 Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States. Mr. President, President Sean Davis and distinguished members of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, ladies and gentlemen, the easiest press question I ever got happened about six months after I came to Washington and someone had just run out of common sense questions. So they said, Mr. Secretary, what is the difference between the rodeo circuit and the Washington circuit? I said, well that's simple. Cowboys don't usually talk unless they've got something to say. And that got me by that one. But that's a true statement. We're pleased to honor men and women here who I think typify the virtues of both self-reliance and independence that made this country great. And when you get out west, where these people were raised in most cases, you learn that self-reliance when you're knee high. And out of that self-reliance comes the independence that's helped our country in the past and will in the future. And when I say independent, I mean independent. I have been honored to be a member of the board of directors of the Rodeo Cowboys Association and of President Reagan's cabinet. And when it comes to independence, I've got to say, Mr. President, as independent as your cabinet is, they come in second to the board of directors of the Rodeo Cowboys Association. I'll never forget when I was a director, we had one director, Cody Bill Smith, who would wait usually until all of the votes had been cast around the boardroom because if they were all yes or all no, whichever side he was on, he'd vote against it because he didn't want his consistency thinking that that august body had gotten together and made any kind of a deal before the open discussion. We, I think, have in common the same vision of the future and an abiding faith in it that you do, Mr. President. And I think we share the same reverence for the traditions of the past. I'm proud to be here. I'm proud to be part of this group. And I know they're all proud that you've honored them by asking them here. I'd like now, if I may, to ask Ken Stemmer from the PRCA if he would give out the awards that were won today. Ken? Mr. President, Mr. Secretary, it's with a great deal of honor that I'm able to announce the winners of our Rodeo this afternoon. The Rodeo Cowboys were pleased to provide that competition for all of the members of government to salute our government for which we're very proud. And we're also very proud to ask you tonight to present each of these winners this afternoon the belt buckles that signified that they've won that Rodeo. The bareback rider was tied, J.C. Trujillo and T.J. Walters. If one of these gentlemen will take the buckle and will match that buckle since it was a tie later in the month. A steer-rassling winner was Joel Edmondson. Joel's right behind you, sir. The calf roping winner was Joel Parsons. The saddle-bronk riding winner was Bobby Brown. The team roping was a father and son team of Dick Yates and J.D. Yates. The ladies' barrel racing was Kaki Lybert. And we also had a tie in the bull riding with Bobby Delvecchio and John Davis. I know those cowboys will wear those special belt buckles with pride. There's probably only one other belt buckle in the world that has that same significance. And that's the belt buckle of the one at the National Finals Rodeo for the World's Champions. And we appreciate your presenting, sir. Thank you. Don't let these few pieces of paper scare you. I once had a lesson in the importance of brevity in a speech. I had made a speech, and in the audience was the late Bill Alexander preacher from Oklahoma. And he took it upon himself to tell me the story of his first sermon. And I thought there was a connection. He said that he'd worked his first appearance in the pulpit. He'd worked for weeks on this first sermon. And then he was to preach at an evening service in a little country church in Oklahoma. He stood up in the pulpit that night and looked out a church that was empty, except for one lone little fellow sitting down there in all the empty pews. So after the music, he went down and he said, look, my friend, I'm just a young preacher getting started. You seem to be the only member of the congregation that showed up. What about it? Should I go through with it? The fellow said, well, I'm a little cowpoke out here in Oklahoma. I don't know much about that sort of thing, but I do know this. If I loaded up a truckload of hay, took it out in the prairie, and only one cow showed up, I'd feed her. But Bill took that as a cue, got back up in the pulpit, and an hour and a half later said, I'm in. And he went back down and he said, my friend, you seem to have stuck with me. And like I told you, I was a young preacher getting started. What did you think? Well, he says, like I told you, I don't know about that sort of thing. But I do know this. If I loaded up a truckload of hay, took it out in the prairie, and only one cow showed up, I sure wouldn't give her the whole load. Secretary Baldridge, Ken Stemler, and all of you, welcome to the White House, and congratulations to all of you winners. This has been a very special day. Watching you out there riding those bulls, I knew that I was among a group that understands what it's like to get a legislative program through Congress. Secretary Baldridge has proven himself a multi-talented cabinet member. Every time we come up to a real problem, he has the same solution. I'll rope him, you tie him. After watching all of you in action, I think Mack and I could put you all to work up here. When I was about the age of some of you, I joined the horse cavalry, and in those days they still had horses in the Army, and I've enjoyed them ever since. It was heartwarming today to see the children out there from the Therapeutic Riding Association. I think we can all be happy that the National Therapeutic Riding Center provides these very special kids this kind of experience, and I know the results have proven that something I learned back in the cavalry is true, and that is that there's nothing so good for the inside of a person as the outside of a horse. American cowboy remains a figure that is dear to the hearts of American people. The men and women of the Old West may not have been as slick as they were sometimes portrayed by Hollywood, but there was a certain integrity of character that shines through as we look back at them from the vantage place of history. Now today we have an author with us, an author who has made enormous contributions to western folklore and our frontier heritage. Louis Lemur's storytelling ability has made him one of the most widely read novelists in American history. 140 million copies of his books have been sold. He's written 87 books, many of which have been adapted for motion pictures and television. He's a man who liked the rodeo, rodeo. See, I've been East too long. I've brought the West to the people of the East and to people everywhere. Former Senator Milton Young, Senators Andrews and Armstrong, along with Congressman Carlos Morehead, have spearheaded an effort that I'm proud to participate in today. If Louis will step forward. There you are. You've sneaked up on me. Just like, just like Bodrie. Well, I have the honor to present to you a very special congressional gold medal. It is for your literary contributions, your contributions to the appreciation of the West, and you are the first novelist who has ever been honored by Congress with this medal. Well, today, Lou and Amour, those of you from the rodeo, you represent this great tradition of the American West. And I know America means a lot to you. I just want you to know that you mean much more to America. I wish you success and good health. Thanks for the fine exhibition today. And now, because of the business that I used to be in, I've saved the applause line for last, let's eat. Oh, yeah.