Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association


Home NewslettersVolume XIII, Issue 10
October 2004
Last update
Jan 21, 2020
A Note from the Vice President

Hi folks!

Well, Atlantic Stampede 2004 is now just a pleasant memory. We had the good fortune to enjoy beautiful weather for the weekend, along with a full complement of events, both at the rodeo grounds and the host hotel. Competitors and spectators came from all over the US and Canada, as well as from other countries just to enjoy the weekend activities with us. We are especially grateful to the competitors for providing such a terrific rodeo show and to all the volunteers who spent countless hours before, during and after the rodeo making sure that everything went off without a hitch. Judging from the emails, calls and notes we've been receiving everyone had a spectacular time. The Royalty competition, entertainment and dances at the Hyatt Regency (our host hotel) were all well-attended and a lot of fun for everyone. Our ASGRA elections were held over the rodeo weekend this year, and proved to be a very successful way to ensure everyone had a chance to vote. The results are in and as of November 1 your new ASGRA VP will be Mike Sanders and Secretary will be Frank Harrell.

Please don't forget to RSVP and join us at the Membership Meeting and Volunteer Awards banquet at Remington's on Sunday October 10. See the website for info or contact Mike Sanders directly at . We look forward to seeing you there!

Lonni La Bel, Vice President


"Age is …wisdom, if one has lived one's life properly." Miriam Makeba

Submissions for the November 2004 Thirteen Spurs are due by Monday 10/18/04!!


The Membership Corner

Howdy all,
As most of you are aware, I ran for the position of ASGRA Vice-President against a very worthy opponent. I was fortunate enough to win that election and want to thank all of you that voted for me. As a result, however, this will be my last report to you as your Membership Chair.

The last three years have been very exciting for me. I have gotten to know most of you in person and through email and have been able to communicate your needs and concerns to the Board of Directors. Some of the suggestions that you all shared with me have become part of what we do as an association. Through frequent and open communication, there has been an increased sense that this is YOUR association, not just one that belongs to the board of directors. I hope this will not change with a new person taking over as Membership Chair and that you all will continue to communicate with the person that takes my place. (Interested in becoming our Membership Chair? See the notice in this newsletter with info on the duties and requirements. Contact President Gaither Pennington if you'd like to volunteer.)

While the hat I will wear for the next two years will change, who I am will not. I will still be reachable both in person, by phone and email. I will continue to work with all of you and be there as a sounding board for your concerns. I look forward to serving as your Vice-President.

Remember to keep your new Membership Chair up to date on any changes in your personal information. This way, you will continue to be informed of meeting notices, special events, and receive your newsletter. Your Membership Chair serves as your liaison to the board. If you have concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to bring them to his/her attention. Keep check on the web page for all announcements and updates on upcoming events.

Mike S., Membership Chair 2001-2004


ASGRA Elections Results

Rodeo Gang, the elections have ended and if you were not at the Fairgrounds on Sunday of Atlantic Stampede, you might not have heard the results. The membership was voting for two positions, those of the Vice President and Secretary. The results are as follows:
Vice President Mike Sanders
Secretary Frank Harrell

Thanks to all our ASGRA members for taking the time to fulfill this important responsibility of membership and voting!

Billy Collison, Elections Chair


ASGRA trail rides are the first Sunday of the month at 11:00am!

Regardless of the weather, ASGRA's monthly trail rides are held at Piscataway Ranch in Clinton, MD at 11:00 am on the following days:

  • October 3rd: Enjoy crisp autumn air and colorful foliage in the Maryland woods!
  • November 7th: Thanksgiving is on the way; be thankful for all your ASGRA friends and share their company along the trails!
For further information and to RSVP, contact Patrick at (202) 352-2356.


Don't forget the 18th Annual IGRA Finals Rodeo in Omaha, NE October 14-17!!!

Come out and support our ASGRA competitors at Finals Rodeo and the IGRA Royalty Competition! For details see www.igra.com

Upcoming 2005 IGRA Rodeos
Road Runner Regional Rodeo 2005 AGRA Phoenix, AZ January 14-16, 2004

A big ASGRA thank you to all those who came out and supported or participated in the Atlantic Stampede 2004 over the weekend of September 10-12. The weather was beautiful, the crowds enthusiastic and the competition exciting! We appreciate all of you who volunteered to help out over the weekend, traveled from many places all over the world, competed at the rodeo or in the ASGRA Royalty competition, supported us with your attendance at the rodeo and/or the dances and even those who were just with us in spirit!

A note of thanx
I wish to thank all the members of the 2004 Atlantic Stampede Security/Safety Team for the dedication and professionalism they displayed during this year's Rodeo. Numerous officials from both the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA) and our own Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association (ASGRA) expressed their appreciation to the Security Team for a job well done.

Words cannot describe my pride, appreciation and the heartfelt thanks that I have for each and every member of this year's team. I have been responsible for security details for 5 Presidents and hundreds of other government leaders. I have never been so impressed with the dedication to duty that each of you displayed the Rodeo Weekend. There were a total of 16 volunteers who worked one or both days of the Rodeo and my hat is off to each and every one of you!

