An essay by S.A. Jackson
The National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo is looking for a
"Few Good Poets" who might like to enhance their writing, reciting
and entertaining skills while winning a few $$ dollars and gaining some pretty good publicity.
‘Excellence through competition’ is our theme and over
the last dozen years has certainly proven its effectiveness. Among
this years (’09) featured performers in Elko were ten who have competed in the NCPR, five of them
silver buckle winners and just about everyone of them will tell you that this
competition enhanced their skills.
I realize that not everyone is up to poetry
competition. I spoke recently with one
fellow who carried a pretty dim view of poetry
contests. "Well now," Sez I, "If this were just a cowboy poetry
contest I'd throw in with you, however the Cowboy Poetry Rodeo is much more
than just a contest, it’s a premier learning experience, the absolute best workshop you could ever
imagine. The highest score, or who’s the best poet, isn’t what it’s
about. This competition is specifically
designed to make ‘fair poets good’ and ‘good poets better’! An
event that allows the poet, by participating or just watching, to gain a host
of new ways of improving their expertise.
Our unique approach is to pit the skills of one poet against those of
another in such a manner as to further develop the talents of both, with an
over-riding goal of advancing the genre’ of cowboy poetry to a degree
benefiting both performer and audience.”
Now here’s a surprise—There
are those among us who may not be [quite] so good as their wife, mother or
hired hands would have them believe. For
that group, this is where ‘The hoof meets the trail’ (my metaphor—you could
tell?) This is where we find out how we stack up against
our peers, where we get a good look at ourselves through the eyes of folks not setting at our table. Yes, some feelings will get hurt, a few to the extent they give up
performing, (or at least competing) but most say "Whoa---I can do better
and they do, but either way both the genre’, and audience come out ahead. Perhaps we could call the process a “Verbicide”
The vast majority use the experience to watch, listen,
learn and improve, and by taking that approach, there are no losers! Those not scoring in the money have won something far more
valuable, knowledge! So if they are
smart (and most cowboy poets are) they now have the tools for improving their
writing, reciting, stage presence and total performance, putting themselves in
greater demand as
entertainers, which in turn gleans a bigger audience eventually bringing with
them their friends and their friends, friends
Get the picture?