“…100% volunteer!”. Those are the words that Legend of Rawhide Board Member Dean Nelson used to greet the packed grandstands at the conclusion of the 2018 Legend of Rawhide show Saturday night. Words that brought a huge applause from the audience. Mingling with the crowd just before curtain call, Nelson explained just what it takes for our big-little community to put on the pageant every year and just how many people get involved. 

Like every year, the Legend of Rawhide performance went on both Friday and Saturday nights, this year falling on July 13 and July 14 respectively. Friday night featured the pre-show, performance, and then dance where the featured band was Southern Fryed. Saturday brought the whole kit-and-kaboodle.

Starting early Saturday morning was the Closest to the Pin contest held in the arena of the fairgrounds. Winner of the competition was Janie Schroeder. Next up was the team driving competition where Ryan Rapp and Dax Dockery took home the prize. The annual cornhole tournament returned this year with twenty participating teams and, this year, was double elimination. When it came down to it, Baylie and Sammie Midkiff took home the custom made 2018 cornhole set. RJ Matthews was this year’s Texas Hold ‘Em tournament winner. 

And then came the Crossroads Show and Shine Car Show. The show was held downtown by the Body Builders Body Shop and took up a better portion of the parking lot across the street. Per Vicki Brown who assisted in the production of the car show, there were 74 total cars and motorcycles in the show with seventeen more motorcycles than last year’s show. In addition to the car show, the group put on the Walking Poker Run where Justin Collins took home the prize with a winning diamond flush ace high. Other prizes during the car show included the Keg-of-Cash that had a $50.00 prize in it, this year going to Eric Mosier. Farthest Miles Traveled was won by Clint Broyles with 700 miles from Wells, Nevada. The ‘Lucky’ award winners were Ken Dixon and Gary Pfister and the three cash prize winners, from first to third, were Cindy Starkey, Jack Garner, and Denise Fry from Firestone, Colorado.

Saturday night’s performance offered a look at the Teri and Dan Goddard family whom have all served with the Legend in one way or another over the last few decades. During a presentation of the Indian Chief Headdress, homage was paid to Danny Hanson. Hanson wore the Headdress as the Indian Chief for many years before he passed it down to his oldest son, Dan Henry Hanson. Both of his boys, Dan Henry and Ben Hanson, who are also Legend Board Members, were there with the rest of the board to present Hanson with the Headdress as they officially retired it from the pageant. Hanson continues with the pageant in the roll of the wagon train drunk. He was presented the Headdress in front of the large crowd before Saturday night’s performance. 

The Legend of Rawhide is a big production put on by the people of the least populated county in Wyoming, but it’s making a big a name. In an effort to gain more information on just who is coming to the Legend, pins to place on a map were offered to all that came through the ticket booth both Friday and Saturday night. The furthest travelers included Thailand and Japan and 38 states were represented in the grand stands between both nights. And just remember, it’s “…100% volunteer!”.