Tomi`Finkle,
Security Coordinator for AS2004


ASGRA Calendar of Events

October 2004

  • 3 11am Trail Ride at Piscataway stables, Clinton, MD
  • 13 8pm BHT Meeting; DC Eagle; Washington, DC
  • 10 3pm Membership Meeting and Volunteer Banquet; Remington's, Washington DC
  • 16 1-6pm Bar Crawl in DC starting at the Green Lantern
  • 20 8pm CAB Meeting; DC Eagle; Washington, DC
  • 21 7:30pm ASGRA Board Meeting; Hyatt Regency Hotel


A Royal Congratulations from the 2004 ASGRA Royalty Team to the following ASGRA members who will celebrate birthdays in October:
Bruce Forchheimer, Phil Hastings, Rick Garcia, Audra Williams, Richard Harrison, Earl Hess, Mark Baker, Michael Lekas, Terry Frick, Grant Ingalls, Louis Varnado, John Scott, Jason Kutz and Ron Tickerhoff

Happy Birthday to all of you!
(Note: If your birthday is this month and you aren't listed, we either don't have your birthday on file or you have requested that we not print your name. We wish you a happy birthday as well!)

Lambda DanceSport Association promotes partnership dancing for same-gender couples in the LGBT community. Lots of great dance opportunities of all kinds - check it out on their website: www.LambdaDanceSport.org

Capital Country Dance Club is a non-profit whose purpose is to bring the joy of dancing to the GLBT community. CCDC hosts C&W dancing from 8pm-midnight at Generations Dance Studio on the second Saturday of the month. Lesson starts at 8; dance starts at 9. Generations Dance Studio is located at 816 N. Saint Asaph St. in Alexandria, VA. CCCD also sponsors open dancing from 7:30-10:30pm every Tuesday at De Lounge in Wheaton, MD. For more details & directions, see the events section of their website at http://www.capitalcountry.org/.

And for those interested in an all women dance environment: Jackie's Dance Party is a monthly non-smoking evening dance event with mixed music. 7pm-midnight. Saturday, October 23rd ; Admission $12. Light snacks provided; water & soda available for purchase. Du-Shor Dance Studio, 7800 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda (Bethesda metro; free garage parking ). Info:.


ASGRA Committee Chairs Needed for 2005!

Public Relations (PR) is a vital role for ASGRA, and one that can be both challenging and rewarding. An official description of the full responsibilities for the PR Chair can be found in the ASGRA Bylaws, Article VII, Section 2, Item F. As stated in the ASGRA Bylaws this is a one year term, November 1 - October 31. Following is a quick summary of some of the most important tasks for the PR Chair, including unofficial responsibilities:

  • The PR Chair serves, along with the President, as the principal spokesperson for ASGRA. In addition the PR Chair may sometimes coordinate for others who may represent the Association on a particular topic or for interviews.
  • The PR Chair is responsible for development, production, and distribution of ASGRA promotional materials and advertising for all ASGRA events. This often involves working other Board members to identify, define, and proof materials needed. In addition, the PR Chair may contract designers, printers, and publishers as needed.
  • The PR Chair is largely responsible for ensuring that all ASGRA PR materials meet all sponsorship compliance requirements. Failure to do so may result in significant fines and/or breach-of-contract issues for the Association.
  • The PR Chair is responsible for production of the rodeo program, including gathering content, design and layout, printing, and distribution.
  • The PR Chair should strive to ensure that ASGRA has a consistent, unified, and professional public voice through all of the Association's various methods of communication.
We are actively seeking individuals interested in taking on the position of ASGRA Membership Chair. Below are the basic duties of the Membership Chair. As stated in the ASGRA Bylaws this is a one year term, November 1 - October 31:
  • Shall actively solicit new members;
  • Shall be responsible for maintaining a membership roster/mailing list and reporting the same to the Secretary;
  • Shall serve as the liaison to the Board of Directors representing the membership's concerns, needs and suggestions regarding the Corporation;
  • Prior to any election, shall produce a listing of members eligible to run for office and eligible to vote in elections;
  • Shall undertake other membership activities as may be deemed necessary;
  • Shall produce and distribute a membership card to each ASGRA member in good standing, including renewal cards or renewal indicia; and
  • Shall mail an updated membership list to all IGRA rodeo associations in advance of their rodeo as prescribed by IGRA.
It is also the responsibility of the Membership Chair to schedule the General Membership Meetings (once a quarter).

Helpful but not required duties:

  • Email the membership with events of interest to ASGRA, including fundraisers, rodeo standings and announcements of General Membership Meetings;
  • A "Welcome" letter sent with their membership card with the ASGRA benefits listed;
  • Communicating all new members and changes in address to the newsletter editor for distribution of the newsletter;
Helpful tools:
  • Knowledge of MS Word (or other word processing software)
  • Knowledge of MS Excel
  • Email access
  • Basic knowledge of MS Access (the program our membership database is in)
If you are interested in either of these positions please contact ASGRA President Gaither Pennington .


