OklahomaHorses Magazine July 2023

4 OklahomaHorses • July / August 2023 O utstanding people and outstanding horses — they make Oklahoma special. And we are happy to focus on some of them in this issue of Oklahoma Horses. Among the most outstanding are two enormously popular cowboy entertainers of the twentieth century whose names are still well known — Will Rogers and Gene Autry. Editor Rowena Mills writes about Rogers’ birthplace, Dog Iron Ranch, which changed hands this summer and is now owned by the Cherokee Nation. And Carol Mowdy Bond reminds us how Gene Autry sang his way into people’s hearts. Read closely for the interesting connection between Rogers and Autry. In a moving tribute to the horse Rudy, who died recently, Casie Bazay describes his courage and good spirits in recovering from horrendous injuries — and the patience, skill, and hard work of the people who nursed him back to health at Blaze’s Tribute Equine Rescue. Find out about the ASPCA Equine Transition and Adoption Center in El Reno, which pinpoints better situations for horses, mules, and donkeys that need new homes, avoiding possible tragic outcomes. Did you know Checotah is the Steer Wrestling Capital of the World? Read about the people and horses who gave it that title. And marvel at the diversity and energy of the Oklahoma horse world. Happy summer! Marilyn, with Fred and LeeRoy Volume 6, Number 4 PUBLISHER Marilyn King 918.520.0611 mking@oklahomahorsesmagazine.com EDITOR Rowena Mills 918.274.9251 hrmills444@yahoo.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Amanda Bullock WEB MANAGER/AD SALES Steve Kirkpatrick 918.230.2493 steve@oklahomahorsesmagazine.com ADVERTISING SALES Marilyn King 918.520.0611 mking@oklahomahorsesmagazine.com Steve Kirkpatrick 918.230.2493 steve@oklahomahorsesmagazine.com Rosalie Childs 918.630.5775 rfchilds@me.com Leigh Ann Matthews 918.869.8873 leighann.okhorsesmag@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Casie Bazay Carol Mowdy Bond Lindsay Humphrey Leigh Ann Matthews Rowena Mills www.oklahomahorsesmagazine.com P.O. Box 14128 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74159-1128 ©2023 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written consent of the publisher. FROM THE PUBLISHER Fred LeeRoy On the Cover Beretta, a 21-year-old Pinto mare, owned and bred by Lisa Jewell.