Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? By the time you all read this Christmas will be over and hopefully we won’t have to hear about this until next year. This issue seems to be getting out of hand and causing more controversy than it is worth. I’m sure right now you’re thinking, if that is the case why are you even mentioning it? Well to tell you the truth I just want to know if it really offends you when someone says Merry Christmas? I’m not offended when I see a happy Hanukkah sign! So why should it offend someone if they see a Merry Christmas sign in a store window?
I thought that was what made this country great! The right to freely choose who or what you celebrate is a huge privilege that we have here in the United States. If you know me and read this magazine at all, you know that I choose to celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus. But I’m not offended by Happy Kwanzaa and I personally don’t think you all are either. What I am offended by is the fact we have stooped so low that a Holiday that was signed into law by President Grant can’t be celebrated the way it was intended. Now we have the ACLU dictating what we can and can’t say or display in public places to celebrate a NATIONAL HOLIDAY! I’m reminded of this every time I hear someone be offering up a “Happy Holidays” instead of Merry Christmas!
On my recent trip to the WNFR I was glad to see that they hadn’t renamed Cowboy Christmas because Cowboy Holiday Mall just doesn’t have the same ring to it! Vegas was interesting to say the least. I only had the opportunity to attend the first round but it was without a doubt the greatest rodeo I have ever had the pleasure of watching! Television doesn’t do it justice, but like a good number of you I had to stay up late to catch the rounds.
I would like to tell Allen Bach and Matt Sherwood congratulations on their world titles! Allen is a friend and I can’t tell you how great it made me feel to see him win that world title. It couldn’t have happened to a better man. Allen has a God given talent and he uses it to the fullest. You can talk to any of the top 15 and they will tell you that Allen has a work ethic that is second to none so that world championship is well deserved.
I was glad to see Chad Masters and Allen roping together at the NFR! I have been a huge fan of Chad Masters for a long time, he is a class act! I will have to say I was pulling for him to pull it out! Knowing Chad and his work ethic, he and Allen will be a force in the team roping next year. There are many different rumors going around about who is roping with who.
The big buzz is Jake and Clay roping together again and Speed is taking on Dean Tuftin as his partner for the 2007 season! Many of you may have not heard of Dean but you may have actually heard him as he is a talented Country music artist who has found great success in Canada. Dean is not just a talented singer but a very able roper as well! There is a business agreement between Speed and Dean but As Speedy put it “ He would be in my top 10 regardless. Especially now that he is riding two of the best horses out there!”
Speed was referring to “Chili Dog” that Dean purchased from Rich and another heel horse that Dean bought off of Al Bach.
With a bunch of new guys up there and the swapping of partners it is sure to be another exciting year! I wish the same for all of you with this New Year! Remember that change is going to take place so make the best of it and grow with it! I wish you all a Happy New Year and I will see you at the NTRL Finals in Jacksonville, FL!
God Bless,
JD