A Tip Of The Cowboy Hat To All

[Mary Stetler]

We have decided NOT to continue looking for a place to live that has rodeo fans. Basically, because each time I put "where do rodeo fans live" in the internet, no specific place comes up. Now, if the word "cowboy" is put in, "ranch cowboy" websites always seem to come up. I had a member of another forum tell me "don't worry so much about what anyone thinks of you wearing western clothes. Wear what you want to wear!" Guess that's the only way we can look at it.

Just don't change sex, please.

 

[Cody Fousnaugh]

First, sorry this is so long, but...............Anyway, I'm 75 years old and heading towards 76 in 90 days. The first six years of my life was in Olean, NY, but don't remember a thing about it. Due to my parents divorcing, was sent to northeastern Indiana to live with family members. Grew up, during Jr. High and High School years, on a small hog farm. All of the neighbors were farmers who raised Duroc hogs, beef cattle and had crops of hay and field corn. 4-H and FFA was a big thing in our community.
Before graduating high school in May of 1968, I enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Two weeks after graduation, I got called up and headed for Basic Training/aka Boot Camp in Great Lakes, IL. Wound up being stationed onboard a Guided Missile Destroyer in San Diego. Made my first WestPac/Vietnam Cruise in December 1968. Wound up on three different Destroyers in both San Diego and Long Beach.

After getting my Honorable Discharge in Sept. 1972, my first job was working at Knott's Berry Farm on their Stagecoach Ride taking care of the horses. First time I'd ever worn western clothes and I loved it. After Knott's, I got trained in Emergency Medical and worked as an ambulance attendant and driver. After that, got OJT for warehouse/shipping/receiving/stockroom work in manufacturing. Later on, around 1992, took a night class in Purchasing and Inventory Control and spent the rest of my working years doing that. Loved using a computer and still do. Have used Accounting Software for both Purchasing and Inventory Management.

Went to my first professional rodeo (PRCA), as a fan, in 1984 and got completely hooked on it. I know there are those that don't like rodeo, but my wife and I sure do. Actually, in 1985, I bought my PRCA Permit for Team Roping, a nice Quarter Horse, tack and went to a Roping School in Norco, CA to become a Team Roper/"header". On weekends only, went to many rodeos in So. California's Sierra Circuit, now known as the California Circuit. By the time I met my wife, in early 2000, my "roping days" were gone, as was my horse/tack. However, I continued to work for rodeo stock contractors at different rodeos in So California. Those days are also gone now. We have, and will continue to have, The Cowboy Channel on our Roku, and the app on our iPhone, so we can watch any PRCA rodeo in America "live". We are both HUGE fans of professional rodeo and have met numerous World Champions, have numerous pictures of them and us, as well as we are yearly public members of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, CO. We both wear Wrangler jeans and either a straw or black felt cowboy hat to many restaurants.

We both love firearms, but only target shoot at local indoor range. Have absolutely nothing against hunting and love to see wall mounts at Bass Pro, Scheels and Sportsman's Warehouse.

My wife is a year older than me. She was born in Detroit and knows Motown music almost more than Berry Gordy does. She introduced me to it and now I love it. She has two AA Degrees and a Bachelors in Business/Accounting. She works from home for a Temp Service and has weekends off (thank God). I am no longer employed or want to be.

To this day, July 2025, still hooked on watching and supporting professional (PRCA) rodeo. Just got thru watching the Pro-Rodeo Hall Of Fame (Colorado Springs, CO) Induction on the Cowboy Channel. We are still have a yearly membership to the Hall and have attended the Induction when we lived in Colorado. We have met a lot of top-notch (Top 15) contestants and plenty of pictures with them. IOW, will ALWAYS love the rodeo, ranching and farming communities!

 

[Cody Fousnaugh]

Believe it or not, Yvonne, I just had an Administrator from a forum, not this one, tell me this: "Anyone who wears western attire is wearing a costume". He told me that nobody wears western attire on an "everyday" basis or at work. I had to inform him that most rodeo cowboys, the ones that make a living competing in PRCA rodeo most likely do. I told him that some city and county law enforcement agencies allow their officers to wear a cowboy hat while on duty. I told him that, at Cowboy Church, the Pastor/Minister will wear western attire, including his cowboy hat, during the Service, as will many of the people attending the Service. That is something that is simply a part of Cowboy Church.

