August 19, 2023 Issue, Page 3 of 8

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Ne August 19, 2023 The Elk City News -3 Faithful Fans Sayre residents are long-time loyal Elk City Rodeo fans Leon on his favorite horse, Trixie, who was trained by Leon on horseback. The Sayre lawyer and his wife, Cath- his father. Photo courtesy Catherine Willie. erine, haven't missed a year of the rodeo for the past three decades. Photo courtesy Catherine Willsie. After graduating from Del- (Wyo.) Frontier Days, and the a bucking horse named Tim- doesn’t plan on changing the Wrangler National Finals Ro- ber Topper who, in the 1950s, routine. hi High School in 1962, Willsie deo in Las Vegas. attended Southwestern Okla- bucked through the fence and ‘The Elk City Rodeo “has homa State in Weatherford, But Elk City, to Leon, is into the grandstands. He was been a great rodeo, something graduating in 1966 and marry- about as good as it gets. finally corralled. we've enjoyed every year for Leon and Catherine Willsie. The Sayre, Okla. couple has ing Catherine the next year. He “T've been to Houston, Ft. To keep the kids safe, his many years,” he said. “And I in- sat in the same box seats at the Elk City Rodeo for the past worked as an insurance under- Worth and Cheyenne, and I dad had his mother take Leon 30 years. Photo courtesy Catherine Willsie. writer and attended Oklahoma wouldn't trade any of them for tend to keep going as long as I and his brothers to the top of can keep going.” Elk City, Okla. - Leon City University School of Law the rodeo at Elk City. the grandstands. ‘The Elk City Rodeo is Sep- Willsie loves the Elk City Ro- at night, graduating in 1975. “It's one of the finest ro- “I hated that, because I tember 1-3, 2023, with per- deo. That same year, the cou- deos in the nation, You'll see wanted to be down in the dirt, formances each night at 8 pm. He loves it so much, he ple moved back to Sayre, and as good of bucking stock at Elk by the fence. My dad and uncle Ticket sales start August 21 and his wife Catherine haven't Willsie opened a law office, City as you do at the National were sitting down by the fence, missed a year of it for at least where he's been practicing law Finals Rodeo.” and I thought, ‘if they can, why and can be purchased at Circle A Western Wear, at the ticket the last thirty years. ever since. When he was a kid, he re- can’t I?” His first trip to the Elk City They have had the same membered when the bucking Friends stop by to visit the booth at the Beutler Bros. Are- rodeo was at age four, in 1948, box seats at the rodeo since bulls would escape the arena. couple at the rodeo. na, and at the gate (while sup- when, dressed in his cowboy the early 1990s, Catherine es- “The bulls would buck off “We've been there so many plies last). For more informa- outfit, he walked into the ro- timated. the rider and go through the years, people come by to say tion, visit the rodeo’s website deo gate, with his dad follow- They've attended rodeos hello, because they know (www.ElkCityRodeo.com) or fence,” he said. “Cowboys were ing, and walked around the across the country: Rodeo all over the parking lot, roping where we'll be.” its Facebook page. entire arena, “checking out the Houston, the Calgary Stam- bulls and tying them to high- ‘The couple attends all three For more information, visit livestock, the cowboys, and pede, Ft. Worth, Cheyenne line poles.” Willsie remembers nights of the rodeo, and Leon www.ElkCityRodeo.com. I kept on going,” he said. “I never looked back till my dad picked me up and headed for Leon Willsie went to his the seats.” Place Your Advertisemsent Today by emailing first Elk City Rodeo in 1948, Growing up on the ranch when he was four years southwest of Sayre, near Delhi, old. He grew up near Delhi, his parents took him and his to elkcitynewsadvertising@ gmail.com or give Okla., and has missed very brothers to the Elk City Rodeo few years of the rodeo. Photo nearly every year. courtesy Catherine Willie. us a Call at 580-225-3000! FIBER-FAST INTERNET AVAILABLE NOW The internet Elk City deserves. Check your address at dobson.net | 855.5.DOBSON Dobson FIBER