Tío Cowboy: Juan Salinas, Rodeo Roper and Horseman

15 Accolades and Kudos

15 Accolades and Kudos After Tía Bertha’s death, we became aware of how much help Tío needed. With Bertha alive, they put on a very good front; Tío looked and acted strong and independent. With Tía Bertha gone, we found out that Juan needed help with everything he did. We learned we had to help bathe him, dress him, and help with bathroom necessities. His eyesight was very poor and by now, 1990, he had lost muscle tone and coordination. My brother Abe was the only one around who did not have young children and who was able to take care of him, so the consensus decision was that Abe and his wife Angie would come and live with Tío. We started with a whole string of driver/helpers. They lasted an average of six months. They either quit or we had to fire them, then we would get another one. After work I hurried to Tío’s house, and let the driver/helper/ hand-holder go home. Abe and Angie, who both worked in Laredo , drove to their home in Los Botines 20 miles away, got their stuff for the night, and then traveled to Tío’s. When they arrived, I was relieved and able to go home to my family. In the morning, the driver showed up and Abe and Angie were free to go for the day, then we would do it all over again. Tía Bertha died in April 1991, and in late June, I heard that Tío Juan had been named Rancher of the Year by Borderfest. Borderfest was a nonprofit organization in Laredo organized about ten years earlier to hold a huge carnival bazaar at the Laredo Civic Center grounds during the Fourth of July weekend. Naturally, I 154 Tío Cowboy agreed that he should accept, and then had to talk him into it. Although he was reluctant to accept, he needed the distraction from Tía Bertha’s death and the grief and loneliness that came with it. The usual schedule for the Rancher of the Year was a visit to the rancher’s house by the committee and the media, about a week before the fiesta; a supper at the Laredo Civic Center a few days later; and an appearance at the festival itself. We prepared for the visit, and Tío’s main concern was, what if the toilets won’t flush? I bought the steaks, the women prepared all the trimmings, and we hosted about twenty people. The Borderfest photographer took pictures of the barn, the trophy saddles, the horses, cattle, the house, and of course Tío Juan and the rest of us. That evening, the six o’clock news on television had a segment on the Borderfest Rancher of the Year. They showed the horses Rancher of the Year, Borderfest, Laredo, 1991. Left to right: Abe Palacios Jr., Maggie Rubio, Tío Juan, Angela Shipton, Ricardo Palacios, Jessie Hines Trophy saddle, Horseshoe Inn, Corpus Christi, 1956 156 Tío Cowboy galloping around the pen, then the rodeo pictures in the den, and then the cute blond reporter asked him several questions. She then asked about Tía Bertha, “Please tell me about your wife. How did she like the rodeo life, and living on the ranch for so many years?” Tío answered in his cowboy English, “she liked it okay, we were married for over fifty years, and she never did quit me. She never did quit me.” Not quite responsive to the question, but certainly how he felt about her commitment. During this period, I began to inquire about his nonstatus with the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. I was curious as to why he was not in the Hall. It was common knowledge that while he might not have been World Champion, he was ranked very high during his era. During his roping days and for about twenty years afterward, Tío Juan was a celebrity in area roping circles, a celebrity around his home near Encinal, and of course in Laredo. Everyone within a 100-mile radius knew of Juan Salinas and knew that he was a champion roper. As time passed, his popularity waned, and even in Laredo, 30 miles away, his recognition and celebrity began to diminish. The older Juan Salinas got, it seemed fewer and fewer people...