Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / Aug. 20, 1981, edition 1 / Page 20
Part of The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Page 10-B Riley Continues Family Tradition Os Lifelong Association With Rodeo 'WINSTON-SALEM As a song title, “On The Road Again” is one of country music singer Willie Nelson’s greatest hits. In hardback, the same title would more aptly describe the life story of Kelly Riley, former pro rodeo cowboy turned pro rodeo businessman, f Riley, 32, oversees R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.’s sponsorship of professional rodeo as team manager of the Winston Rodeo Series. Riley averages between 60,000 and 70,000 travel miles each year, jetting back and forth from Reynolds Tobacco’s headquarters here to Winston Salem events in Joseph, Ore., West Palm Beach, Fla., and 68 other cities in between. '. It might be a cumbersome lifestyle for some businessmen. But for Riley, Dr. Melvin T. Steel Providence Church Revival Set Providence Missionary Baptist Church, at 214 W. Church St. in Edenton, will hold their fall revival beginning August 24 through August 28. The services will begin each night at 7:30 P.M., with special music every night. Dr. T. Melvin Steel, pastor of the New First Baptist Church in Portsmouth, Va., will be the guest minister. The pastor, Dr. J. L. Fenner, and congregation invite all to attend. Hospitalized Richard Geist, active in politics in Pennsylvania, was flying a motorized hang glider at the Edenton Municipal Airport when it lost power and crashed at the south end of the runway. The accident occurred on August 13. Geist suffered a badly mangled right hand, ap parently cut by the cable on the glider, and a fractured left ankle. He was taken to Chowan Hospital, then to Albemarle Hospital, and later transferred to Duke Medical Center. Reports For Duty Marine Pvt. Jeffery W. Vaughan, son of Lassie G. and Sarah N. Vaughan of Route 2, Box 213, Edenton, has reported for duty with Headquarters, Bth Motor Transport Battalion, Camp Lejeune, N. C. Letter To Editor . Dear Friends: As I am unable to per sonally thank everyone who contributed to the William Burke Fund for my new legs, I am taking this means to do so. show of love and concern has touched me more deeply than I can put into words. ~My special thanks to Radio Station WCDJ for gsVing the time and to my frjends of the Perquimans County Male Chorus, who assisted me in appearing on the benefit broadcast, and for the publicizing of my need in The Chowan Herald. .1 appreciate the generous donations of area churches and individuals, who enabled me to go to Norfolk Atigust 10 to obtain my jnrtbosis. Nearly S9OO has been given, which not only fjgid the balance on my ftoothesis but will help with : God bless each of you for your gifts of love, which I «iere so bountiful. Humbly, j William “Sh*” Burke rodeo and the travel that is so much a part of the sport, became away of life the day he was born. The only noticeable difference today is the three-piece suit he often wears between his hat and boots. Riley was reared in the tiny town of Aledo, Tex., (near Ft. Worth), the eldest child of Lanham and Mitzi Lucas Riley. From the start, Kelly was destined to love rodeo. His father was one of the top pro calf ropers in the 19505. His mother, Mitzi Lucas, was perhaps even more well-known as a famous trick rider. “I can remember going ■ BRH ■ ■ "■wnwaawuusMwwjgmauMmamummamuMaumwmmMMm 1 I mKm. || V I . m m ■ | W • m mm II if m a b I I * ■ U I I i I II m -tli ■■ m m I m ■ n W M II ; 1 ▲ ■■ %# lU^U n All w IS mm " ■ 52 I 1% AVC .f l#Mlk I mm Ak I 1 wf SAVE l $5.00 JP JR. LEVI JEMS SS“ $1 C 97 Save $6" X %3 COMPARE AT $22.88. 100% COTTON DtNIM. 5-POCKET WESTERN STYLE. SIZES 3-15. NO RAINCHECK. Jll§ SAVE #lft $2.11 PUID BLOUSE £SQBB COMPARE AT $8.99. POLY/COT. LONG SLEEVE BLOUSE. BUTTON FRONT. ASSORTED PLAIDS. SIZES, S, M, L. SYrtangferff mm SAVE II | $4.02 J ■ MEN’S JEANS BOTS JEANS £sl3 97 h*10 97 COMPARE AT $17.99. 