Welcome to the “Ranch Edition” of the Dude-Halloo! At the Dude Ranch Foundation, we deeply appreciate the diverse audiences who support the dude ranching industry, including ranchers, industry partners, and the general public. In this special “Ranch Edition, we address ranchers and industry partners directly, focusing on the issues that matter most to you as valued DRA members. We also highlight the numerous benefits that come with your support of the Foundation, tailored specifically for you, the dedicated and passionate Dude Rancher. Enjoy this edition!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
With 2023 almost in the books, the DRF would like to thank all of you for your support over the past year. We realize how blessed we are to be the non-profit arm of the Dude Ranchers Association. We are all very proud of working together to preserve this great industry and hold its place in history as one of the driving forces in shaping the West. We hope you have an amazing Christmas filled with family, friends, blessings beyond measure, and lots of Cheer!
Don’t Miss the deadline for the Durango Boots
National Day of the Cowgirl Scholarship
Apply HERE. Applications must be submitted by 12/31/2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Awards are for $10,000 – 15,000 annually, based upon first-year collegiate status, and are renewable for up to three years of undergraduate study.
The National Day of the Cowgirl Scholarship is executed through the Dude Ranch Foundation. The Mission and Purpose of the Dude Ranch Foundation is to preserve the history and expand the knowledge of America’s dude ranching industry through the Foundation’s Heritage Museum, research archives, educational programs, conservation, and workforce development.
Reminder
Reminder – Dude Ranch Foundation Scholarship Applications are due March 15, 2024.
Horse Safety
The Horse Safety Committee is working on updating the manual for a tenth printing. Can you believe that? As you all know, this program was created in 2003 to establish and educate Dude Ranch owners/operators and other trail riding programs about safety and risk management practices related to Horse Safety and First Aid for the Trail. No group has more expertise in guided trail riding than DRA ranches. On an average day, you all place up to 4,700 riders in the saddle, logging an average of one million hours of riding per season.
The Horse Safety Survey proves that the program is working, as DRA members have a rate of injury much less than half of 1 percent of the number of all guests reported at 0.12%. Also, during this 20-year period virtually all member ranches have seen the number of injuries requiring medical attention drop significantly.
We want to thank all of you who have supported this program over the years, as it would not be as successful without each of you!
Remember to book your wrangler training for the 2024 season. Call Colleen at 307-250-1981.
Rider’s Watch: Safeguarding the Ranch
Welcome to our new column! The Horse Safety Committee has added a new column to the “Ranch Edition” of the Dude-Halloo titled “Rider’s Watch: Safeguarding the Ranch.” This new addition to the Dude-Halloo will feature the things to consider when reviewing your current horse program. We know that not all areas will apply to your specific programs, but we hope these practices will serve as a tool and a resource.
Site Consideration:
- Fences should be well maintained. Rails or wire should be secure. Do your gates open and close correctly for your riders? All riders should pass through the gate at a walk.
- 1) Hitching rails should be secure. Can they handle a horse pulling back? Are they situated so observers are clear of conflicts? Are they spacious enough for your activities? 2) Grooming, tacking, mounting, and dismounting areas should be free of debris such as coats, hats, buckets, and mounting blocks.
- There should be a designated area for mounting and dismounting. This area should never be congested.
- Stalls should be kept neat, clean, and safe for the horse.
- Rules, regulations, restrictions, and laws should be clearly posted.
- Arenas should be of the appropriate size for the activities being offered. They should be in good repair.
- Spectator viewing areas should be designated.
- Are mounting blocks/platforms at every site where people are mounting and dismounting? Or is there a mounting/dismounting plan in place for those requiring aid?
Dude or Die
On Sale Now!
The Dudes Are Back at the H Double Bar Ranch and Author Lynn Downey is again donating $2 from every book sold to the Dude Ranch Foundation!
You can order from Lynn directly: writerlynndowney@gmail.com. Tell her how many books you would like to purchase and your shipping address. Lynn will send an invoice and accept checks, PayPal, or Venmo.
Lynn is offering the wholesale price of $15 to be resold at Ranch Gift Shops. The Retail price is $21.95. She will pay for shipping. Dude or Die is the second book in her H Double Bar dude ranch series. The first book, Dudes Rush In, came out in 2020. If people buy the two books together, she’ll bring the price down to $12 per book, and she will still pay for shipping.
Thank you, Lynn!
Annette Chaudet
Pronghorn Press
307-765-2979
publisher@pronghornpress.org
The Dudes Are Back at the H Double Bar Ranch
Pronghorn Press is pleased to announce the publication of Dude or Die, the next installment of Lynn Downey’s award-winning H Double Bar dude ranch series of novels.
Phoebe Kelley returns to the H Double Bar dude ranch in the fall of 1954 to help her family deal with competition from a fancy new guest ranch in town. A series of accidents, and a trick rider with a mysterious past, bring both trouble and intrigue, and Phoebe’s courage is tested once again.
- Alan Day, author of The Horse Lover and co-host of the Cowboy Up! podcast says, “I believe the correct term for Dude or Die is ‘page-turner.’”
Lynn Downey is a historian, novelist, and short story writer, whose works have won prizes from the Will Rogers Medallion Award, Women Writing the West, the New Mexico-Arizona book awards, and History Through Fiction.
For more information:
Lynn Wiese Sneyd, LWS Literary Services
lynn@lwsliteraryservices.com
(520) 247-1064
Lynn Downey
writerlynndowney@gmail.com
707-732-1778
A New Social Page
The Dude Ranch Foundation premiered its LinkedIn page in late September.
View the page HERE.
Please accept our invitation to connect. With regular communications, we look forward to sharing the strategic work of the Foundation, insights we gain from our partners, and finding new opportunities to collaborate with you. The Dude Ranch Foundation LinkedIn page will be a place to connect with the Dude Ranch Foundation scholars who, during the last three decades, have advanced our industry.
We look forward to connecting with you and learning more about your activities and business.
Please Give through Bing
There are many ways to support the Dude Ranch Foundation. And Giving with Bing is one way to support that rewards everyone! Find great search results and help create great results for the Dude Ranch Foundation!
Give with Bing is a feature of Microsoft Rewards that enables you to support a cause you care about simply by searching on Bing. It starts by signing up for Microsoft Rewards, their loyalty program. After joining, points earned for Bing searches will be automatically donated to your selected cause.
Once you register at Give.bing.com, your search activity on Bing, at no expense to you, provides funding for the Dude Ranch Foundation.
Give with Bing is currently available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Alliance Partners
Thank you to the Alliance Partners that support the Dude Ranch Foundation mission.
