WI;E OF CONTENTS REX DUNN, OKLAHOMA BULLFIGHTER by Sheila Samples He may wear baggy pants and a painted smile, but rodeo bullriders know his job means a lot more than just clowning around. HAVING A FLING WITH FRISBEE GOLF by Missy Kruse It's a cross between golf and a casual Frisbee toss - it's folf (but you can just call it "Frisbee golf"). ZOO STORIES by Kate Jones A visit with two keepers of the keys to the animals'kingdoms at the Oklahoma City Zoo. OKLAHOMA'S ROADSIDE AMBASSADORS by Kate Jones Meet the people who greet travelers at the State of Oklahoma's information centers. YESTERDAY RIDES AGAIN AT LAKE EUFAULA by Kathleen Kunz Summer activities at Lake Eufaula's lodges are taking a backward glance at history. THE BIRDS AND THE BAUMGARTNERS OF LITTLE LEWIS HOLLOW by Linda D.F. Shalaway Fred and Marguerite Baumgartner introduce visitors to the wilds and wildlife of Oklahoma at the Little Lewis Whirlwind nature center. MID-SUMMER MAGIC AT QUARTZ MOUNTAIN by Carol Fitzgerald The Summer Arts Institute is a special kind of camp for Oklahoma's most talented teen-agers. THE RANCH THE ZINKS BUILT by Connie Cronley Hiking or jeeping, camping or just getting away from it all - the recreational riches of the John Zink Ranch can be your group's for the asking. TODAY IN OKLAHOMA BOOKS IN REVIEW ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR Official Magazine of the State of Oklahoma SUMMER 1982 VOL. 32, NO. 3 George Nigh, Governor Staff: Sue Carter, Editor; Kate Jones, Assistant COVERS: Front. Rex Dunn of Hustings does his Editor; Paul Lefebvre, Art and Production; Kevin brand of bullfighting in a clown's get-up. Photo cour- Norman, Circulation Development. tesy of Rex Dunn. Back. The ghost town of Grand, lburism and Recreation Commission: Jim Pate, in Ellis County, comes to life again each summer Chairman; W. R. "Dick" Stubbs, Vice Chairman; when area residents and descendants of those who Celia Rosehberger, Secretary; Rilla Wilcox, James once called Grand home gather for a reunion. One of Durham, Bob Hinton, R. A. "Bob" Hodder, Jarrell the high points of the day is a trip across a farm L. Jennings. pond on an old-fashioned rope swing. Photo by Paul Lefebvre. Published quarterly by the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. Abe L. Hesser, Executive COMING IN THEFALL ISSUE Volksmarch through Director; Eugene Dilbeck, Marketing Services; Ken the Wichitas, then celebrate with a few polkas and Flaming, Lodges; Chuck Woolsey, Administration; a helping or two of clitssic German fare. Visit with Tom Creider, Planning & Development; N. Clay some of the craftspeople who represented Oklahoma McDermeit, Parks. at the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife. Check into how the experts spice their chili. Then Oklahoma lbday subscription prices: $7 per year take a good, long look at the Arkansas River from in the U.S.; $11elsewhere. $1.75 single copy. the back of a horse. Fall offers all this -plus some Copyright 1982 by Oklahoma %day magazine. surprises. So hurry back. 215 N.E. 28th Street, P.O. Box 53384, Oklahoma City, OK 73152. 405/521-2496. Second-class postage paid at Oklahoma City (ISSN 0030 1892). OKLAHOMA TODAY OKIAHOMA BULLFIGHTER If you're a fugitive from justice, National Finals in Oklahoma City. their performances-and ruined their the story goes, the best place to hide We want that gold belt buckle. That's careers. I'm making a good living, is in the Chicago Bears' defensive our trophy, our glory." doing something I love. Why rush it?' line. If you're not built for that type Dunn's chances of being one of Dunn is almost painfully modest, of work, chances are the law won't the three clowns selected for the NFR but he's good and he knows it. "If I find you in a rodeo arena during the this year are good, although he says don't have confidence in what I do, bullriding event, either. he doesn't get hung up on the idea. how can I expect others to trust me, Unless you're the bull, or the rider. "I'm doing what I love," he says. "I to literally put their lives in my hands The other guys out therethe clown live, eat and breathe rodeo. I don't night after night?" in the barrel and the garish-faced bull- know what I'd do if I couldn't fight The top 25 bullriders in the world fighter-they're much like those foot- bulls. I'll be out there as long as I'm obviously agree. They selected