100% PREWASHED COTTON 100% PREWASHED COTTON DENIM. REGULAR FIT. BOOT DENIM. STRAIGHT LEGS. SIZES CUT. SIZES 30-40, 8-12, REGULAR OR B-U, SUM. with my dad to places like Phoenix, Cheyenne and Madison Square Garden when I was just four or five years old,” says Riley. “My idol was Casey Tibbs (former world All-Around Cowboy champion) because he used to take me behind the chutes to meet the other cowboys. He took me under his wiig and that was a pretty big thrill at that age.” Riley’s rodeo Mood ac tually goes back two generations to his maternal grandparents. His grand father, Buck Lucas, was a champion steer wrestler in the 19205. Tad Barnes Lucas, Kelly’s grand THE CHOWAN HERALD mother, was one of the first trick riders of modern rodeo and developed many of the standard trick riding routines still used today. “(toe of the well-known tricks she perfected was sliding all the way under die , belly of the horse while the horse gallops at a dead run,” Riley recalls. “She was in Tex Austin’s Wild West Show which toured all over this country and also in England and Europe. “My mother’s the one who really grew up in rodeo,” he adds. “She had already started performing with my grandmother in the wild west shows when mom was M fc-. 1 0 IERUL ESSENCE «« ssr sum fl2r ' fSI m ffMI ««• II AKSn COMPARE AT $1.27. i MR MEUMUn $ J 16 MLRFMiT $099 I ban I » REATK47 -*■ ANTiPCnsmuMT 1 GRANULATED I r —| SWEETNLOW Al Cl | I I iy uS-paogperbS 0 NO-NONSENSE NOSE si” v HHHHH price H COMPARE UPTO $1.69. CHOOSE REGULAR, QUEEN SIZE, OR SHEER PANTYHOSE WIDE BAND KNEE-HI'S. SUBJECT TO ■ EARLY SELL-OUT. j ERASER MATE PEN II QQc ft! Cfe fils. 91 .ytT.mli COMPARE AT $1.98. i ERASABLE INK PEN. ASSORTED ■ 3 \ : COLOR BARRELS. • v hggfcj coffeeMlters I cOMpH 57C. FITS BASKET TYPE COFFEE MAKERS, j U 50-FILTERS PER BOX. -Jg MAXWAY MOTOR OIL ot a 67 C I mm yjg COMPARE AT 77C. 30- * I™ WEIGHT. LUBRICATES THE .Mil MM ENGINE. 1-QUART. SUBJECT TO mmssmam EARLY SELL-OUT. | very young.” Appropriately, Riley’s parents started dating in New York City while he was competing and she was trick-riding at Madison Square Garden. Although Lanham Riley began his careeer riding bulls, he later turned to calf roping and nearly won world titles in both 1951 and 1955. “Pro rodeo has changed in many ways since my father competed,” says Riley. “Os course, there’s a lot more money and major sponsors such as Winston are in volved. “But in dad’s time, most of the top cowboys learned their expertise on the ranch itself and just rodeoed in their spare time. Today, it’s more of a business. High school and college com petition prepares a cowboy for the pros, just like with other sports.” Riley attended one of the top college rodeo schools, Tarleton State at Stephenville, Texas, enrolling the year after the school captured the national intercollegiate title in 1967. Although his father had specialized in the timed events, Riley opted for the danger and excitement of bull riding. “I rode bulls in college I MEN’S TUBE SOCKS IR SOCKS WITH ASSORTED LOR STRIPE TOP. SIZES 10-15. “ WASTE BIOS GS, 32-QT. SIZE. 15-BAGS, 44- . SIZE. 10-BAGS, 26-GAL. SIZE. 6-BAGS, LEAF, BUSHEL SIZE. CON-TACT BRAND I KANSMRENT ADHESIVE I j and then for five years in the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association),” says Riley, who admits he made a living but not much else while on the pro tour. “I broke my arm three different times, my wrist once and my collarbone once. I had a slight problem with injuries.” With his future as a professional cowboy somewhat in doubt, Riley was understandably elated when Reynolds Tobacco offered him the position of assistant team manager in January 1977. He was promoted to rodeo team manager in May of this year Thursday, August 20, mi “Working with the Win-; ston Rodeo Series has really been the chance of a lifetime for me,” adds Riley, who ik single. “The cowboys are easy for me to work with.; And they have an awful loti of respect for Reynolds’! sponsorship because we: were the first major cor poration to support rodeo on; a full-time basis (beginning; in 1972). “I must admit that I still; have some desire to get; back on those bulls every; now and then,” says Riley with a grin. “Then I start; thinking about all those: broken bones. PhysiciallyJ this job is a lot easier.”
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 20, 1981, edition 1
20
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75