13th annual 'Echoes' draws about 500

"Fifteen dollars for the whole weekend? I can't believe it. I would have paid that just for Friday night!" an attendee from Florida said after hearing event co-founder Johnny Kendrick and his sons play and sing western and bluegrass music during the 13th annual Echoes of the Trail Cowboy Gathering Friday night at Fort Scott Community College.

According to event organizer Judy Howser, the crowd of around 500 fans laughed, cried, and generally was impressed with the original and traditional cowboy poems and songs perfoemed by 12 members of the Missouri Cowboy Poets Association on two stages Saturday. Master of Ceremonies Gary Wimmer said that he knew people really enjoyed the entertainment because he saw the same faces in the audience all day.

Fans would listen to three performers for an hour in the Round Room, then go to the second stage area to hear three others. In the halls between the two stage areas, fans perused fine deer-hide braiding, silver and turquoise jewelry, Indian beadwork, broomstick skirts, southwestern cross-stitched wall hangings, home decor, books, CDs, antiques, hand-tooled leather goods, and many tables of horseback-riding gear, saddles and more.

Judy Renard of Country Cupboard again displayed a large array of western books, home decor, and useful items from her shop. Renard has been with the event from the beginning according to Howser, and sold event tickets for the 13th year.

Howser said this year's silent auction was the best ever, with a bidding war on the hand-made silver Echoes of the Trail 2009 buckle donated by Rowdy Yates of Mound City. Another object of heated bidding was a tile serving tray donated by Steering Committee member Gary Wimmer.

Howser said she is grateful to Keith Proctor of Missouri for the fine cowboy boots, Julie McClellan of Main Street Gallery and Gifts in Fort Scott for the cowboy laser art and stepping stone, Pat Hartford of Fort Scott for two cowboy prints on canvas, Marlene Arndt of Fort Scott for the coffee table book and framed western print, Heidricks True Value for the utility knife, and Tractor Supply for three cowboy cookbooks. Also, she thanks Diann Tucker, Gary Wimmer, and event vendors for the many items they donated. This year's auction, in which 49 items were up for bids, brought in over $800 to help pay expenses.

Nearly filling the Academic Building Round Room Saturday afternoon, the audience enjoyed hearing three local students read their winning poems about the old west. Winners of the third annual contest are Fort Scott students: first place, Dakota Mashek of Linda Jackson's fifth grade class at Eugene Ware Elementary; second Place, Garrett Tatro of Stacia Weilert's fifth-grade at Winfield Scott Elementary; and third Place, Lacie Forquer, also in Ms. Weilert's class. These three winners received cash prizes.

For the first time this year, the judges decided to award Honorable Mention certificates to four students:

Aaron Eastood, Alexis Johnson, and Dakota McCullogh of Mrs. Ham's fifth grade at Pleasanton Elementary, and Thomas Nighswonger of Ms. Weilert's Winfield Scott class.

The winning entries described life in the old west. Mashek's poem was titled "Gold Dust," about the California Gold Rush. Tatro's poem described his perception of life for a guitar-playing cowboy on a horse. Forquer's entry described her version of a cowgirl's life on the trail. The Honorable Mention entries were based on the historical characters Billy the Kid, Annie Oakley, Belle Starr, and the Old West. The students used the Internet to research famous outlaws and other historic characters, then told their stories in rhyme. There were 106 entries this year, the most since the contest began, according to organizers.

Rules of the contest were that the poems must be original and new work of the student; have at least 12 lines; be a narrative story about a western theme, and they must rhyme. Although poems about Old West outlaws were permitted, the prize winners were creative stories of the Old West as perceived by the students.

Saturday evening, event co-founder Arnold Schofield asked for a moment of silence to honor Echoes of the Trail's first cowboy poetry contest winner Monica Hershey who died in an auto accident this year.

Also remembered was long-time Echoes of the Trail vendor of silver and turquoise, Native American Shirley Willis who passed away this year, and Indian flute player Duane "Two Feathers" Feighner who died Saturday morning, June 13th. Prayer also was offered for the family and friends of John Hybsha, cowboy humorist who passed on last April. Schofield told the families of these much-loved people that the Echoes steering committee extends its deepest sympathy, and shares their grief.

Sunday morning, attendees and organizers weren't sure whether Cowboy Church would be held indoors or outdoors after the thunderstorm Saturday night. Howser said God was with the event, however, and 65 people enjoyed singing old-time hymns with the cowboy musicians and eating a hearty brunch afterwards, while the smoke from the campfire wafted around them and chuck wagon cooks stirred up biscuits and gravy.