H.R. No. 1122

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, The people of Motley County will join in paying tribute to one of their most prominent favorite sons during Shannon Davidson Pony Express Days, which will be held in June 1997; and

WHEREAS, In addition to an arts and crafts festival, food concessions, music, and western dancing, this unique festival will also feature 25mile and 60mile endurance rides, as well as a quartermile ranch horse race, to memorialize Mr.Davidson's famed victory in the 2,000mile Pony Express Race of 1939; and

WHEREAS, Conceived as a publicity event for the small Texas community in which it originated, the punishing race stretched from Nocona, Texas, to San Francisco, California; Mr.Davidson, a 22yearold cowboy from Flomot, pushed himself to ride 13 or more hours a day through the deserts and plains of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, all for the promise of $750 in freshly minted silver dollars and a Hollywood screen test; and

WHEREAS, On March 24, 1939, 23 days after the starting shot was fired, Mr.Davidson and his two faithful cow ponies, Rocket and Ranger, crossed the finish line in Oakland, California, and later that day, they received a hero's welcome at the San Francisco World's Fair; and

WHEREAS, True to their word, the sponsors of the race arranged for a screen test, and Mr.Davidson went on to work for Republic Studios for the next three years, playing small roles in several western movies, including Gene Autry's Colorado Sunset; and

WHEREAS, In the course of winning the 1939 Pony Express Race, Shannon Davidson exemplified the courage, fortitude, determination, and honesty that Texans have always attributed to our most powerful mythic hero: the cowboy; this esteemed Texan's spirit lives on today in the hearts of all who hold these values dear, and the Shannon Davidson Pony Express Days celebration is a fitting homage to his memory; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas Legislature hereby recognize June 21, 1997, as Shannon Davidson Pony Express Day and commend the Motley County Chamber of Commerce for paying tribute to this notable Texan; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the Motley County Chamber of Commerce as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.

Laney

Laney
Alexander
Allen
Alvarado
Averitt
Bailey
Berlanga
Bonnen
Bosse
Brimer
Burnam
Carter
Chavez
Chisum
Christian
Clark
Coleman
Cook
Corte
Counts
Crabb
Craddick
Cuellar
Culberson
Danburg
Davila
Davis
Delisi
Denny
Driver
Dukes
Dunnam
Dutton
Edwards
Ehrhardt
Eiland
Elkins
Farrar
Finnell
Flores
Gallego
Galloway
Garcia
Giddings
Glaze
Goodman
Goolsby
Gray
Greenberg
Grusendorf / Gutierrez
Haggerty
Hamric
Hartnett
Hawley
Heflin
Hernandez
Hightower
Hilbert
Hilderbran
Hill
Hinojosa
Hirschi
Hochberg
Hodge
Holzheauser
Horn
Howard
Hunter
Hupp
Isett
Jackson
Janek
Jones of Lubbock
Jones of Dallas
Junell
Kamel
Keel
Keffer
King
Krusee
Kubiak
Kuempel
Lewis of Tarrant
Lewis of Orange
Longoria
Luna
McCall
McClendon
McReynolds
Madden
Marchant
Maxey
Merritt
Moffat
Moreno
Mowery
Naishtat
Nixon
Oakley / Oliveira
Olivo
Palmer
Patterson
Pickett
Pitts
Place
Price
Puente
Rabuck
Ramsay
Rangel
Raymond
Reyna of Bexar
Reyna of Dallas
Rhodes
Rodriguez
Roman
Sadler
Seaman
Serna
Shields
Siebert
Smith
Smithee
Solis
Solomons
Staples
Stiles
Swinford
Talton
Telford
Thompson
Tillery
Torres
Turner of Coleman
Turner of Harris
Uher
Van de Putte
Walker
West
Williams
Williamson
Wilson
Wise
Wohlgemuth
Wolens
Woolley
Yarbrough
Zbranek

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Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 1122 was adopted by the House on May 27, 1997, by a nonrecord vote.

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Chief Clerk of the House