by Naomi Loomis, WSRRA Association Representative
The American cowboy has been a worldwide icon since the early 1800s. Today the heritage, values, and traditions of the working ranch are still alive and well. Ranch cowboys are out there living the lifestyle – calving, branding, gathering and doctoring cattle – keeping our ranching traditions alive.
In 2017, the WSRRA established a special honor, the Nelo Mori Heritage of Ranching award, to honor cowboys and/or cowgirls whose unparalleled devotion to land and livestock has earned them notable respect and admiration from their peers. This prestigious award also emphasizes the humanistic, scientific and technological contributions of the ranching and livestock industries to our society..
At the 2017 WSRRA National Finals Ranch Rodeo, WSRRA President Marc Page presented Nelo Mori with the first annual award in front of a large crowd of friends, family and admirers. He said, “We wanted to give the award to a pioneer and someone who blazed the way for the ranching industry. We want to give back and make this award an annual honor for our industry’s most respected people. We don’t live forever. When Nelo passes, the award will become the Nelo Mori Memorial Heritage of Ranching Award.”
Do you know of an individual and/or ranch that we need to spotlight? The WSRRA is accepting nominations for the 2018 Nelo Mori Heritage of Ranching Award. For more details contact the WSRRA at info@wsrra.org
[ “I have achieved the American dream, not because I am terribly rich or have tremendous amounts of cattle or land. I am rich because of my family. My son, daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren are really good cowboys, good ropers, and upstanding citizens.”
– Nelo Mori ]
