There is no such thing as a boundary between cowboys.
They always stick together, take care of their own, and share their mighty hearts, especially in times of need.
When famed local cowboy Duane Daines heard that his friend and fellow legendary cowboy Lewis Feild, who hails from Elk Ridge, Utah, was seriously ill and in the battle of his life against cancer, he knew he had to help, and that the so-called dividing line known as the 49th parallel was never ever a factor.
“In the rodeo business there is no border. We are just all together,” said Daines. “He is just a good friend. He's got a battle going on right now.”
The 59-year-old Feild is a five-time world champion rodeo cowboy who in 1990 became the first roughstock competitor to earn $1 million in career earnings. When he retired the following year he worked as a pickup man, and coached the rodeo team at Utah Valley State College, his old school.
During his illustrious career he crossed paths with Daines, a former Canadian saddle bronc champion, on the rodeo circuit and while they were fierce competitors they were always friends.
Last New Year's Eve, there was a fundraiser for Feild back in Utah, but Daines was committed back home and could not attend. But he knew he just had to find a way to help out his old friend. He made the decision to give up his prized trophy he won in 1978 for best all around rodeo cowboy at the 50th Annual Mankota Rodeo in Saskatchewan.
“It felt good so I just did it,” said Daines.
And on Jan. 16 at the Innisfail Auction Mart, the saddle was put up for auction during a horse sale. It was sold for $1,900 to Mankota's Donnie and Brenda Peterson and John and Olga Williamson, trophy saddle partners at Mankota Stockmen's Weigh Co. As well, Leslieville's Danny Gibson also made his own generous contribution, said Daines.
“I really want to thank the Peterson family and the Williamson family for buying it, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going down to Lewis Feild. And also Danny Gibson who also made a generous purchase of it, which is going right down to the Feild family,” said Daines, who spoke passionately about the giving spirit of the cowboy community to help others in need, including to himself when he was seriously hurt with a spinal cord injury in 1995.
“It was unbelievable, and everybody does that,” said Daines of the past loving support the community gave him. “It is like everything. Everybody wants to help out each other, whatever the deal is, cowboys, ranchers, friends or whatever. That's what cowboys do, and everybody around here whenever there is anything.”
Duane Daines
"In the rodeo business there is no border. We are just all together. He is just a good friend. He's got a battle going on right now."
