Who remembers watching the horses come off the side of the
mountain as they would sit back on their haunches and slide down? Usually their rider would be out in front
holding onto the reins, running and sliding just in front of the horse. Eventually they would reach the bottom and
drop out of sight momentarily…then in a mad rush horse and rider would come
galloping through the river and into the rodeo arena. As a young boy I knew of a few people who
rode in the Crazy Horse Race year in and year out. It seems most of the riders were younger guys
who didn’t know better yet, but there were a few experienced riders that
continued to race.
At the end of every summer I looked forward to the Duchesne
County Fair. Shortly after my family
moved to Duchesne my dad was put to work fixing the old wood rodeo stands,
repairing seats, gates, and fences. I
loved to spend time with him as he put up new lumber and painted it as the fair
approached. My dad, Reed Van Wagoner,
would go on to serve on the Fair Board for several years and as Chairman for
some of that time. His service on the
Fair Board and his work as a deputy sheriff allowed me to spend a significant
amount of my time around the fair as it was set up, executed, and closed
up. I remember when the Blue Fair
Building was brand new.
For a year or two I had plans to be a bareback rider in the
Little Buckaroos rodeo. I never made it,
but one year, with a brand new set of school clothes on my body, I won the
greased pig contest. Both my dad and I
got in trouble when I got home that night, but I did win a bag of Jolly
Ranchers.
My dad was on the Fair Board the year the old rodeo arena
was replaced. I think he was Chairman of
the Fair Board that year. It was fun to
go down every day or two to check on the progress, to watch the new chutes and
announcer stands put together and to watch the huge light poles go up.
That year Charly McClain put on a concert at the fair. Sitting up front with my parents and family
friends was a cool treat. At one point
in the concert Charly McClain asked for a ten year old boy to come up to the
stage. I happened to be 10 that year,
the summer before I started sixth grade.
My dad shoved me a little and told me to get up there, but I hesitated,
not sure if I wanted the attention and uncertain what would happen. Suddenly one of my dad’s friends sort of
grabbed me and threw me out in front of the stage. Pretty soon one of the stage hands had me by
the shoulder leading me up on stage where the beautiful Charly McClain took me
by the hand. I was thrilled and
terrified at the same time.
She told the crowd that she was going to dedicate the next
song to me. Before she started she
leaned over and whispered in my ear. In
the days and weeks afterward several people asked what she whispered to
me. I told most of them it was a
secret. But, here is what she said to
that ten year old:
“The music is going to be really loud. Don’t let it scare you. Just smile and squeeze my hand.”
As they started the song I recognized it from the radio. My mom always listened to KNEU 1250 AM at the
house and car and I had heard this song more than once. She started to sing the song “Men”. Here are the lyrics and a link to the video. Looking back, it may have been a little grown
up for a ten year old, but I just kept thinking that a beautiful woman is
holding my hand in front of my family, all of my friends, and everyone in my
hometown.
Men
Some men treat you
just like a lady
Others treat you just
like a child
And they can drive you
so far away
Or they can drive you
wild
Some you wanna show to
your mama
And some you wouldn’t
show to your dad
Some wanna take you
straight to the altar
And some just wanna
take you to bed
Women, I’m here to
tell you about ‘em
Men, we couldn’t make
it without ‘em
I’ve loved a few and
I’ve a few that need a friend
There’s nothin’ better
than men to hold
There’s nothin’ better
than men
Some men are as cold
as December
Some are ‘bout as hot
as July
Sometimes they fill
your life with happiness
Sometimes they make
you cry
Women, I’m here to
tell you about ‘em
Men, we couldn’t make
without ‘em
I’ve loved a few and
I’ve found a few that need a friend
There’s nothin’ better
than men to hold
There’s nothin’ better
than men
As she finished singing the song she turned to me and leaned
over to give me a kiss. In shock I
turned my face away…I think I remember hearing a few gasps in the crowd. Then, I came to my senses and turned back. She kissed me on the cheek leaving a
beautiful mark from her dark red lipstick.
The crowd roared and my knees felt weak.
As I left the stage, I was given an autographed picture and
a Charly McClain hat. I took that hat to
school every day for the first month of school.
I remember when Mr. Lowell Caldwell, our principal, came to my
desk. He saw the hat and asked: “What
was better? The hat or the kiss?” It
wasn’t even close between the two. (I was jealous later when I found out that my mother had lunch with Charly McClain and her husband Wayne Massey at the El Cid.)
Other concerts followed through the years—Pam Tillis, Earl
Thomas Connelly (who was very drunk during his concert), and others, but none
were as good as the Charly McClain concert.
I loved watching the rodeos from the announcer’s stand where
I could watch the cowboys with their gear preparing to ride the rough
stock. I loved watching the demolition
derbies and the horse pulls. I loved
listening to the corny clown jokes. I
loved walking through the displays in the Blue Fair Building.
Two summers ago I took my family back into town and we spent
some time at the fair and the rodeo. My
kids loved the parade down Main Street, even with the rain. They loved the food from the vendors outside
the rodeo grounds. Growing up my mom
always warned me not to buy food from a certain food vendor. As we asked one of my friends for a
recommendation she shared several, and then, more than 20 years later, she gave
me the same advice regarding the same food vendor—“Don’t buy food from there.”
As I’ve lived all over the United States and traveled
abroad, I’ve come to realize how truly special it was to grow up in a place
like Duchesne. The Duchesne County Fair
was and is an amazing opportunity for family, friends, and neighbors to come
together every year and celebrate the community and way of life.
