b'From the BackI would like thank my sponsors: Usher Brand Silver and Saddlery, OF THE BOX SaddleRight Saddle Pads,Omega Fields Supplements, Hassayampa Vetrinary Clinicand Fast Back Ropes.By John SamsillYou can contact me directly at johnsamsillteamroping@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like to schedule a clinic or a lesson.T he world lost a great mangift of making you feel like you were the only personThey did not run the team roping during the on April 10th. If youin the room.performance at this particular rodeo, they ran it later. have competed in even aOf course, I was there already so I went over to the few rodeos around ArizonaDan was a great rodeo announcer. He knew everyonearena to watch the rodeo but mainly just to hear what then chances are you knewand always had a story about whoever it was he wasDan may come up with. Gordy Alderson happened to who Dan Fowlie was. I cantintroducing to the crowd. The fans loved him becausebe up in the calf roping and Im sure Gordy and Dan remember meeting Dan forhe was so informative and had personal informationwere friends before Dan and I were. Dan had a way of the first time but it was over thirty years ago. Dan hasabout everyone. What made him so popular amongteasing his friends when they competed so I couldnt had numerous things posted about him on Facebookthe contestants is that you never knew what he waswait to hear what he would have to say. I was not since his passing with the main theme being what agoing to say. He seemed to mix the truth with justdisappointed! Dan introduced Gordy and talked about great guy he was and that he was a friend to everyoneenough of his imagination to make everyone seemhow he had been roping calves for a long time. Then he met. This is very true! When you would first meetinteresting. He was one of the few announcers that Ihe started going into how Gordy is one of the oldest Dan he made you feel like you were best friends. Iwould make sure to watch the entire rodeo becausecontestants at the rodeo and he is a senior citizen of think that he made you feel that way because he trulyhe would have you laughing so hard. He had such athe rodeo world. Now Gordy wasnt that old but yes he enjoyed people. He was always interested in what youfunny sense of humor. I was at an amateur rodeo onehad been around a long time and everyone who knew had been up to and how you were doing. He had thetime over the 4th of July and Dan was announcing.Gordy was laughing. Dan is telling the crowd to cheer for this old timer and that maybe he had one last good run in him. The crowd is whooping and hollering and Gordy made a good run but Dan talked all the way through it saying things like, look how that old guy got off of his horse, and for everyone to cheer when he was flanking the calf to help him. As if I wasnt laughing hard enough by this time, as Gordy is walking back to When you would firsthis horse he stops to make sure the horse is keeping meet Dan he madethe rope tight and Dan with his quick wit says look hes stopping to catch his breath, so everyone needs to start you feel like you wereclapping to help him with getting back on his horse. Of course, the crowd went wild when he got back on best friends. I thinkhis horse. Things like this are why he was everybodys that he made you feelfavorite announcer!that way because heWhat made Dan such a special person wasnt his announcing. It wasnt just his sense of humor. It truly enjoyed people.was that even with all his great talents if you were in trouble or needed help Dan would be there for you. He always would lend his ear if you just needed someone to talk to or if you needed advice he was there for that too. With Dan, you always knew you had a friend and Im just not sure you can ask for anything more from a person. There were times when Dan was either conducting an interview or giving an interview and I would walk by and for some reason, I would catch his eye and he would flash that smile of his and with that and the look he had in his eye, he spoke everything he wanted to say, good to see you, my friend, without ever skipping a beat. Ill miss my friend! With me rodeoing less I didnt see Dan as often as I would have liked over the last few years but when I did it was like I had just seen him yesterday and we would pick up right where we left off. I know that I am not alone when I say that the loss of our friend has left a void that cannot and will not be filled. I know that Dan was also a son of God and had a strong faith so I know that I will see him again in a better place and we can pick up right where we left off again, but until then you will be missed, my friend!Until next time Ill see you at the back of the box. ArizonaRealCountry.com May 2023 11'