English couple take cowboy holiday

Frank Davies and Jo Burton pursued cowboy dreams all the way from England.

Frank Davies lived his cowboy dreams last week.

The truck driver from Sheffield, England, along with his wife, Jo Burton, built their two-week American vacation around the Sisters Rodeo -- where they immersed themselves in the kind of cowboy action that has thrilled Frank since he was a kid.

Back in England, Frank does what he can to live the cowboy way -- on a steel horse.

"Like all little boys, I always wanted to be a cowboy," he said. "And since I don't have room to keep a horse, I turned me Harley into the horse."

He tricked out his bike with a cowboy saddle, with a scabbarded replica Winchester rifle on the side. A painting of Monument Valley -- the archetypal setting of John Ford's Westerns -- graces the gas tank.

Jo is not quite so enamored of horses as her husband, but she enjoys the "cowboy thing" in her own way.

"I like the clothes, the style," she said.

The couple discovered Central Oregon through an ad for motorcycle adventures in an English biker magazine. The Central Oregon road trip was jettisoned as soon as Frank found out they didn't offer Harley Davidsons to ride.

But by that time, they'd found out about Sisters and the Rodeo. The pictures in the brochures they sent for sealed the deal.

"It looked so quaint," Jo said. "As soon as I mentioned it to Frank, he was sold. We were going to the rodeo this summer."

Rodeo is not the easiest sport to follow in England. In fact, says Frank, "it's not possible to do it."

So the couple had only a general idea of what to expect. They were impressed, not only by the events themselves, but by the continuous, professional entertainment spectacle they enjoyed.

As luck would have it, the couple picked the perfect accommodations for their stay in Sisters.

The Lazy Rockin' B 'n C Ranch Bed-and-Breakfast is owned and operated by Cindy and Bert Murray, who are both deeply involved with the Sisters Rodeo and are examples of the western lifestyle Frank and Jo love.

According to Jo, getting to know the Murrays was like reuniting with long-lost friends.

Jo noted that Central Oregon is an exceptionally welcoming place and Frank was dazzled by the "beautiful, unspoiled countryside."

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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