By NANCY DALE
OKEECHOBEE, FL — Thanks to a proclamation by Senator Craig Thomas of Wyoming and support from President George W. Bush, the fourth Saturday in July was once again proclaimed National Day of the American Cowboy.

In Okeechobee, sponsored by Downtown Mainstreet, the town paid homage to a living heritage of pioneer ‘cow hunters’ in the 1800’s who hunkered down in covered wagons with their families and traveled hundreds of miles with their cattle to carve a new life on the Florida prairies around Lake Okeechobee which gave birth to the cattle industry.

Re-enacting those days on July 26th with a kick-off cattle drive led by Sheriff Paul Mays’ Mounted Posse and headed by Trail Boss Haynes Williams, Okeechobee rancher for 80 years, a parade of horses, wagons and ranchers weaved their way over three miles to the Agriculture Center where the ranch rodeo took place. Trail riders included Richard Bowers, President of the Florida Seminole Tribe, Mitchell Cypress, Chairman, and Moses Jumper.

Bo Hobby, President of the Florida Cattleman’s Association, Okeechobee Livestock Market owner, Pete Clemons and Democratic Congressman Tim Mahoney also led the way, followed by the old 1800’s chuck wagon, buckboards, high school rodeo riders, and youth associations from Glades/Hendry/Okeechobee counties.

Surrounding the arena, visitors from as far away as the east and west coast, had the chance to experience the ranching culture through a variety of exhibits. There were whip cracking demonstrations, Florida ranch-style furnishings from Okeechobee’s Western Living Décor, as well as other hand-made local items to purchase from a variety of talented craftsmen. Cowboy artists and authors were also on hand to talk to visitors about their range of historical knowledge celebrating 200 years of Florida pioneer heritage demonstrated in their works.

For those who have never had the unique ‘up-close-and-personal’ chance to visit with a family of American Brahman cattle, Nathan Candler brought his gentle giants raised in Okeechobee for those who ‘dared’ to reach into the wire corral. However, sweet momma ‘Knucklehead’ and big daddy ‘Slug’ with their young whippersnapper, an unnamed calf, welcomed the public’s affection and the ‘oohing and ahhing’ of big and little kids alike.

Tantalizing the taste buds were chuckwagons of barbecue, ice cream, and down-home cooking to enjoy, settled beside the real 1800s chuckwagon cowboy kitchen driven in the parade by Nick Russo of Loxahatchee. The chuckwagon, a very important part of the long cattle drives across Lake Okeechobee in the 1800s, was the staple for the tired and hungry trail riders at the end of a long day. Well-known chuckwagon cooks like Wash Morgan sent their aromatic message with the clanging ring of the dinner bell to hail “chow time” and bring everyone to the campfire. The chuckwagon cook was a welcome homecoming on the range that filled the tired cow hunters with home-made vittles on their drive to Punta Rassa on the west coast for shipment of cows to Cuba and to Fort Pierce, on the east coast, for shipping of cattle to the breadbasket of America. The old chuckwagons carried salted, cured meat, dried goods and other original delicacies derived from make-shift recipes. The chuckwagon, according to Dennis DeVeau of Davie, was a post civil war invention by Charles Goodnight, a Texas Cattlemen, who obtained surplus army wagons, stripped down to running gears that were transformed into kitchen and storage compartments for travel on the range.

The National Day of the American Cowboy is a special recognition, set apart from the fast lane of urbanization, to remember the old ways and ranching practices that established traditions still used today by cowmen and -women in Florida. This is a cherished part of local history that will never return but will never be forgotten.