Saturday, July 27, 2024 was the 20th Annual National Day of the Cowboy. The community of Oakdale, known as the Cowboy Capital of the World, celebrated this day with two distinct events.
First, the Oakdale Morning Market marked the occasion by having the Northern California Junior Rodeo Association (NCJRA) as their featured non-profit. The market set up photo arches to depict a western scene and encouraged all to wear western attire if you were visiting the market. NCJRA is a local organization that promotes junior rodeo across Northern California. Contestants range from six to 18 years of age and compete in a variety of rodeo events over the summer on seven separate weekends. Oakdale is the host for three qualifying events as well as the finals in September.
The NCJRA set up a booth encouraging support as well as having contestants show off their dummy roping skills. Marketgoers were encouraged to participate in a dummy roping contest with prizes awarded to the winners. The market also set up a kid zone to allow kids to express their creativity with a variety of arts and crafts, dedicated to the cowboy theme.
“The morning market team believes special events are key in building community. Celebrating the National Day of the Cowboy felt like a natural opportunity to add to the market,” said Lisa Kjeldgaard, executive director of the Oakdale Morning Market. “We love our city and we love our cowboy heritage”
Also joining in for the day, the Oakdale Cowboy Museum is a non-profit organization in Oakdale that, according to their website “promotes and has been conserving the heritage of the American West, preserving California’s cultural history, and teaching the mutual evolutions of Agriculture and the American Cowboy since 1995.” The Cowboy Museum on East F Street had extra individuals and displays on hand to celebrate this event on Saturday. Pro Rodeo Bronc Rider Clayton Bigelow was there, signing autographs and talking to individuals. Bigelow grew up attending junior rodeos and now competes on the pro tour. He won the bronc riding event at the 2024 Oakdale PRCA, Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, rodeo this past year. Bigelow will have an exhibit in the near future at the Cowboy Museum including a number of photographs, and bareback rigging he is generously donating. Justin Stringfellow, an employee of the museum, noted that five new exhibits are now available for viewing. These include The Cowboy Fast Draw Association, Future Farmers of America, Cow Palace exhibition, Rodeo Queen and the aforementioned Clayton Bigelow exhibit.
