Howdy !!!

According to all sources, the 2025 Western Music and Cowboy Poetry event was a resounding success. It’s an annual tradition to search out talent and give stage time to Western artists, around Medicine Hat and further afield. It takes a team working towards a common goal to make it happen: sponsor donations, volunteers, an audience, and of course, the performers. This newsletter is dedicated to expressing our gratitude to the many who supported us, each in their own way. We couldn’t have done this pictorial review without the photos taken by Pam Zollner, our Roving Photographer.

Jen

Thanks to the Performers

Some of them come from quite a distance. We can only afford a meagre honorarium, yet they’re eager to come on their own dime to share their music, poetry and stories. Afternoon performers were on stage on Friday and Saturday, with headliners entertaining us Saturday night. Other Medicine Hat entertainers were Jack Humeny, Larry Miller and Jen Zollner.

Unfortunately, Spirit of the West’s Jim McLennan was a last minute cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances; Charlie Ewing and his superb guitar playing were a fine replacement for the performance. Bill Skene wasn’t able to entertain either, but local resident Conrad Sandberg was able to fill his spot in the program.

Home Grown Performers at Meadowlark Village

The weekend event of September 26th started off more casually on the Friday. Thanks for offering their outdoor patio which proved to be the perfect venue for a full-house audience. Can’t thank y’all enough:

• Conrad Sandberg, sound system and technician
• Noel Burles, host
• Pat Hauck, resident hostess
• Marcus Coneys and Shannon Bergstressor, Performer Registration
• McBride’s bakery, the spudnuts

Open Mic at the Moose Lodge

The Open Mic on the Friday night ended up a success despite the need for alternate plans. Success translates into the number of performers “giving it a try”. David Woodward brought 3 teenage boys, two gals came to share their poems and one gal from the floor was prompted to share. Brian Anderson’s poem was also well received by the attentive audience. Thanks to Conrad’s impromptu service as soundman using his equipment. It made for a well-rounded program to have the single Open Mike items sandwiched between music by the Conrad/Brian Anderson team and the Pat/Charlotte Gilmer songs.

Set up and Decorating at the Medicine Hat College

Thanks to the set-up (take-down) and decorating crew: Darlene Knight, Jim Koch, Penella Zollner, Donny Musgrove and as well as Jen’s grandkids (Karli, Dawson, Tyler and Jessie). Tyler’s height was an advantage when putting up the mural.

Saturday Afternoon Music and Poetry Show

It was entertainment noon to five at the MH College’s theatre. Performers ranged from local to distant, guys and gals as well as old and young. An experienced radio announcer, Harv Speers was the emcee who kept everyone in line and everything on time. Newspaper advertising for this event was his job; all year long he serves as our VP (Vice President) and chairs our monthly meetings.

Municipal Greetings

Thanks to the officals from the City of Medicine Hat and Cypress County. Council Allison VanDyke’s rural background came through loud and clear in her speech. It was very appropriate for Deputy Reeve, Richard Oster, to include a poem in his talk.

Videography

All of Saturday’s humor and heartfelt honesty in music and in rhyme was videoed, thanks to Val Beyer (who also shared her poetry.) She’s the organizer of the Taber Cowboy Poetry and Western Music Round-up. You’ll want to join them on March 28, 2026 for their ’round up’.

Also thanks to David Gee and Roger TV who graciously lent us two video cameras.

Green Room Goodies

It was a busy Saturday afternoon for performers and volunteers, so they appreciated the grab-and-go nourishment. Thanks Pam Zollner for her baking and the preparation, for her bargain shopping and for the gift card from Superstore. The produce was from P&C Farms, a mom and pop greenhouse off South Boundary Road.

Borderline 4-H Club

Also available were scrumptious doughnuts, other snacks and drinks offered by 4-H members from the Hilda area. Dedicated moms and the following eager smiley-faced members there: Dakota Straub, Georgia and Brody Reiger, Emma, Macey and Olivia Bader, Wacey and Kasen Holt and Tyson McNeill (Willow Straub was there too). It was a fund raiser as well as a place for the public to ask questions about 4-H.

Silent Auction

We had quite an array of articles on our Silent Auction Table, everything from handmade wood and crocheted items, limited prints, pottery, clothing, a lantern and a horse halter. Thank you to all donors of items for auction and thanks bidders, MHCP netted $813 from your purchases.