I also told him that to call western attire a "costume" is insulting rodeo fans and contestants alike as well as those that work at Livestock Yards, Livestock Auctions and Feed Lots.

Thoughts?

 

[Yvonne Smith]

Believe it or not, Yvonne, I just had an Administrator from a forum, not this one, tell me this: "Anyone who wears western attire is wearing a costume". He told me that nobody wears western attire on an "everyday" basis or at work. I had to inform him that most rodeo cowboys, the ones that make a living competing in PRCA rodeo most likely do. I told him that some city and county law enforcement agencies allow their officers to wear a cowboy hat while on duty. I told him that, at Cowboy Church, the Pastor/Minister will wear western attire, including his cowboy hat, during the Service, as will many of the people attending the Service. That is something that is simply a part of Cowboy Church.

I also told him that to call western attire a "costume" is insulting rodeo fans and contestants alike as well as those that work at Livestock Yards, Livestock Auctions and Feed Lots.

Thoughts?

I think that it totally depends on where and why you are wearing western attire, @Cody Fousnaugh . If you live in the country and work on a ranch, western attire is your every day clothing.
If you are going to some kind of a party and dressed like a cowboy, or even just an entertainer and dressing like a cowboy, then it is more like a costume, since it is not your every day clothes.
Even if you do not work on a ranch, but you wear western clothing all the time, then it is your regular clothes and not a costume. In the western states where more people live in the country , or ride horses, a lot of people wear western attire every day, and that is a natural way to dress for them.

 

[Cody Fousnaugh]

I think that it totally depends on where and why you are wearing western attire, @Cody Fousnaugh . If you live in the country and work on a ranch, western attire is your every day clothing.
If you are going to some kind of a party and dressed like a cowboy, or even just an entertainer and dressing like a cowboy, then it is more like a costume, since it is not your every day clothes.
Even if you do not work on a ranch, but you wear western clothing all the time, then it is your regular clothes and not a costume. In the western states where more people live in the country , or ride horses, a lot of people wear western attire every day, and that is a natural way to dress for them.

Well, Yvonne, we don't wear western attire all of the time, as in daily. However, we do like to go "western" sometimes when we go out to dinner or, of course, anything dealing with the National Finals Rodeo here in Las Vegas in December. If we do indeed move to Colorado Springs, Colorado, we will wear western attire to any event at the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, that we are yearly paid members of. We both look great in western attire and love to look that way.

 

[Joe Riley]

I would think that city attire could be classified as a costume for the majority of people these days.

 

[Joe Riley]

Of course if one is still able to dress themself....anything goes I guess!

 

[Cody Fousnaugh]

This is the second time we've had a forum member, from a different forum, sort of tease us about wearing western attire as much as we do.

Heck, when we lived in Loveland, CO, I invited a next-door neighbor into our apartment to see our wall decor of Old West and rodeo pictures (us with World Champions) and she told me "You are living in the wrong area". Well, with a Jax Farm & Ranch Supply Store right down the street from us, we didn't think so. However, we were the only apartment residents that would sometimes wear western attire someplace. Seems as if people think that anyone that wears western attire, even only on occasion, shouldn't be living inside a city and definitely not decorate their home like a Guest Ranch. Even when we would go to local Country-Western nightclub/restaurant in Loveland, we were the only ones that looked like we just came from a rodeo or some type of western equestrian event.

Of course, we both remember years ago, back in the 90's and early 2000's, lots of women, and of course men, would wear western attire, including a cowboy hat, to Country-Western nightclubs where we lived in So. California. We still see ladies wearing western attire, including a cowboy hat, at rodeos, but not nearly as many. IOW, boy have times really changed! Even today, we get stunned when we see the wife of a rodeo world champion dressed in "big-city" clothes. But, like the one-word old saying goes, "whatever".

My wife, Nancy, was wearing a Black Felt cowboy hat and Roper Jeans, before I met her. She was the only one in her family that would wear full western attire sometimes. She was extremely happy that I even liked her wearing a baseball cap sometimes. Her "ex-husband", didn't like her wearing a baseball cap. He wanted her to look "big-city", like he was.

