By Laney                                              H.R. No. 1122

         75R14897 BNL-D                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, The people of Motley County will join in paying

 1-2     tribute to one of their most prominent favorite sons during Shannon

 1-3     Davidson Pony Express Days, which will be held in June 1997; and

 1-4           WHEREAS, In addition to an arts and crafts festival, food

 1-5     concessions, music, and western dancing, this unique festival will

 1-6     also feature 25-mile and 60-mile endurance rides, as well as a

 1-7     quarter-mile ranch horse race, to memorialize Mr. Davidson's famed

 1-8     victory in the 2,000-mile Pony Express Race of 1939; and

 1-9           WHEREAS, Conceived as a publicity event for the small Texas

1-10     community in which it originated, the punishing race stretched from

1-11     Nocona, Texas, to San Francisco, California; Mr. Davidson, a

1-12     22-year-old cowboy from Flomot, pushed himself to ride 13 or more

1-13     hours a day through the deserts and plains of Texas, New Mexico,

1-14     Arizona, and California, all for the promise of $750 in freshly

1-15     minted silver dollars and a Hollywood screen test; and

1-16           WHEREAS, On March 24, 1939, 23 days after the starting shot

1-17     was fired, Mr. Davidson and his two faithful cow ponies, Rocket and

1-18     Ranger, crossed the finish line in Oakland, California, and later

1-19     that day, they received a hero's welcome at the San Francisco

1-20     World's Fair; and

1-21           WHEREAS, True to their word, the sponsors of the race

1-22     arranged for a screen test, and Mr. Davidson went on to work for

1-23     Republic Studios for the next three years, playing small roles in

1-24     several western movies, including Gene Autry's Colorado Sunset; and

 2-1           WHEREAS, In the course of winning the 1939 Pony Express Race,

 2-2     Shannon Davidson exemplified the courage, fortitude, determination,

 2-3     and honesty that Texans have always attributed to our most powerful

 2-4     mythic hero: the cowboy; this esteemed Texan's spirit lives on

 2-5     today in the hearts of all who hold these values dear, and the

 2-6     Shannon Davidson Pony Express Days celebration is a fitting homage

 2-7     to his memory; now, therefore, be it

 2-8           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

 2-9     Legislature hereby recognize June 21, 1997, as Shannon Davidson

2-10     Pony Express Day and commend the Motley County Chamber of Commerce

2-11     for paying tribute to this notable Texan; and, be it further

2-12           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

2-13     prepared for the Motley County Chamber of Commerce as an expression

2-14     of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.