By Lengefeld                                           H.R. No. 293
         76R6607 GMW-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, Erath County, often called the "Cowboy Capitol of
 1-2     the World," is home to many of the world's best professional and
 1-3     amateur cowboys, and this unique area and its storied cowboy
 1-4     heritage are indeed worthy of special recognition; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, Erath County can claim as its own seven finalists of
 1-6     the 1998 National Finals Rodeo (NFR) and numerous top Professional
 1-7     Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) competitors, including seven-time
 1-8     all-around cowboy Ty Murray, two-time calf roping world champion
 1-9     Cody Ohl, NFR saddle bronc rider Tom Reeves, NFR calf roper Trent
1-10     Walls, NFR team roper Martin Lucero, PRCA saddle bronc rider Jerry
1-11     Pollack, and retired world champion calf roper Jerry Jetton; and
1-12           WHEREAS, Other local cowboys include Professional Bull Riders
1-13     (PBR) founder Tuff Hedeman, a three-time world bull riding
1-14     champion, as well as PBR and PRCA riders Gilbert and Adam Carrillo,
1-15     and PBR rider Troy Dunn; all of these cowboys and a host of others
1-16     too numerous to mention proudly make up the distinguished cowboy
1-17     population of Erath County; and
1-18           WHEREAS, In addition to being home to stock contractor and
1-19     rodeo event producer Terry Walls, the county also has a number of
1-20     talented female competitors, including 10-time world barrel racing
1-21     champion Charmayne James, NFR competitor and former Tarleton State
1-22     University rodeo team member Cheyenne Wimberly, NFR champion team
1-23     roper Angie Yates, and J. J.  Hampton, winner of 12 world and five
1-24     all-around titles; and
 2-1           WHEREAS, The county seat of Stephenville is synonymous with
 2-2     professional cowboys, rodeo, and cowboy lore and proudly boasts the
 2-3     historic Cowboy Walk of Fame, which features George and Beulah
 2-4     Brown, Ava and Everett Colborn, Hay Floyd, Sherwood Foster, G. K.
 2-5     and Nita Lewallen, Jim Sharp, Harry Tompkins, and Hobie and Paula
 2-6     Wood; and
 2-7           WHEREAS, Stephenville is the location of Tarleton State
 2-8     University, whose rodeo team members routinely compete at the
 2-9     National College Finals Rodeo and often go on to professional rodeo
2-10     careers; the city also holds the annual Pro-Youth Rodeo Finals, a
2-11     competition that includes hundreds of boys and girls from ages
2-12     3-19; and
2-13           WHEREAS, Another prominent city that is historically
2-14     significant in the evolution of the cowboy is Dublin, as it is the
2-15     legendary home of Everett Colborn's Rodeo Train, one of the first
2-16     and most successful rodeo livestock shipping operations in the
2-17     United States; Dublin held the first sanctioned cutting horse
2-18     contest in 1946 as well and is the current home of Frank Newsome,
2-19     one of the top-ranked professional rodeo clowns and wrangler bull
2-20     fighters; and
2-21           WHEREAS, Erath County has long been a mecca for many talented
2-22     and award-winning professional and amateur cowboys, and the
2-23     enduring legacy of this tradition-rich county merits widespread
2-24     recognition; now, therefore, be it
2-25           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
2-26     Legislature hereby honor the cowboy heritage of Erath County and
2-27     extend to its many professional and amateur cowboys sincere best
 3-1     wishes for continued success and happiness.