The fading sunlight of another hot day brightens the outline of a horse and rider at the "National Day of The American Cowboy" show held Saturday in Alexandria. (Anniston Star photo by Bill Wilson)
In honor of the sixth annual observance of the holiday, local residents and visitors from as far as Texas came to experience a night full of historical re-enactments and bucking broncos.
“A lot of people don’t really know what the cowboy actually did and this explains it,” said Ragan Curvin of Ohatchee. “We’re not the ones putting it on, God’s really the one putting it on, we’re just using this as a tool to give to the people.”
Curvin was one of the main characters in “Ace of Eights,” a dramatic re-enactment of the last hand of cards played by Old West lawman Wild Bill Hickock, and an extra in “Up the Chisolm Trail” and “Shoot-out at the OK Corral.” He said he believes about 20 percent of Alabama’s population is tune with the cowboy culture and that the show’s purpose was to reach that percentage.
“I’m just here to help,” said Byron Preston. “I go to church here and I just really like the vision that they have here about trying to reach the whole culture of the cowboy.”
The show was co-sponsored by Big Valley Arena Ministries, a church held every Sunday at the arena, and the church’s performing drama group. After listening to a woman from Texas sing the National Anthem, audience members cheered and watched in amazement as performers held on for dear life at a show called “The Bronco Buster” and witnessed several re-enactments including “Aces and Eights,” a story of Hickok and the last hand he ever played.
“This is actually my first time performing in front of all these people,” said Eric Langston, the church’s youth pastor. “We have a drama at church every Sunday but this is going to be an actual performance and this is the first time, and I’m just hopeful that it’s going to go good.”
And go good it did. With a $5 admission fee, the show had a good turnout as families, and cowboys old and young, celebrated the American icon in style with music and fellowship.