In Memoriam As many of you may have already heard, we lost yet another member of the IGRA family on September 8. Woody Howard (aka Suzanne Target) was a long time member of AGRA (Arizona Gay Rodeo Association), a talented performer and a witty and fun-loving person. A Celebration of Life gathering was held at the Camelback Sunset Chapel where many of Woody's friends, fans and adopted family shared their joy at his life and sorrow at his passing. Woody was much loved by many of us on the IGRA circuit. ASGRA extends its sympathy to AGRA and to Woody's many friends everywhere. He was an amazing man and will be missed.

Lonni La Bel, Editor


A Rodeo Rookie's Report

Everyone said I was nuts to be competing in my first rodeo at the age of 53, but it turned out to be an incredible experience!

I have gone to the rodeo every year for the past 6 years; the first 3 years I went with my partner, then the last 3 I went alone, after he died. Last year as I sat by myself watching the events, I watched the Chute Doggers, and thought: "I could learn to do that." When I saw that ASGRA was offering training in Rodeo events, I decided to go--to challenge myself, and to meet some new people. What an incredible experience it was! Attempting Chute-Dogging for the first time is an incredibly scary experience--the steers are big and often not real happy about participating. Making yourself do something that is that scary is an incredibly exhilarating experience--one that I have found has served me well in other areas of my life (i.e.: "If I can wrestle a Steer, I can do this!"). It is also an incredibly bonding experience among the students to go through this together.

After two trips to "Rodeo School," I registered to compete this year. It was such a different experience than my last few "trips to the rodeo:" seeing all my old classmates was so much fun--there was definite admiration and affection among us. At the actual Rodeo, I was struck by the lack of competitiveness among the contestants…everyone was supportive and helpful--like we were in this together, competing against the animals rather than each other.

Sunday was a particularly special day for me…among the family and friends that came to watch and lend support were my two grandsons! They were incredibly impressed by what their old 'pop-pop' could do…and I was incredibly proud to be pushing my limits in such a way, and feeling the closeness of the other contestants, and the support of my family. Well, it wasn't my 'first trip to the Rodeo,' and I know it won't be my last. Despite what young gay people think, your life isn't over when you reach 30.…or 40.…or even 50!

Jack Neville, ASGRA Member and Rodeo Competito

DID YOU KNOW

IGRA Convention is scheduled for November 11-14, 2004 in Denver CO. ASGRA will be sending a delegation as always. If you'd like more info or might be interested in checking out Convention as a spectator or delegate contact ASGRA's IGRA trustee Mike Lentz at .


Royalty Roundup

And the winners are..

Thursday September 9 was the beginning of the 2005 ASGRA Royalty Competition prior to the Kick-off party at Remington's. All of the contestants did very well in the interview portion of the contest. They then had a chance to relax a little with friends at the party before they had to get back into competition mode for Friday night.

The public portions of the competition (entertainment, western wear and public presentation) were held at the Hyatt, the host hotel. During the contest we had several local entertainers perform between categories, giving the contestants a chance to change and shift gears for the next segment of competition.

A very special thanks goes out to one entertainer who made her debut at the competition this year. Iona Trailer is her name and she looks especially sexy in red. Many of us know her outside of the female impersonator role as ASGRA's own treasurer, Scott Smiley. Thank you Scott for your willingness to entertain us this year.

While we only had one contestant for each category, they each had to make a minimum of 525 points to win their position. It is not a given that they would win just because they were the only contestant. In addition to having to make points, they each had to raise a minimum of $500 to be eligible to compete. This team raised $2,721 before the contest even began.

Your 2005 ASGRA Royalty Team is Miss Jymmye Jaymes, Mr. Rudy Benavides, Ms. Busty Bottoms and MsTer Xavier Bottoms. Their charities for the upcoming year are SMYAL, PetsDC, MetroTeenAIDS, PediatricAIDS and SLDN, and they will be hosting fundraising events all year to support these charities. In addition to these charities, Jymmye Jaymes will be hosting "The 8th Annual Brandy Dover Memorial Christmas for Children", a benefit in December for Grandma's House.

We are very proud of the accomplishments of this team so far and look forward to having them represent all that ASGRA stands for this year as they travel the IGRA circuit competing, entertaining and raising money for their charities. Congratulations to Jymmye, Busty, Rudy and Xavier and good luck during your year as ASGRA's Royalty Team for 2005!

Last but not least, Good Luck to Destiny B. Childs, Miss ASGRA 2004 as she goes to Omaha, NE this month to compete for the title of Miss IGRA 2005!!!



The lovely Iona Trailer entertains the enthusiastic crowd at the 2005 ASGRA Royalty contest on Saturday night of AS20054.


The 2004 and 2005 ASGRA Royalty Teams

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