So, just why do I, more than my wife, get so "going" about what we wear and how we decorate our home? We have to live in a "city" environment and close to medical services. We don't want to drive miles and miles to go grocery shopping or whatever. IOW, we can't afford to buy another house, let alone live outside a city in the country.

 

[Joe Riley]

I guess if we went to a Long John's Silvers, in town dressed as pirates we would stand out . Arrrrgh!

 

[Mary Stetler]

I would think that city attire could be classified as a costume for the majority of people these days.

You know? That is funny, not ha ha. I was very surprised one day to see a man shopping in our grocery store in a very nice dress suit. When I lived in New York people wore them daily to work.

 

[Mike30]

Hello @Cody Fousnaugh
I just joined this forum, and I can tell you I have enjoyed this thread

I am not a professional cowboy, but as a kid, I have many stories riding cows, horses, goats, pigs and what not. (I was a little cowboy then. lol...)

After many years working on the city, I was lucky enough to move to a piece of land and have my animals.. I am as happy as when I was a kid

Nice to meet you!

 

[Yvonne Smith]

Hello @Cody Fousnaugh
I just joined this forum, and I can tell you I have enjoyed this thread

I am not a professional cowboy, but as a kid, I have many stories raiding cows, horses, goats, pigs and what not. (I was a little cowboy then. lol...)

After many years working on the city, I was lucky enough to move to a piece of land and have my animals.. I am as happy as when I was a kid

Nice to meet you!

Welcome to the DHQ forum, @Mike30 ! It is great to have you here, and we have quite a few people here who also love animals, and farm or country style life.

 

[Mary Stetler]

Hello @Cody Fousnaugh
I just joined this forum, and I can tell you I have enjoyed this thread

I am not a professional cowboy, but as a kid, I have many stories riding cows, horses, goats, pigs and what not. (I was a little cowboy then. lol...)

After many years working on the city, I was lucky enough to move to a piece of land and have my animals.. I am as happy as when I was a kid

Nice to meet you!

Hey there Mike30! Cody was a real rodeo cowboy. Yvonne and I were cowgirl wannabe's. Horses and animals for pets etc. My last cow thought it was a labrador retriever and would 'cut' us into a corner to make us scratch her all over. She scared people who didn't know her. I've leased out my last horse to someone younger than I so he can keep trail riding. I too have my own little farm. Glad you could join us.

 

[Mike30]

Hey there Mike30! Cody was a real rodeo cowboy. Yvonne and I were cowgirl wannabe's. Horses and animals for pets etc. My last cow thought it was a labrador retriever and would 'cut' us into a corner to make us scratch her all over. She scared people who didn't know her. I've leased out my last horse to someone younger than I so he can keep trail riding. I too have my own little farm. Glad you could join us.

You are welcome to check my farm here https://ferranosfarm.com
And a new Farmer's Marketplace(USA only) I am trying to build here: https://eggsnearby.com

 

[Mary Stetler]

You are welcome to check my farm here https://feorranosfarm.com
And a new Farmer's Marketplace(USA only) I am trying to build here: https://eggsnearby.com

I don't do facebook. But that eggsnearby is a great idea. My garden did poorly this year. I went down to my neighbor to drop off some egg cartons (my chickens are free range and have decided to lay outside. )He has a small veggie sale shed. I loaded up there and saw a poster for a nearby farm that will be selling pasture raised beef. That is the third I know of. Now I don't have to make my own beef. and don't have to have a totally empty freezer to accomodate one.

 

[Marie Mallory]

Hello @Cody Fousnaugh
I just joined this forum, and I can tell you I have enjoyed this thread

I am not a professional cowboy, but as a kid, I have many stories riding cows, horses, goats, pigs and what not. (I was a little cowboy then. lol...)

After many years working on the city, I was lucky enough to move to a piece of land and have my animals.. I am as happy as when I was a kid

Nice to meet you!

Me too , I always wanted to get back to the woods when kids were young, never could afford it, now hubby and I are back in the woods with our dogs, chickens and gardens.