Earlier this year I had lunch with Mike and Ken Bailey. Mike owns Mike Bailey motors in Henryetta, Oklahoma. Mike and most all of the Bailey family have been great calf ropers for many years. Ken Bailey was a reserve world champion team roper as well.
At some point during the meal Mike asked if I knew Phil Gardenhire. I told him I hauled hay for Phil and Kay when I was in high school. Phil also announced some of the bigger high school rodeos I went to, the Arkansas-Oklahoma border bash was one of them. Most summers I’d see Phil at three or four rodeos.
Mike told us a story about how he called into Procom and entered both of his sons in the calf roping and bull dogging at the Phil Gardenhire Memorial rodeo in Poteau one year. Mike said the boys probably wouldn’t have went if he hadn’t entered them and paid their fees.
As luck would have it Bart won the all around at the rodeo in Poteau. He also won a belt buckle that said Phil Gardenhire memorial rodeo. Mike told Bart he wanted that buckle because Phil was a good friend of his back when he rodeoed. Mike said he really liked Phil and that buckle is one of his most prized possessions from all the years he’s rodeoed.
This week I’ve seen banners around Poteau advertising the rodeo. Several local businesses have donated to the rodeo so it will have added money, which attracts more of the top tiered contestants.
The rodeo starts at 8:00 each evening. They’ve got good food in the concessions and plenty of seating. I hope to see you there.
James Lockhart lives near the Kiamichi mountains in southeast Oklahoma. He writes cowboy stories and fools with cows and horses.