COUNTY LIFE
Kids from ‘Down Under’ ready to rodeo Texas-style
By BARBARA GREEN
They may be 9,000 miles apart, but when it comes to kids and rodeo, it’s one big family.
Two Australian families spent the last week in Bowie receiving assistance with horses for their children to compete in a junior youth rodeo in South Texas.
A team of 22 youth from the Australia Junior Rodeo Association were invited to compete at a Texas Youth Rodeo Association final in Gonzales this week. The children are ages 10-12.
After being selected for the team, the riders had the choice to work with the group in obtaining horses for the event or they could out-source the horses.
Jackie Priestley is mom to 11-year-old Olivia, traveling with father, Ben, and brother Jack. Louisa Hutton is mom to Thomas, age 12, with his dad, Terry.
The Priestleys live at Black Hill and the Huttons in Maitland, both in New South Wales, just north of Sydney, Australia.
They decided to out-source horses, which led them to Montague County. Priestley explains she has an “Aussie” friend, Rodney Lidgard, who lives at Nocona, so she called him to see if he could help them out.
“I rang him up,” said Priestley, “and said we need to get some good horses. He put us on to Charmie Sanders and Cindy Hedeman, and they have been terrific.”
Read the full feature in your weekend News.
Olivia Priestley Halliday runs the barrels. (Photo by Barbara Green)
Thomas Hutton learns goat-tying. (Photo by Barbara Green)
These new flag poles were installed at the military markers located near the Bowie Senior Citizens Center in Pelham Park. They were purchased by the Bowie Parks Board. (Photo by Barbara Green)
Hey kids, it’s time to get your letters ready for Santa Claus!
The Bowie News invites families to submit their letters to Santa for publication in the Dec. 21 edition. Forms are available on our Facebook page and at bowienewsonline.com.
Print out a form and drop it off in Santa’s mailbox at the News office, 200 Walnut Street or in one of the school Santa boxes across the county.
Deadline to send in a letter is Dec. 4. While this may seem early there are hundreds of letters to type and then they have to ship off to the North Pole for the Big Guy to read.
A new mayor and two returning aldermen took the oath of office on Nov. 13 for the Saint Jo City Council.
The three races were uncontested during the recent election. Kelly Williamson will take over as mayor, as Colton Thomas and Melissa McPherson continue in their places. Thomas was elected to be mayor pro tem.
Aldermen took care of numerous organizational tasks related to its economic development boards and the council. Former Mayor Shawn Anderson and Hennessey were removed from city-related accounts, with the new mayor and mayor pro tem and McPherson were added to the city accounts.
Read the full story in your weekend Bowie News.
Pictured: New officers took the oath this week: Councilors Colton Thomas and Melissa McPherson, new Mayor Kelly Williamson and outgoing mayor Shawn Armstrong. (Courtesy photo)
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