Abilene Wide Open: Western Heritage Classic a roundup of Big Country culture

Abilene Reporter-News

A cattle dog ducks beneath a steer's hoof during the Roy Cox Canine Connection demonstration Saturday at the Western Heritage Classic

The Western Heritage Classic rode herd on Abilene at the Taylor County Expo Center.

The celebration of western culture, at least as it's understood in West Texas, featured a rodeo, horse racing, cattle dog demonstrations and vendors off all stripes.

One of the footwear examples from Ozuna Boot Company.

Esteban Cristina's Indian skull boots were an eyecatcher in the Round Building, but it sounded as if he was having a harder time catching a buyer.

"Yeah, that one took a lot of work, If you know anybody who needs a size-15 boot, send them down," he said, laughing.

Kathy Bowen of Roscoe takes a rest after participating in the chuckwagon competition with the Scorpion Cattle Company.

Ronald Erdrich is the photojournalist and a columnist for the Abilene Reporter-News. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.

Cowboys shop, sell and snooze in the Round Building Saturday.