Dunn ball linemen. Unless they mess up, physically able, if I never make it to to compete in the Wrangler Pro Rddeo nobody knows or cares what their the finals." Bullfighting Matches, an annual show- real job is. In the six years that Dunn has down of the world's top 12 clowns, However, according to Rex Dunn, been a "card-holding" PRCA rodeo each of whom must fight in six of 20 27-year-old bullfighter from Hastings, clown, he's gone from a $75-a-night rodeos throughout the United States. justice is dealt out more harshly in amateur to a much-in-demand $300- The national bullfighting finals, billed rodeo than in any other sport. "Rodeo to-$500-a-night professional. Only a as "Beauty and the Beast," are held is unforgiving," Dunn says. "Especi- few make his kind of money or book in conjunction with the Miss Rodeo ally bullfighting. You make a mistake, in excess of 100 rodeos a year. America pageant during the NFR you pay the price." He works hard at it. Last year, in in December, and pit the top six On his way to being recognized as one stretch, Dunn worked 19 rodeos finalists in a bullfighting extravaganza. one of the top dozen clown/bullfighters in 23 days, hauling a little "mule," Dunn says the Wrangler compe- in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Booger the Wonder Kar and his trick tition is a "big deal," and clowns Association ( PRCA) , the slightly dogs over a three-state area in his stand to pocket a bunch of coins. built, soft-spoken, battle-scarred young Dooley Crewcab with a 36-foot fifth- "We're guaranteed $1,000 just to show cowboy has paid his dues and paid wheel travel trailer bringing up the up," he says, "and Wrangler pays the price. rear. all our expenses. If we win a match, Since 1970, when Dunn "snuck" "Of course," he says candidly, "it's we get $2,300. Second place is $1,500, away from home and entered a jackpot the finals I'm going after, even though and third is $1,000." rodeo in Chickasha, he's been hooked I figure I'm ahead of the game. I'm According to Dunn, there's not a on rodeo-and he's been stepped on, gonna go to Oklahoma City, but I'm nickel's worth of difference in stomped and run over by some of not gonna rush it. I've seen clowns the skill of the top 12 or 15 rodeo's meanest, hump-backed, slack- want to go to the finals so badly that hided denizens. it messed up their minds, affected "The meaner the bull, the better we look," Dunn explains, admitting the obvious Catch-22 to the life he's chosen. Other athletes get trophies, plaques, titles and glory. The rodeo clown is just a guy with a smile bla- zoned across his face, who was good for some monkeyshines along the way. He's nameless and faceless. Once his makeup is scrubbed away, he melts into the crowd-just another cowboy at another rodeo. "What every clown is striving for," Dunn says, "is a shot at the December FOUR REX Dm, clowns when it comes to saving a cow- .- boy's life. The difference is in style. "In the finals, the bulls will be rank cats," he says. "They'll be hard to get around, hard to get away from, and C it'll sure be a rugged contest." Style is what separates the goods from the greats, according to Dunn. "You can't teach it," he says. "So much of it is reflex, instinct. When a cowboy gets in a storm, you go in and get him. You don't stop to think , ... about it. His life could hang on that split second it took you to decide what to do." Dunn admits that the mechanics of bullfighting can be taught, and there are at least five clown schools in the country, usually run alongside bull- riding schools. "When I started, the only way to learn was to get out there and try to survive," Dunn grins. "I'd run at a bull. He'd run over me. Then I'd get up, scratch my head, bandage my cuts and bruises and swear I wouldn't do thut again." Dunn credits much of hisI style, and his bullfighting philosophy,, to PRCA veteran bullfighter Rick Young who, at 45, is probably one of the highest- 4 by Winnie Durn. w Photo by Hirchman. b FIVE OKLAHOMA BULLFIGHTER paid clowns in the business, as well watch Rick Young," Dunn says, "he'll flat starved out. We lose a lot of good as one of Dunn's Wrangler opponents. make a few passes, show that he knows ones." "Young talked me into going pro how to fight a bull. But then, he'll let Each year at the January PRCA in 1976," Dunn says. "I was banging the bull scatter him.