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Cowboy poetry event at 777 ranch in Ferron

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"Mr. Weatherman gives guests a ride with the mule drawn wagon."

By PHIL FAUVER Staff Writer

On June 9 there was a gathering to listen to Cowboy Poetry at the 777 Ranch East of Ferron out on Dutch Flat. This is an annual event hosted by Rick and Genny Benson, they are the camp directors and ranch management. This event is held on the second Saturday of June and is the 18th Annual Cowboy Poetry Show at the 777 Ranch.
In spite of the high winds blowing 30-50 miles an hour, from the West, causing the dust and the dirt to blow around over the ranch, people did not stay away. They were looking forward to a very entertaining evening and a great meal.
Before the evening festivities began, during the afternoon, guests were offered trail rides, wagon rides, and a desserts only Dutch oven cook-off. There were actually two cook-offs. There was a cook-off for the youth ages 12 to 18, and a cook-off for the adults.
That evening the ranch served an excellent dinner of barbecued chicken, pork loin and beef roast, with baked potato, salad and lemonade, accompanied by numerous desserts. Guests said, “The food was outstanding.” Brad Benson, the son of Rick and Genny Benson barbecued the meat for this event.
The guests in attendance became excited when they saw the two performers from Texas tuning up in preparation to sing country western songs and tell cowboy poetry stories.
The program for the evening was announced by Rick Benson. The first performer was Jeff Gore from South of Abilene, Texas. He is a poet and singer with a tenor voice. Gore sang some Marty Robbins songs and some songs written by himself. Gore has earned many awards through the years with his cowboy music and poetry. Gore performed here at the same event last year.
The second performer was Jean Prescott, a native Texan with multiple awards for singing and songwriting. Prescott in the midst of singing her country western songs she would suddenly start yodeling. She even tried to teach the audience to yodel. She said it is through her songs that she shares her love of Western life. Prescott and her husband, Gary operate a cow/calf operation in Texas and they raise quarter horses
Prescott and Gore live 20 miles apart in Texas. Something must have happened to Prescott’s guitar before the program, because for this event, she used Gore’s guitar. During the program Prescott and Gore harmonized a few of the songs. At the end of the program Gore’s wife joined him harmonizing a song about Jerusalem.
Each of the performers had music CDs available for purchase.
The 777 ranch is a working ranch that invites young people and adults to come and participate in the work of the ranch. This is also a Christian youth camp helping young people develop skills and a strong work ethic. The youth learn by doing some of the work on the ranch and by dealing with the animals on the ranch. The ranch provides horsemanship instructions for both youth and adults. Adults and youth come from all over the United States to experience working on this ranch.
The 777 ranch is a nonprofit corporation governed by a Board of Directors. Rick the camp director and ranch manager has been involved in Christian camping since the early 1960s at various locations in Southern California. He and his family moved to Ferron in 1996 and have been working to build up the facilities and develop the ranch programs.
Genny has previously worked as a schoolteacher, a camp counselor, kitchen menu planner and purchaser. Genny now oversees the 777 ranch kitchen.

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