With open doors – and open arms – the crowd was welcomed to the Oakdale Cowboy Museum on Saturday, July 22 as the community observed National Day of the American Cowboy.
Outside, there were displays and exhibits, refreshments offered by the Mid Valley Cowbelles, work being done on a saddle restoration project, a dummy roping area, beverages by Seed 2 Cup Coffee, commemorative button making and more.
Oakdale resident and rodeo participant Harold Smith was providing the demonstration of saddle restoration, working on one in need of repair.
“I’m doing what I need to do to repair them and get them back as close as I can to their original condition,” he said of the saddles, many of which were won by local cowboys in championship events and are now displayed at the museum.
Centerpiece of the event was the viewing of several new plaques, placed around the iconic Yesterday Is Tomorrow sculpture, and the dedication of those plaques. Funds raised through purchase of the plaques – which can be recognize families or individuals for the participation in and/or support of the Cowboy way of life, help support Cowboy Museum programs and services. The plaques are diverse, ranging from Cahoots Corner Café to the William W. Dyer Family, Cook Ranch in Farmington to Pat Paul, and from Love Oakdale to one placed In Memory of Chuck Pennington, a longtime local rodeo legend.
Cowboy Museum Board of Directors President Dave Brown took the microphone to welcome the crowd and thank those that purchased the new plaques, along with encouraging those attending to tour the museum and learn more about the city’s Western heritage.
“That’s something that Oakdale has always prided itself on,” Brown said of the city’s rodeo and ranching history. “We feel like it’s our obligation, from the Cowboy Museum, to keep that tradition going.”
Brown also highlighted the assistance from the Cowbelles group, which he said is “always there” when the Cowboy Museum is in need of an organization to help out at events in any way.
Several other board members were in attendance for the festivities as well. Debra Santillanes serves as vice president, Angie Gutierrez as secretary, Karen D. Serpa is the treasurer. Other board members include Ryan Cope, Liz Mount, Bill Sanguinetti, Misty Thurman Gookin and Karen Serpa.
Staff members at the museum are Manager Bambi Porter an assistant Lea Cypert.
Also taking a turn on the microphone was Alan Allen of Seed 2 Cup Coffee, who unveiled a special blend his company is crafting especially for the museum.
“I had a crazy idea and I talked Bambi into getting me a half-hour in front of the board and the next thing I know, we decided to create as a collaboration, Oakdale’s first and only cowboy coffee,” he explained to the crowd. “Today we introduce to you the Cowboy Museum Bourbon Barrel Cowboy Coffee.”
All freshly roasted, it will be on sale at the museum with hopes of also being able to sell it online through the museum website in the future.
The festivities at the museum along F Street was only one event during the special day; there was also a Ranch Rodeo hosted at the Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo Grounds, in addition to a cookoff on site there as well.
