Another good cowboy is gone. Springdale’s Guy Terry, father, rancher, Angus breeder and grand volunteer went off to the great pasture in the sky the first week in December.
Guy not only was a polite, quiet man from the old school who tipped his hat to your wife if he met her on the street, he was also steady in his ways of helping others. I met Guy in the early 60s and serviced his poultry farms for Tyson Food. He was one of the first producers of the Cornish game bird, the small chicken product that started Tyson in the meat business.
Guy Terry, Ben Glover and some other farmers supported the Springdale FFA’s efforts to put on some of the largest junior rodeos in the region each summer. Springdale Junior Rodeo hosted hundreds of kids and many of us worked on it around the clock in those days. One year we had 148 bull riders and we rodeoed till dawn to get them all in. Through Guy and the rest of the rodeo boards’ guidance they soon added a saddle for the all-around cowboy, then one for the all-around cowgirl with Nelson-Silva belt buckles for all the event winners. Guy served as the arena director for many years for this event.
Guy made great contributions as parade chairman of the two great rodeo parades on July first and fourth for the Rodeo of the Ozarks for as long as I can recall. We couldn’t have had a parade or at least an organized one without Guy. In his calm manner he solved a hundred problems a day, assisted the judges that volunteered to judge and made certain the trophies were awarded. In the midst of all those floats, half broke wild horses, political dignitaries and queens, Guy simply waved them in the street with his take charge, quiet ways.
It was a thrilling event that a few years ago awarded him the Professional Rodeo Association gold card. Guy was surprised, and told me that he never imagined he’d ever get such an award.
His involvement in the Washington County Sheriff’s posse for decades served all the events like the Washington County Fair, Tontitown Grape festival, as well as searches for the lost and criminal ones. Guy was there, helping keep order when John and June Carter were here for a free concert for Rockefellar, that drew such a large crowd in Hill Billy Holler. Guy was also there when President Richard Nixon came to see Texas and Arkansas play at Fayetteville.
Guy rode with the posse to Fort Smith in the Bi-Centenial Wagon train in 1976 to Fort Smith.
Saint Peter will have a job for Guy, no doubt, and Guy will look up when you arrive and say, “Good to see you again. Looks like we’ll have another busy day.”
To his son and daughter-in-law goes our deepest sympathy and to his friends we will always have the memories of having known a great cowboy and neighbor — and pard, we’ll all miss you. May God bless you.
Western novelist Dusty Richards and his wife Pat live on Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas. For more information about his books you can email Dusty by visiting www.ozarksfn.com and clicking on 'Contact Us' or call 1-866-532-1960.
