In 1987 a coworker in the office where Frank worked, began calling him "cowboy" because he always wore a cowboy hat. The nickname stuck and he has since become known as Cowboy Frank through his personal website, CowboyFrank.net.
In 1962, when Frank was 11, his Father got a job with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC and his family moved to Northern Virginia where he lived until 2010 when he and Tom, his life partner of 29 years, moved to Castle Rock, Colorado, just south of Denver.
In 1991 Frank was diagnosed with full blown AIDS and given 6 months to live. A year later he was still kicking, so he decided to find something useful to do with the rest of his life. He started volunteering with the National Park Service as a computer specialist.
In 1996 he was asked if he could build the Manassas National Battlefield Park's first website. Within a few weeks his park was online as the first National Park with its own custom webpage. A few years later, for his work on the park's webpage, he was presented the prestigious "Honorary Park Ranger" award, which at that time had only been given to 120 people. Such names as Hank Williams Jr., Ken Burns, President John F. Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth II, and Lady Bird Johnson were among the list of recipients.
Tom and Frank attended their first gay rodeo in Denver in 1995. It wasn't until the following year they found out there was a gay rodeo in Washington, DC, right in their own backyard.
In 2001 Frank took over the website for the Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association, which won 2 IGRA website awards over the next few years. In 2006 he became the webmaster for IGRA, a job he held for the next 6 years. Over the last 16 years Frank has developed and maintained websites for over 45 organizations, mostly small, non-profit groups, always as a volunteer without charge.
Frank has now moved on to other web projects including GayRodeoHistory.org, an ongoing work covering the history of gay rodeo. Currently you can view 398 complete IGRA rodeo programs, along with posters, belt buckles, newspaper articles and magazines about past gay rodeos.
Frank and Tom love traveling in their RV and are just concluding a two month tour across the country as they head home to Denver.
The Grand Marshal of World Gay Rodeo Finals is an honor bestowed on some of the hardest working, and inspirational members of the rodeo family and community. The International Gay Rodeo Association proud to mark important rodeo by honoring an incredible cowgirl, Taryn "Ty" Teigen.
Ty's love affair with rodeo, specifically horses, began at the tender age of 2. Born in Kimball, NE, the family moved to Scottsbluff, NE when she was 3. Starting on her mother's Palomino mare "Fleer, Ty rode many different horses through the years. Her dad would bring home horses to try, some of them barely broke, and they would be "figured our by Ty along with her sister Tracy & brother Todd. By the age of 8, she had moved through the saddle clubs & horse shows into Little Britches Rodeo. Here she found an outlet to combine her love of horses & competitive spirit, excelling in roping, goat tying & pole bending. During these years she competed on "Wise Robin': aka "Robby", a horse that still holds a special place in her heart. She even found time to compete in the rodeo princess contest, skills she would later draw on the win the coveted CGRA Snow Queen contest. Ty's love of horses & rodeo stayed with her into adulthood, joining CGRA in 1995. Always willing to help teach folks how to rope & offer a suggestion but most always in the background. For several years she competed only at the rodeos in Colorado. That was before the arrival of a beautiful brown pony, "Show Me Roan", aka "Hershey". Ty found "Hershey" on a trip to visit her Dad over Father's Day in 1999 and she fell in love with the green-broke stud colt. Doing most all the training herself, it didn't take long to realize she had something really special. This soft spoken, sometimes shy cowgirl was about to blossom into one of the toughest & talented Cowgirls on the IGRA Circuit In 2002, she loaded up with a friend & headed off to her first out of state rodeo on the IGRA circuit. Since then Ty has been a top competitor at most every rodeo she attends and holds several IGRA Finals Championships. She won the first of many All-Around Cowgirl Titles in 2003 at the Calgary Rodeo, with her proud Dad in the stands.
Ty often speaks of the gift of the IGRA "Family" in her life and she has responded with hard work in many different areas. She has served on the Colorado Gay Rodeo Board of Directors as Metro Outreach Chair, Rodeo Events Chair, Membership Chair, & two terms as President. She was instrumental in the formation of the CGRA Rocky Mountain Challenge Barrel Race held in conjunction with RMRR. Her skills have also been utilized on the International level, serving as IGRA Contestant Liaison, an IGRA University instructor and several years as Rodeo Rules Co-Chair.
Recently Ty has inspired us with more than just her hard work & talents in the rodeo arena. After being diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, Ty has shown incredible courage & determination, not only in battling the disease, but in continuing to live her life to the fullest. With Janie at her side, Ty has continued to compete in rodeos, support educational & fundraising events. Her "get'er done" attitude in the face of such adversity is an incredible inspiration to all of those who know & love her.
This summer, after spending a wonderful weekend with friends at the Canadian Rockies International Rodeo, Ty passed away. Her memorial, held the Friday prior to Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo, was a church filled to capacity and overflowing with love and admiration from family, friends and rodeo contestants and volunteers from across the country.
Congratulations to Ty. We honor you and will miss you.
Lupe Valdez was elected Sheriff of Dallas County, Texas on November 4, 2004. She took the office of the highest ranking law enforcement officer in the County of Dallas on January 1, 2005. Sheriff Valdez is the first female elected Sheriff in the State of Texas, and the first Lesbian Elected Sheriff in a large metropolitan city in the United States. Sheriff Valdez has been in Law Enforcement for over 30 years at both the Federal and State levels.
Lupe has worked to protect the lives and property of American citizens at home and abroad. With experience in homeland security, anti-terrorism investigations and criminal law enforcement, she is uniquely qualified in her position as Dallas County Sheriff.
As a young child, Lupe learned strong work ethics. She put herself through college to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from what today is Southern Nazarene University. To do this, she sometimes had to work up to two jobs while carrying a full class schedule. These same work habits propelled her career in law enforcement. While working in law enforcement, she demonstrated her commitment to constant improvement and education by earning a Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Lupe's commitment to public service continued during her service as a board member of the City of Dallas Civil Service Adjunct Board, the Funding Panel Review of the United Way of Greater Dallas, and a mentor in the Dallas Independence School District 's Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program. She has always been extensively involved with Women's Business Network.
One of the oldest GLBT establishments in Texas is the Hidden Door in Dallas, founded in 1979. The owner at that time was Jim Pollack who was proprietor of the North Forty tavern, famous in Rodeo lore. Tony Bobrow was an employee of Jim's at the time, later to become sole owner after Jims passing.
These establishments are historically significant as the locations of the very first brainstorm meetings by the founders of Texas Gay Rodeo Association. Tony was witness to the very beginnings of Rodeo in Texas and has been a supporter, donor and advocate for the sport and lifestyle for over 30 years.
Tony Bobrow after taking ownership of the Hidden Door has donated tens of thousands of dollars to TGRA, IGRA and the 501 c 3 charities these Associations they support. He has supported charity organizations fighting AIDS, hunger, homelessness and more by opening his business for fundraising.
He resides in Dallas and is a longtime member of the Dallas Tavern Guild and respected member of the GLBT business community.
