OklahomaHorses Magazine May 2023

4 OklahomaHorses • May / June 2023 T he Oklahoma horse world has a past, present, and future. Let’s start with the future! In this issue of Oklahoma Horses, you can read about a fabulous new coliseum being built at the OKC Fairgrounds to continue Oklahoma City’s prominence in hosting horse events and other kinds of gatherings. And you can learn about young people who participate in horse judging competitions today so they can learn how to evaluate horses at future events. Young horsemen and horsewomen also have great opportunities to show their skills at venues such as the International Finals Youth Rodeo, set for Shawnee this July. Other types of skills are also needed in the universe of horses. Casie Bazay’s article on Genuine Billy Cook Saddles details how master saddlemakers keep tradition alive in a company that is celebrating its seventieth anniversary. Horses are a lifelong passion and commitment for many people. One example is versatile Lee Jean Stafford, who has competed in various types of rodeo events — and still is — and has branched out into other fields of interest. And people remember the legacy of famous rodeo riders and animals from the past. Did you know the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has a special location to honor those animals? Read Carol Mowdy Bond’s article about the animals who are buried and memorialized at the rodeo animal cemetery. We hope you enjoy the summer and have many opportunities to enjoy the horses, riders, and craftsmen who are part of the horse world. Marilyn, with Fred and LeeRoy Volume 6, Number 3 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 Kim Redo 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