at press time for our weekly newspapers, crowds were healthy at all the events we observed.
“It’s a great thing for these small communities to do,” said Motley County Judge Jim Meador, who can recall earlier decades, when the rowdies showed up for an eagerly awaited carnival. These days, the organized activities tend to be tamer— that is, unless you count those broncos looking for every chance to throw a rider.
Dickens County Judge Kevin Brendle, who serves on the Motley-Dickens Old Settlers Reunion and Rodeo committee, joined with his Motley counterpart Saturday morning in recognizing those who had lived in each county for the longest, as well as those who had come from farthest away to attend. The judges also called the roll of residents who had departed this life since the last gathering; their names will be published in a special feature in these pages next week.
It is that solemn acknowledgement of those who have gone before that best characterizes this annual event, for this reader at least. The colorful, festive Saturday morning parade is led by riderless horses honoring the memory of the deceased. The vendors and exhibits pay homeage to long-practiced crafts such as saddle- and spur-making, and barbecuing. The music, however fresh a twist the performers put on it, harks back to roots in Western swing, folk, gospel.
The sense of yesteryear is ever-present at the Old Settlers Reunion and Rodeo.
As is the future. Have you noticed that the dates for the 101st have already been posted? Mark your calendars for August 22–24. Yep. Right back here in Roaring Springs, Texas.
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