Building a bridge to the 19th century...
Carl “Sonny” Worrell, one of the top timed-event hands of his generation, died Jan. 28 at his home in Stonewall, Oklahoma He was 76. Worrell was the PRCA steer roping champion in 1978 and qualified for 14 National Finals during his career — five times making it to the National Finals Rodeo as a calf roper and nine times to the National Finals Steer Roping. He made it to both finals in the same year in 1960, 1961 and 1963.
He was honored with inductions into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days Hall of Fame, Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame in Dodge City and Ak-Sar-Ben Hall of Fame in Omaha.
His rodeo career began at the age of 11 when he finished third in the calf roping at a rodeo in Erie, Kansas, riding a horse he raised. He began his professional career while attending Oklahoma State University in 1955. It was there that he met the daughter of legendary steer roper Everett Shaw, Mary Sue Shaw of Stonewall, Oklahoma, and in 1957 the couple was married in Stillwater.
Worrell competed in calf roping and steer wrestling, and later in steer roping, and was the first Kansan to qualify for the National Finals, in 1960. Worrell won money 23 times in 28 appearances at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.
COWBOY CUISINE
Parmesan Pasta Salad
2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Pound thin spaghetti (break into pieces), 2 Tomatoes, 1 Small green pepper, chopped, 1 Onion, chopped, Chopped black olives, 1 Teaspoon oregano, 1 Teaspoon salt, 1 Teaspoon pepper, 1 Large bottle Seven Seas® Creamy Parmesan Dressing, 1/4 Cup parmesan cheese. Cook spaghetti (add olive oil to water while cooking) run under cool water to cool. Chop tomatoes, green pepper and onion. Mix with spaghetti. Add dressing and cheese. Add oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Put in refrigerator to chill. If it becomes dry, add more dressing. Quick to prepare. Good as a side dish, or by itself.
Jo-Ann Anderson
Texas White Horse Ranch
Troup, Texas
COYOTES OF THE WEEK
A New York mom says her 7-year-old was interrogated for 10 hours by police in December. The 7-year-old interrogated was falsely accused of stealing $5 from a student at school. The parents are suing the city and NYPD. Gotta get the scum off the streets.
According to the research, published Jan. 29 in the journal Nature Communications, cats kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds and between 6.9 billion and 20.7 billion small mammals, such as meadow voles and chipmunks each year. New Zealand is thinking of banning cats. Kitty, kitty?
An Indiana couple says they were just trying to nurse an injured deer back to health when they took the little animal in, but now they’re facing criminal charges. Connersville, Ind., police officer Jeff Counceller rescued the little deer, but last year, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources found that the couple should be prosecuted for the illegal possession of a white-tailed deer, according to The Indianapolis Star. State officials were going to have the deer euthanized because she had reportedly been around humans too long, but the deer escaped the day it was going to happen when a gate was left open. Ooops!
SAYIN’S
“One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.” — Rita Mae Brown.
Send us a sayin’ or quote and if we use it, we’ll both be surprised.
COWBOYS & RANCHER ADVISORY PANEL
The city of Dallas, Texas passed an ordinance stating that if a driver is pulled over by law enforcement and is not able to provide proof of insurance, the car is towed. To retrieve the car after being impounded, they must show proof of insurance to have the car released. This has made it easy for the city of Dallas to remove uninsured cars. Shortly after the “No Insurance” ordinance was passed, Dallas impound lots began to fill up and were full after only nine days. Over 80 percent of the impounded cars were driven by illegals. Now, not only must they provide proof of insurance to have their car released, they have to pay for the cost of the tow, a $350 fine and $20 for every day their car is kept in the lot.
Accident rates have gone down 47 percent and Dallas’ solution gets uninsured drivers off the road without making them show proof of nationality. I’m tearing up.
WHERE TO BUNCH UP
Springville Sierra Rodeo April 26-28.
