Cowboys and cowgirls are moseying on over to the Flint Hills Discovery Center this Friday for the 2023 Kansas Cowboy Poetry Contest Championship.
According to a Monday release, a total of seven contestants have advanced to this year’s finals. Betty Burlingham, Manhattan; John Marks, Gypsum; Mary Powell, Longton; Colby Richard, Ellsworth; Kasey Rieff, Sarcoxie, MO; and Scott Wiswell, Valley Center have entries in the serious poem category.
Burlingham, Marks, Powell, Rieff, and Wiswell are also competing in the humorous category along with Russell Graves, Arkansas City.
Performances will be assessed by a panel of celebrity judges including former Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, State Representative Kenny Titus, Manhattan City Mayor Mark Hatesohl, and former Miss Rodeo K-State Janet Bailey.
The event kicks off at 7 p.m. Admission is free and open to all members of the public.
