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04/11/2003 Archived Entry: "The Horses are Here!"

THE HORSES ARE HERE!

It has been a long wait, but the horses are here. The Spring Gather is one of my favorite weekends of the year, the other being the Fall Roundup. The idea was conceived by Linda Kohls and Jim Gray, co-owners of Drovers Mercantile and organizers of the C.O.W.B.O.Y. Society. The Chuckwagon cookoff and Ranch Rodeo were the brain child of Dennis Katzenmeier. I hope I have that right.

I like the atmosphere the re-enactors give to the town, making it reminiscent of our early settlement days. The nostalgia brought on with thoughts that my paternal ancestors were here in the 1870s is created with the sights and sounds at the Cow Camp. I can even reflect on the early times I visited my grandmother here in the early 30s and her house that was…and still is…right by the river bridge. It is a weekend of remembering for me.

Along with it, there are many activities to witness today and tomorrow…and a couple on Sunday. I think I’ll drop in the grade school where a few of the re-enactors are appearing before the students in an assembly. This was made possible through the efforts of Greg Heller of Kinsley and Linda Kohls, and of course Mike Browne, the principal. This should be a good learning experience for the students. This weekend is a good opportunity for everyone to get up to speed on our early frontier history.

We have some friends from Great Bend and Sterling coming for the Cowgirl Auction and Ranch Rodeo tonight and several more coming tomorrow for the all-day events. We need a lot of warm bodies lining the streets so the possibility of having the all-horse parade next year can become a reality. The support of the town’s people really needs to be in evidence. The sidewalk sale is a great addition and I understand it was Garnell Hanson’s idea. She took the idea and ran with it. I had a couple people from Russell tell me yesterday that was the clincher for them to come to Ellsworth tomorrow. We need to provide something for everyone, it seems

The last I heard, the parade tomorrow will originate south of the bridge, proceed north to North Main, west to Kansas Avenue, north to 8th Street, east past the Kwik Shop and south on Douglas. There was talk of going north to 9th street but going up and down the hill doesn’t seem a good idea to me with those horses and heavy wagons. Yeah, I know…that’s the way they crossed the plains, but they are already here now and may not want to do that.

A lot of time and effort have gone into making this weekend available for us and our friends, for our fun and enjoyment…and an opportunity for businesses and service organizations to make some money. It is truly unique and one we should foster for that reason, if no other. There will be lots of Kodak moments, so take advantage of them and come join the fun.