July 23, 2021 |
Tomorrow is National Day of the American Cowboy, declared so by resolution of the United States Senate. Started in 2005 by the late Wyoming Senator Craig Thomas, the National Day of the American Cowboy is timed to coincide with Cheyenne Frontier Days. The “Daddy of ‘em All” gets underway, featuring the unveiling of a bronze statue honoring the legendary Chris LeDoux.
While still in high school, LeDoux won the Wyoming State Rodeo Championship bareback riding title twice. In the bi-centennial year of 1976, LeDoux won the world bareback riding championship at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. He retired from rodeo in 1980 but his time on the circuit and the buckles he won along the way gave his songs legitimate cowboy grit.
This is life after the rodeo, and Chris LeDoux did a lot more living, reaching peak fame in the late 1990s. He died in 2005 at age 56 after a long illness. The night show tonight features a tribute to Chris LeDoux with performances by Garth Brooks and Chris’s son, Ned, who carries on the family tradition.
Pictured above: Crews prepare to install in Cheyenne a statue created by D. Michael Thomas of renowned cowboy and musician Chris LeDoux. Photo courtesy Visit Cheyenne/Facebook.
