This week the 14th World Championship Ranch Rodeo is being held in Amarillo, Texas. The rodeo was created to draw attention to the cause of the Working Ranch Cowboys Association (WRCA) of preserving the heritage and lifestyle of the Working Ranch Cowboy and to raise money for the Working Ranch Cowboy Fund (WRCF). The WRCF was created as a means of providing support to the families of Working Ranch Cowboys in times of need and to provide scholarships to children of Working Ranch Cowboys. The support is confidential and is generally at the request of friends or neighbors.
Along with the rodeo, the event features a Cowboy Trade and Trappings Show as well as a Ranch Equipment Expo. For those who have ranching backgrounds but may have moved away from the lifestyle, the event provides a wonderful opportunity to touch base with the ranching heritage and the cowboy lifestyle. For the uninitiated, it may seem anachronistic, but it truly is a continuing way of life that helps to bring quality food to the table while living in a manner that is very much in harmony with the land.
Ranchers are among the leading conservationists. The wildlife and ecosystems of the land for which they view themselves as caretakers, would not have been conserved for our generation, let alone future generations, if not for their efforts.
If you happen to be in Amarillo this weekend, stop by for a glimpse into the cowboy lifestyle.
