Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation
Preserving and celebrating cowboy life in the Medicine Hat area.
With heavy hearts, the executive of the Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry and Music Foundation has cancelled the September 11 show. The forecast is for rain and cool weather, not nice conditions for listening to music in the park.
New COVID restrictions removed our back-up venue at the Medicine Hat Public Library.
Please stay connected for information on next year’s show.
September is an exciting month in Medicine Hat. On Saturday, September 11, we will be presenting our third annual Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry and Western Music Show, at Kin Coulee park at 1PM. Bring your lawn chair and a blanket in case the weather is cool.
Enjoy entertainment from local band, Mixed Company, local performers Reese and Morgan Klaiber, Jen Zollner and Holly Padfield. Enjoy the stories of Morley Thorpe from Spy Hill, SK, hosted by Emcee and performer, Shelley Goldbeck, from Cayley, AB. There will be door prizes and food trucks. Fun for the whole family!
There is no charge for this show but donations will be gratefully accepted.
See highlights from our 2020 show: https://youtu.be/jicqFpRnRKE
We are also pleased to release the September issue of our newsletter, MH Cowboy Life. In this month’s issue, you will learn about the 76 Ranches, Chief Piapot and the town named after him, and the Hackney horse. Link: https://mhcowboylife.com/newsletter-medicine-hat-cowboy-life/
Be sure to check out our latest Stories from Seniors videos.https://mhcowboylife.com/cowboy-stories/stories-from-seniors/
The June 2021 MHCowboyLife newsletter features the town of Dunmore, just outside Medicine Hat.
Dunmore is the site of a famous train wreck that occurred in 1908. Find out why it’s famous.
The horse of the month is the Clydesdale. Dunmore was the first community in Western Canada, before Alberta was a province, to have Clydesdale horses.
Watch our latest Stories from Seniors video of Ila Dillabough. https://mhcowboylife.com/cowboy-stories/stories-from-seniors/
And more!
It’s snowing. We always act so surprised when it snows in May but this is typical Springtime in Alberta weather. Ian Tyson’s song, Springtime in Alberta nails it!:
“Then without a warning, another winter storm comes ragin’ through….Springtime in Alberta, chills me to the bone.”
Our Stories from Seniors series continues with the Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation’s treasurer, Carol Eisenbarth’s story about her family’s barn. https://wordpress.com/page/mhcowboylife.com/261
Did you get your copy of our book, Stories from Seniors, a collection of stories and poetry about country living by local seniors? To order your copy, contact Jen at jzollner10@gmail.com or jen@MHCowboyLife.com.
To see all the videos, go to
https://wordpress.com/page/mhcowboylife.com/261
SAVE THE DATE:
We are planning our 2021 Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry and Western Music show. It is scheduled for September 11 and will be at Kin Coulee Park again this year. We’re hoping that having it two weeks earlier, it will be a bit warmer than last year. More details to come.
Our newsletter, MHCowboy Life is being assembled. Watch for it in early June. Our ‘Round Medicine Hat feature is Dunmore and our featured horse is the Clydesdale.
Did you know Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry has a Facebook page? Follow us.
https://www.facebook.com/Medicine-Hat-Cowboy-Poetry-635903256928000
No Fooling!
Here is the latest news from the Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation.
Our first Stories from Seniors book, featuring biographies and poems based on the stories of local seniors is now available. To order your copy, contact Jen Zollner by email: jzollner10@gmail.com or by phone 403-529-6384. Own this important piece of local history for only $15.
Special thanks to our print sponsor, Hale Hearing of Medicine Hat.
The Medicine Hat News did a story on our Stories from Seniors project, where they interviewed our President, Jen Zollner. See the article on our events page or go to the Medicine Hat News link.
Our April 2021 Stories from Seniors video is about George Rissling and his dairy farm. Ayrshire Canada graciously supplied the Ayrshire image used in the video and the book.
To see this story and all previous stories: https://mhcowboylife.com/cowboy-stories/stories-from-seniors/
Did you miss the March Newsletter? Go to https://mhcowboylife.com/newsletter-medicine-hat-cowboy-life/ to see all previous newsletters.
The Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation is pleased to release the March 2021 edition of the newsletter, Medicine Hat Cowboy Life.
This month we celebrate barns. Farm and ranch kids all have stories about playing and working in barns. President, Jen Zollner and our in-house videographer, Cheryl Dust recently toured the Medicine Hat area to take photos of local barns, which inspired us to feature barns in the March issue.
Did you know farmers could order a barn from the Eaton’s catalogue? Read about the history of the “original Amazon”.
Find the link to our latest Stories from Seniors, The Old Barn, featuring 93-year-old cowboy poet, Buddy Gale. Read the interview in the newsletter.
Learn about the legacy of Daniel Massey of Massey-Ferguson, name synonymous with farm equipment.
Our featured horse is the Curly, so named for its curly coat, mane and even eyelashes!
We’ve also added more information to our web site page ‘Round Medicine Hat featuring Chappice Lake.
Hope you enjoy our celebration of barns.
Bonus for our blog readers: link to Little Jimmie Dickens’ song Out Behind the Barn
Already a month of the new year is gone! We are excited to bring you our latest mini-documentary in our Stories from Seniors series, We Got Charolais Cows by the charming Grace Roth. See for yourself:
https://mhcowboylife.com/cowboy-stories/stories-from-seniors/
You can also link to all our previous videos.
