CARIBOO COWBOY

I grew up in Hazelton, B.C. dreaming of the Williams Lake Stampede. I used to work for a man by the name of Al Benson. Mr. Benson had thoroughbred racehorses, and it was my job to exercise and train them on our homemade track in Two Mile, two miles up the road from Hazelton. I started riding when the snow left the ground in April, and our first big event was the Williams Lake Stampede, held on the July 1st weekend each year. I loved the parade with Cowboys and Cariboo Indians in their finest costumes. The Indians always set up their teepees on the hill above the rodeo grounds, and it was a beautiful sight to see. I rode my first steer in that stampede.

As the years went by, I dreamed of owning my own horses and a ranch. Today I live that dream of so many years ago. I make many trips to Vancouver, Vancouver Island, and my gallery there, enjoying the memories as I drive through the Cariboo. One of my children is named William, so everyone thinks of Williams Lake as his.

On my trips through the Cariboo, I stop at friends' place, the Machams, just south of Quesnel, for a visit and rest, and have enjoyed dinner and many a story. They raise red Angus cows, and their Ranch is called Stella Red Angus Ranch. They have a beautiful photo of cowboys working cattle in the cool of a summer evening, and it has inspired me to create an image that evokes many a memory.

So I'm thankful to the Machams for their warm home, hospitality, and the inspiration behind Cariboo Cowboy.