{"id":16272,"date":"2025-10-04T20:03:59","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T02:03:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/western-history-celebrated-on-main-avenue-during-durango-cowboy-gathering\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T21:56:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:56:12","slug":"western-history-celebrated-on-main-avenue-during-durango-cowboy-gathering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/western-history-celebrated-on-main-avenue-during-durango-cowboy-gathering\/","title":{"rendered":"Western history celebrated on Main Avenue during Durango Cowboy Gathering"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"McKenzie
McKenzie Kuehnert, 4, shows her empty hand to her mom Michelle as she and her sister Bexley, 2, being held by her dad Mark, while feeding alfalfa pellets to Moon. Moon is being ridden by Patty Ann Rager as her husband, Donald Rager, helps out on Saturday during the Durango Cowboy Gathering Horseback Social on Main Avenue in downtown Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Horseback riders on Main Avenue, the scrumptious scent of sizzling bacon and eggs, and the sound of prop pistols firing into the air were telltale signs the Durango Cowboy Gathering was back in town on Saturday.<\/p>\n

After a night of rain, thunder and lightning, the skies over Durango began to clear just in time for the Horseback Social, a newer feature of the Cowboy Gathering first introduced last year that returned on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Equestrians on the backs of horses, mules and burros moseyed up and down Main Avenue, which was gated off to motor traffic, offering rides to eager youngsters.<\/p>\n

The Cowboy Gathering was held Wednesday through Saturday this year.<\/p>\n

Staples of the Cowboy Gathering such as the chuckwagon breakfast, the Wild West shootout and the Cowboy Parade were held Saturday.<\/p>\n

Several thousand spectators lined the sidewalks on Main Avenue to watch the Cowboy Parade. The Bayfield Belles, the Victorians and Durango Cowboy Church proceeded up Main Avenue along with groups such as Salt of the Earth Ranch and Bears Ranch.<\/p>\n

\"Lisa
Lisa and Loren Skyhorse were honored as the Grand Marshals of the Durango Cowboy Gathering Parade during the Horseback Social on Saturday on Main Avenue in downtown Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The parade was completely motorless, in line with old Western themes. Participants walked, rode their horses or were pulled in wagons.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love bringing history to life. Like, it\u2019s so cool. There\u2019s so much culture and history just in Durango,\u201d Jessica Sugar Wolf, a member of the Victorians, said.<\/p>\n

Dan Walstad, who played the outlaw in the Wild West shootout on Main Avenue, said he enjoys playing cowboys as seen in old Western films, and he has fun performing shootouts.<\/p>\n

He performs shootouts at the Georgetown Loop Railroad and reenacts four train robberies per year.<\/p>\n

\u201cDie every time,\u201d he said of the Durango shootout, which is a reenactment of a real shootout that occurred in Durango in 1906.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I cry every time,\u201d Sugar Wolf chimed.<\/p>\n

Chari Perce was brushing her burro Charlie beside her horse trailer on East Second Avenue as the stormy weather cleared.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to be miners,\u201d she said with a smile.<\/p>\n

She reached into her trailer and produced a puppet miner that had a gray, long and a bedraggled beard. The miner will ride Charlie, she said.<\/p>\n

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