National Day of American Cowboy Rides Again

The fourth annual National Day of the American Cowboy will be celebrated on July 26, 2008.

June 23, 2008 — For the fourth year running, Americans everywhere will be celebrating the National Day of the American Cowboy (NDAC), this year slated for July 26. Parades, chuck wagon cook-offs, roping contests, street fairs and rodeos are just a few of the many different regional events taking place all across the country to commemorate the American cowboy and cowgirl and their important contributions to the nation’s history and culture.

American Cowboy magazine launched the NDAC campaign in 2004, asking Americans to support the passage of a resolution designating the fourth Saturday of July the official day of the American cowboy and encouraging them to pay homage to the cowboy through celebrations, ceremonies and related activities.

The NDAC resolution was first passed by the United States Senate in 2005, thanks to Senator Craig Thomas of Wyoming, the resolution’s sponsor and leading proponent, and the outpouring of public support in the form of petitions, letters to legislators and President George W. Bush. That same year, President Bush issued a statement of support for the resolution, claiming, “We celebrate the cowboy as a symbol of the grand history of the American West.”

The resolution was again passed in 2006 and 2007, and is currently awaiting passage for 2008 (it must be reintroduced each year until it is officially designated a national day of observance by the President).

For more information about NDAC and celebrations around the country, visit the official National Day of the American Cowboy website at www.cowboyday.com.

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