The National Cowgirl Museum sponsored a Holiday Poetry Contest judged by 1997 Honoree and poet, Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns. Thank you to everyone that submitted poetry and congratulations to the winners listed below…

Winners of the 2011 Holiday Poetry Contest

10 and Under Category: Snow You Know by Michael Chapa 
Honorable Mentions:
Red Hatted Cowboy by Trigg Moore
Christmas Day by Leah Sawyer
A Cowboy’s Find on Christmas by Claire Brennan
Puzzled by Andrew Trevino

11-14 Years Category: Wild by Caroline Bennett

15-17 Years Category: The Gallop by Kristyn Harris

18 and Older Category: East Texas Christmas by Jeff Campbell
Honorable Mention:
Playin’ Cowboy As A Child by Ola Fay Denman Heflin

A Letter from Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns…

I tip my cowgirl hat in appreciation to Cindi Collins and the Cowgirl Hall of Fame for sponsoring this Poetry Contest,  and for allowing me the honor of judging it. 

The number of entries amazed me, and I’d like to commend all the contestants on the quality of their submissions. 

Choosing winners was extremely difficult — believe me, I was torn between several entries and saddened to be able to name only one.  I want all you contestants to know I went  back and forth between many poems I love before making a final painful decision….

You should all pat yourselves on the back for being great writers.  Please write more, and get them published — people need to read what you have to say!

The teachers deserve special accolades for encouraging their students to participate in this event.  Since there seems to be so much interest in cowboy poetry, I’d like to suggest that you read these students some of the classic cowboy poems.  I believe they’d love the works of such talented writers Badger Clark, S. Omar Barker, Bruce Kiskaddon and Gail Gardner.

My best to each of you, and Merry Christmas!
Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns