Bill Text: MS SR10 | 2016 | Regular Session | Engrossed
Bill Title: Recognize 40th Anniversary and contributions of the Ralph Morgan Rodeo in Meridian, Mississippi.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-5)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-04-07 - Immediate Release [SR10 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2016-SR10-Engrossed.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2016 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Jackson (32nd), Carmichael, Burton
Senate Resolution 10
(As Adopted by Senate)
A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE TREMENDOUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SPORT OF RODEO IN MISSISSIPPI BY RALPH MORGAN ON THE OCCASION OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RALPH MORGAN RODEO IN MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI.
WHEREAS, April 8-9, 2016, marks the 40th Anniversary of the semiannual Ralph Morgan Rodeo in Meridian, Mississippi, which has become a traditional family event in East Mississippi. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event includes bareback bronc riding, bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, calf scramble, cowgirl's barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down roping; and
WHEREAS, if there is one person who is excited about the Ralph Morgan Rodeo, it is Ralph Morgan himself. When he was 13, Morgan's father was sidelined, so the young man went to work as a logger, and eventually established a successful logging company. In his early twenties, after his marriage to Lib, Morgan entered the rodeo world; and
WHEREAS, throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, Morgan racked up numerous trophies and awards in the rodeo world. By the mid-1970s, he was ready to build and operate his own arena to serve the regional rodeo circuit. "By the late 1970s, we were getting big crowds," recalls Morgan's son, Johnny, who credits the rodeo's success to his father and partner James Harper's experience in the business; and
WHEREAS, through the years, Ralph Morgan has made many friends in the rodeo business. Among those are retired Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Lester Spell, Jr., who said Morgan's work ethic is legendary. "Young people aspiring to be successful in life would gain immense insight by meeting him and observing his work ethic, his relations with his fellow man, regardless of their status in life, and his love and devotion to family and friends," Spell said. "He lives by the Golden Rule and is a faithful Christian who incorporates the basic tenets of Christian living in all of his dealings. Quietly and without any recognition, he has often come to the aid of others in their time of need"; and
WHEREAS, during the rodeo, the economy is improved by visitors who eat in local restaurants and stay in area hotels. The community continues to support this tradition because it gives children the opportunity to experience nontraditional athletes and livestock animals in a competition that is very patriotic, paying tribute to our country and the American way of life. "Beyond his contributions to the economy, Morgan has made tremendous contributions to the sport of Rodeo in Mississippi and beyond," Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Cindy Hyde-Smith said. "When I think about rodeos the first person that comes to mind is Ralph Morgan," she said. "I commend him on 40 successful years of the Ralph Morgan Rodeo. Whether it is the Ralph Morgan Rodeo in Lauderdale or the Dixie National Rodeo in Jackson, his rodeos have played an integral part in providing countless opportunities for aspiring youth to follow their rodeo dreams"; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we commend a legacy of family entertainment by a Mississippi family. The State of Mississippi has been truly blessed by Ralph Morgan's presence and generosity:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby recognize the tremendous contributions to the sport of Rodeo in Mississippi by Ralph Morgan on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the Ralph Morgan Rodeo in Meridian, Mississippi, and extend the best wishes of the Senate on this auspicious occasion.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented at the Ralph Morgan Rodeo, forwarded to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.
