HORSES! HORSES! HORSES!
and MORE FUN!

See you October 2025

2024 Cowboy Parade – Grand Marshals
Lindy and Eldon Simmons

Lindy and Eldon Simmons are ranchers in the Mancos Valley where they raise lowline Angus cattle. They are perpetual volunteers and often host chuckwagon dinners that benefit various groups in the Mancos area.

Lindy Simmons has been a member of the Durango Cowboy Gathering Board of Directors for more than twenty years and served as its President for two years.

Lindy is a well-known cowboy poet and winner of the 2021 International Western Music Association Poetry Contest. She has been cited as a visionary for her annual Cowboy Theater production known as a “Variety Show With a Twist.” The program has played for 16 years during the annual Durango Cowboy Gathering. Lindy was also a professor at Fort Lewis College for more than 40 years and now dedicates much of her time to the Mancos Valley Historical Society.

Eldon Simmons is a former rodeo cowboy and Monfort pen rider. He worked as a Forest Service range biologist and long-term Mancos Rural Water manager while running his own cattle operation. He also owns River Traders Saddlery which specializes in custom saddles and leather repair.

For many years, Eldon has been deeply involved in western youth activities. He serves as a 4-H livestock, rodeo, and FFA leader. He was also a County Fair, Habitat Partnership, and Natural Resources board member.