The Kansas Cowboy Hall Of Fame is seeking nominations for folks who epitomize its cowboy ideals of honesty and self-sufficiency.
The hall of fame opened in 2002 at the Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City to recognize people who live the cowboy lifestyle and help preserve cowboy culture.
It takes nominations in five categories: rodeo cowboys, ranchers, cowboy historians, cowboy entertainers, and working cowboys.
Lara Brehm, the museum’s executive director, says the hall of fame needs particular help with that final category.
“You know we can find the entertainers, normally, or rodeo cowboys, but the working cowboy, the one that's just earned the paycheck,” said Brehm. “It’s hard for us to know who’s out there.”
The judges - former winners or cowboy aficionados spread across the state - seek hard workers with integrity and long careers. All nominees have to either be Kansas born or have lived in Kansas for a large chunk of their lives.
They’re taking nominations until Sept. 28th and will induct winners in November at the Boot Hill Casino.
“Our part of the country is kind of synonymous with cowboys,” said Brehm. “We see cowboys as someone who lives with integrity and honesty, and they’re self-sufficient… that just seems to be the cowboy code.”
Ben Kuebrich reports for High Plains Public Radio in Garden City and the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KMUW, Kansas Public Radio, KCUR and HPPR covering health, education and politics. Follow him on @Ben_Kuebrich.
Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to the original post.
