The Cowboys Rode Into Taber - March 26, 2011
Taber Country Music & Cowboy Poetry 14th Annual
Review by: Karen Ingram

Our 14th annual Cowboy Poetry in Taber was held on March 26th. We awoke to what was to be a fine day for us. I heard from some of those attending from a bit further away that the roads weren't perfect but they made it anyway. The attendance at this years event was fantastic and thanks has to go out to all those in that great audience.

Jill Stewart and David Woodruff performed at open mike then we moved right into the formal performances. Kathie Friesen, our local area lady from Vauxhall, kicked us off with her backup and Patsy Cline voice. Some of the children were spotted at the back of the room dancing up a storm while she was singing her heart out for us. A great start to the day. Next up was a local group listed as Terry Valgardson & friends, this foursome is a regular at the local Catholic Church and provided us with a bit of inspiration for the rest of the day. Bud Stewart finished off our first and second sets with his tales of summers eves, whiskey and bar room floors, Hunter Creek and gold mines and coats of scarlet red. The tale of the Yellow Dog Saloon, Poison Pete with his whiskers and long hair and the six gun match with the stranger that turned out to be Billy the Kid was one of my favorites.

Bud Edgar started off the second set and made us laugh with his rope tricks, harmonica, rubber chicken and plunger "violin". The name the tune "contest" was fun with some coming to mind immediately while others were a bit more challenging for our group. He truly showed us poultry (poetry) in motion. A must see show! Dusty Dee Litchfield was up next and treated us to some of his original works. He sang about his prairie home, pickup trucks and restaurants that he would gladly take over big city life and Cadillac's, sleeping under the stars with nothing but grass under you and a blanket on top. Faded Trails - The Ballad of Purple Springs is one of Taber's favorites, was performed as a poem this year because his finger was still sore from all the picking he did at Kamloops.

Muriel Erich and a couple of her friends from Hays was up next and I'm sorry to say that I was busy working right then and unable to catch their performance, but a friend I trust told me they were "absolutely excellent". Ken VanCleave came down from Lethbridge and performed in spite of having a touch of flu. He brought along a neighbour and his daughter (Lauren) as well as a couple of friends from out of town. They started off with Little Red Neck Girl and moved into Will the Circle Be Broken. Lauren harmonized with the guys then sang one on her own about a travelling soldier, could she be one of the next generation of Cowboy Poetry Stars? Wagon wheels, southbound trains and rock me finished their set off. Harold Webber, the dedicated man who always has to remind me to pay my association dues, was up next. I discovered that there is so much more to Harold than just the voice on the phone or the signature on the email, he kept us enthralled with stories of tears, memories and moon dust, sunsets, picket fences and green grass, waitresses, coffee cups and steam as well as good will store boots. We were honoured to have him add his brand to our stage décor.

Bj Smith, another name we're all familiar with, started of our 4th and 5th sets. His tales included such things as halter tops & emergency dismounts, his father's time piece from 1964 and a watch above his brim. Prairie giants that hold wheat, barley and flax, proudly displaying the names of the towns they are in, teams of horses being traded in as farms get bigger, flat bottoms and side bins were included in his poetry. We heard about problems that solve themselves, german shepherds, doggy heaven and fur hats and a cowboy GPS being recalculated. Trevor Panczak was up next and sang one of my personal all time favorites, "Ghost Riders in the Sky" as well as songs about love and heartbreak with a bit of Elvis thrown in for good measure and a bit of "naughty fun for some of our organizers". He does keep our hearts all a flutter. Headin' West, led by Alex Savage, who happened to be an important part of this year’s organizing committee, was up next. They took us on a trip around the world on the seven seas, good times and four strong winds.

Larry Krause, from Christopher Lake, Sask., followed Bj in the final set and sang of friends, dusty hats, faded jeans, measuring up and wishes that come true. Then did his version of a Corb Lund arrangement of a Wilf Carter song, "Happy Days Gone By". The one that touched me was his anniversary song about being married for 26 years, making do, spending years together with the vision of her, rainbows in the sky and white horses running across the prairies. Dutch Creek, Jim Peace and his pals, did a fantastic rendition of "Seven Spanish Angels" followed by a song written for a friend who was 95 years young and Sarah' rock, the story of a community, a rock and 20 bucks, respect, honesty, sweet equity and a place of quiet grace. The tale of a horse called cyclone and the first Calgary Stampede in 1912 ended the day for us. (Thought it might be of interest to know that Archie McLean from Taber was one of the first investors who got the Calgary Stamped going.)

Dean Oseen, our MC and Charles Valgardson, our PA man kept the schedule on time and the music flowing for the day.

Thank you to everyone involved in making this year a successful fundraising effort for the Taber Irrigation Impact Museum.

Karen Ingram - Manager
Taber Irrigation Impact Museum