Page 102 - Erath

admire the grit of these guys. It is indeed a pleasure to watch these tough ole nails rope, ride and tie with just as much enthusiasm and desire to win as they ever had.

The "Senior" part of their group's name means just that. Men who are near sixty years old or older and by the time this page hits the streets I will be sixty-one, so in that respect, I ft right in. But as we all know because we have been told, we are just as young as we feel, right?

Jimmy Hill from Comanche started the association going on fve years ago and it is made up of ropers from Erath and area counties. Riders come from Waco, Clyde, Haskell, and other Texas towns with stories about their early days ranging from horse training to competing in rodeos from California to NewYour City. They range in age from around 59 to near 80. There are about 30 members and on a good day as many as 20 compete. Weather permitting, and as long as the creeks don't rise, they get together on a weekly basis at different area ranches. Is this a story about growing old? To me, this is a story about a group of guys who have decided to stay “forever young”.  ECL

ABOVE At 79 years old Kent Fillingham of De Leon makes it look easy. He started riding saddle broncs, bare backs, and bulls in Arizona in 1947 and went from there to New York City doing the rodeo circuit. He made Madison Square Garden seven times winning a saddle there. A card today for entry which goes for around $500 was $10 in 1947. Photos by Shanna Moody.

ABOVE A buckle at the end of the day. Photo by Shanna Moody. OPPOSITE PAGE (Clockwise from top) 1.Tim Layman (Haskell), 2.Bob Bailey (Ranger), 3. Doug Hammer (Stephenville), 4. Jim Evans (Stephenville), 5. James Woody (West), 6. Terry Davidson (Stephenville), 7. Mickey Nelson (Proctor), 8. Phil Fifer (Stephenville), 9. J W Wallace ( Haskell), 10. Jimmy Hill (Comanche), 11. Kent Fillingham (De Leon), 12. Rod Tate (Lipan), 13. Dean Bradley (Dublin), 14. Jim Green (West), 15. Fred Barrett (Clyde), 16. Ralph McCray (Abilene), 18. Will Parker (Bluffdale). Photo by Dave Polasek. Worn leather and rope, scratched up steel, a collection of pieces that bring back memories of other days. Photo by Diana Dueitt. Ready for the shoot. Mickey Nelson next rider. Photo by Diana Dueitt. Spurs, horseshoes, pads, leather, grit, horse and roper. Photo by Dave Polasek. The horse has a job to do just as the rider. When to go, when to cut, when to stop and take in slack. An art to behold. Phil Fifer of Stephenville has the hard part done but lady luck always has the last word. Throw the slack, dismount, fank, tie, still a lot to happen in the coming seconds. Photo by Dave Polasek.