The Stories from Seniors program has proven to be most gratifying for all. Jen and Cheryl (videographer) report that the storytellers show up for the shoot dressed to the nines and carrying themselves like they are Hollywood stars! If someone you know has a good story to tell and would like to “experience fame” contact Jen Zollner, 403-529-6384 or mailto: jzollner10@gmail.com.
The Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation ‘s annual general meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 16 at 7PM via Zoom. All members will be sent the meeting details. On the agenda is a plea for a new treasurer. Our current treasurer, Carol Eisenbarth, is needing to step away from some of her commitments. She reports that the job is not onerous, a few hours per month. She is willing to train and guide the new treasurer. If you or someone you know is willing to take on this vital role, please contact Jen Zollner.
From our Stories from Seniors project came the inspiration to create a book with the biographies of the contributors, the printed poetry and art by two local artists, for readers to enjoy anytime. Jen and Shelley have been working tirelessly to bring this book to print. If you or someone you know would be interested in sponsoring the first print run of the book, contact Jen Zollner. You can also pre-order your copy for $15 by connecting with Jen.
See our past Medicine Hat Cowboy Life newsletters. See our Cowboy stories, including Stories From Seniors. See ‘Round Medicine Hat for interesting history of places in the Medicine Hat area. http://www.MHCowboyLife.com
Members receive the 2021 edition of our souvenir coaster. This year’s is rawhide and will be available soon.
Your $20 membership helps us collect Stories from Seniors and share them with the world. We also work with 4-H members to bring youth and seniors together.
With our partner, Medicine Hat Public Library, we are committed to preserving cowboy culture. One way we do that is by building a collection of cowboy poetry and music for patrons to borrow from the library.
Donations to the Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation are gratefully accepted and rewarded with a tax receipt.
The next mini-documentary in our Seniors Stories series has been posted to our web site. It features Florus Bouman and his story about Hockey Night in Canada. Link
If you or a senior in your life has a country story to tell, contact Jen Zollner at 403.529.6384 or by email:jzollner10@gmail.com.
While you’re on our website, MHCowboyLife.com, check out our additional story on Chappice Lake, featured in our first newsletter. In 1921 Chappice Lake was the scene of Charles Hatfield’s infamous rainmaking venture. Link
If you know anyone who is interested in cowboy life around Medicine Hat (or farther afield) please share our links with them.
The Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation wishes you all a safe and prosperous new year. Hope to see you along the trail.
See the latest news from the Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation in our newsletter, Medicine Hat Cowboy Life. You’ll see highlights from the September 2020 show and you’ll learn about Will James, a Canadian Cowboy with connection to Medicine Hat.
In the spirit of the season you’ll even learn what treats to put under the Christmas tree for your favourite equine companion!
We wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year.
September 27, 2020, Kin Coulee, Medicine Hat, AB
The second Annual Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry and Music Show sponsored by the Medicine Hat Public Library was wildly successful.
See show highlights here:
Over 100 fans gathered to enjoy a variety show on a mild, albeit windy, fall Sunday afternoon in the park.
Chief Librarian, Ken Feser welcomed the audience to the one live event scheduled for the library’s Culture Days.
President and foundation founder, Jen Zollner thanked volunteers and recited her poem about the Medicine Hat horse, which she suggested could be official mascot of Medicine Hat!
Mayor Ted Clugston handily recited Rudyard Kipling’s “If”; while not a cowboy poem, it embodies the cowboy spirit. (He had another engagement so left his cowboy gear at home!)
Local 4-H member, ten-year-old Kimberley Straub battled her nerves and recited a poem, written by Jen Zollner based on Kimberley’s speech about her favourite place: her family farm’s barn. One of the mandates of the Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation is to build connections between rural seniors and rural kids, like 4-H members.
The first half of the show featured Doris Daley, one of the current top Cowboy Poets on the circuit. COVID-19 actually helped us: usually Doris would be on tour in the US this time of year.
Doris did not disappoint. She delivered original poems that everyone can relate to, even if they don’t have roots in the country.
Following her part of the show, Doris presented some books and CDs to Ken Feser, Chief Librarian of the Medicine Hat Public Library, the inaugural resources for the future cowboy poetry “shelf” at the library. See Doris’s presentation here:
At intermission, Darren Lutz conducted a live auction for a jacket donated by Murray Chev Olds, a camp stove donated by Peavey Mart, and the handmade Horse Wisdom blanket donated by Jen Zollner, which the successful bidder, Bill Haysom, donated back to the Foundation to be displayed at the Medicine Hat Public Library.
In the second half local singer/songwriter, Jessica Schnell, who happens to be Jen’s granddaughter, sang three songs, showcasing her amazing musical talents.
The final performer of the show was Doc Mehl, who entertained the audience with a mix of serious and goofy poems and songs. Doris joined him (her husband) on stage to play the soda pop bottle for his final song, a parody of “Big Bad John”, called “Long, Long Johns”. Very entertaining stuff.
The Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation was thrilled to be able to offer a live show in the midst of the live-performance desert known as COVID-19! The positive feedback has encouraged us to plan a show for next fall.
If you are interested in being part of the Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation, we are interested in you. Send an email to Jen at mhcowboylife@gmail.com.
Hope to see you all next year!