Chuckwagon Supper

Thanks to Don Musgrove of Diamond M Ranches who runs Angus cattle up Patricia way. He donated the beef for supper, the beef-on-a-bun. It came with baked beans (a cowboy staple), coleslaw and corn on the cob as well as mini cakes for dessert and beverages, compliments South Country Co-op. Thanks to Penella Zollner and Donny’s efforts, the delicious Chuckwagon supper ran smoothly.

“Burning of the Brand” Ceremony

The history of branding started with cattle drives of longhorns from Texas in the 1860’s. This ceremony celebrates the times when branding became necessary mainly because of cattle rustling. It acknowledges the beginning of ranching in southern Alberta when the cattle drives came north across the “Medicine Line.” To kick off the evening perfomance, The MH Stampede Queen (Mila Stuut) and Princess (Joleigh Wood) ‘branded’ Chester, our symbolic longhorn steer. It was usually harmonica music on the trail and around the campfire.

Land Acknowledgement

Thirteen-year-old Aleigha Aaker, a Junior Firekeeper, reminded us we are on Treaty Land.

Saturday Evening Performers

Charlie Ewing and his daughter, Lonni Robley started off the evening. A well-attended audience enjoyed their harmony and Charlie’s astounding guitar playing.

Hugh McLennan takes the lead in the Western Spirit Band where Mike Dygert from Cold Lake plays phenomenal bass and sings some harmony. Hugh introduced his wife of 60 years who tookthe long trip to Medicine Hat with him. This is what he said on our Facebook page: “2600 kilometres, 4 days of driving, and it was well worth it to perform in the palatial (palace) Medicine Hat College Theatre. What a wonderful enthusiastic audience! Charlie was a natural, filling in for little brother Jim (who had a last minute emergency at home). It was like we’d been playing together for years, and we didn’t even have a chance to rehearse.” Medicine Hatters, pat yourselves on the back.

Thanks to Donors and Sponsors

To Penita Schnell and Penella Zollner who somehow managed to do it all: ticket sales, memberships, silent auction tallies and even some last minute printing Saturday afternoon. Penita is the MHCP Treasurer and Penella is the Webmaster.

To Jill at Hale Hearing for doing the ticket sales.

To Home Inn Express for the 2-night lodging of the Western Spirit Band.

To Dave Thome for the excellent sound.

To the Medicine Hat College hospitality crew for helping serve a wonderful chuckwagon supper.

WANTED: Your Feedback!!!

Congratulations to all who made this year’s event a success. Thanks to the founding members who started MHCP from scratch in 2019, and who have helped build this into being the biggest and best Western Music and Cowboy Poetry event in Southern Alberta. But changes may be needed and we want to hear from you. What did you enjoy the most? What could we do better? Do you have ideas for next year’s show? We wanna know what you think, even if you weren’t able to attend. Please consider taking our feedback survey to make our event better next year!

Greetings from Cypress County

Richard Oster’s preamble to this poem is that he didn’t write it, but admits it may be better than anything he could have come up with on his own. The Cypress County communications Coordinator, Sean, asked Chat GPT to give him a poetic speech. Mr. Oster goes on to say, “Artificial Intelligence is never going to replace the talent and deeply personal verses …. delivered here today.”

Ladies and gents, I tip my hat,
To poets bold and boots gone flat,
From Cypress Hills to Hilda's wide skies,
The West still sings, it never dies.

This ain't just rhymes 'round campfire glow,
It's heart and grit from long ago.
It's cattle calls and prairie dreams,
Sunset songs and old moonbeams.

We gather not only to recall,
But keep the West alive for all,
So here's to verse with spurs and dust,
To stories told with pride and trust.

Thanks for the music, the mirth, the lore,
May your saddlebags be full of more,
And from Cypress County, with all my cheer,
We're mighty glad to see you here.

How to Say Thanks the Cowboy Way

Cowboys are more likely to use a firm handshake, a nod or a slight tip of the hat than words.
In the cowboy culture it’s more likely they’ll offer assistance in return. They’re all about helping someone in need. What they say might be:

• much obliged
• thanks a heap
• beholden to ya
• mighty kind of you
• ‘preciate
• thanks pard

Thanks to all of you “pards”
We’re all partners on the same team,

See you down the trail,
Jen