Cowboy Rhymes Seek Top Prize

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Seven cowboys will compete in Kansas next week, hoping their rhymes will place them atop the craft’s peak. The Kansas Cowboy Poetry Finals will take place June 9th in Manhattan, celebrating the craft of composing couplets about cattle ranching and working outdoors. Contest organizer Ron Wilson, dubbed the “Poet Lariat” of Kansas, explains the importance of writing poetry about cowboy life.

Central MO Info · 23 0602 Ron Wilson on Kansas Cowboy Poetry Finals criteria

Six poems are up for top entry in each the humorous and serious categories, out of 17 entries made at a pair of regional contests. Wilson says a panel of judges will decide the best poem on three criteria.

Central MO Info · 23 0602 Ron Wilson on the cultural significance of Cowboy Poetry

The winning poets will receive a trophy buckle, membership in the International Western Music Association, gift certificates to several western stores, and two tickets to the following night’s Symphony in the Flint Hills. The Kansas Cowboy Poetry Finals take place next Friday, June 9th at the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan, and is free and open for the public to attend.