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Hometown ■ . Hero J wmM'A* Si#*** p snmtf\ Dan Eoff hosts the chuck wagon championships each Labor Day weekend at his Clinton, Ark., ranch. DIABETES? Read This! Help is now Available for you. If you have Medicare, Champus Or Private Insurance You Can Receive Your Diabetic Supplies With Little or NO COST to you. We are a Medicare Participating Provider since 1995 Participating provider of Blue Cross and many others Assignment Accepted. There are never any Upfront Costs to you. Risk Free / Guaranteed in Writing! We do all the insurance paperwork for you. FREE DELIVERY TO ANYWHERE IN THE N ATION We are LICENSED, BONDED AND INSURED SEE HOW EASY AND INEXPENSIVE IT IS Apply over the phone in 5 minutes, the call is Free Call 9 am to 5 pm eastern time 1-800-689-4377 Diabetes Providers Inc. NO HMO’S (HMO’S do not qualify for this program) Championing the Chuck Wagon Races Dan Eoff, 57, says he was "bom to be a cowboy.” And no one would challenge that claim within a 2(X)-mile radius of his 700-acre Little Red River homestead near Clinton, Ark. (pop. 2,283). It’s not just that Eoff—a burly man with a 10-gallon hat and handle bar mustache—looks the part, which lie does. Or that lx- runs die town’s feed store and makes his living rais ing cattle on a ranch lie carved out of a brush pile. Rather, his cowboy fame lias spread around the world and back because Eoff is creator and care taker of tile National Championship Chuckwagon Races, which take place each Labor Day weekend at his Bar Of Ranch. The acclaimed race started as a simple get-together among friends and neighbors. The idea came in 1985 after Eoff and his wife, Peggy, attended a chuck wagon race in Cheyenne, Wyo. When they returned home, he sug- gested throwing a Labor Day party with their own “little wagon race.” The Eofts expected a few dozen peo ple to show up, but word of mouth spread and S(X) people trekked up the ranch’s dirt nxid to join in tlx festivities. The following year, more than 2,(XX) people came and, last year, the chuck wagon race party attracted 20,(XX) spectators and 375 participants in eight events — from the Okla homa Land Rush to the Snowy River Race. Although an amateur event, Eoff awards winners with saddles, belt buckles and “Chuckwagon Bucks” that can be exchanged for a variety of goods during a weeklong trade show accompanying the race. Danny Newland, a rodeo announcer and high scliool friend of Eoff hasn’t missed a Labor Day at the ranch in two decades. In fact, Newland is the voice of Clinton's chuck wagon races. His rapid fire cadence keeps pace as chuck wagon teams race across the quarter-mile bot tomland track toward the finish line. “I’ve never met anyone like him,” Newland says of Eoff He's a great guy . . . and a workaholic.” EofTs wife concurs. "Dan always says, 'lnstead of talking about what we used to do, let's talk about what we did today,’" says Peggy, 48. That spirit explains why tlx Eofts "little wagon race” has grown into a national event where cowboys and cow girls from across tlx nation come to see and be seen, as well as to match Rate This Story How did you like this story? Log on www.americanprofile.comlrate SPECIAL OFFER COWBOY COOKING Cast iron is easy to use, durable - and nostalgic. Most importantly, it makes great food! Chock full of recipes and tips for cast-iron cooking, you’ll learn how to select, season and easily care for this versatile cookware. To order the book for ONLY $19.99 + delivery, go to www.americanprofile.com/store or please have your J credit card ready and call (800) 715-6248 or send check J for $25.94 to Cast Iron Book Offer - Dept AP, P.O. Box j 340, Harrison, AR 72602. (.A, TN, 11., AR, \Y residents add state sales tax NSF checks are automati- w tally debited for amount of check plus applicable fees. Offer expires 10/20/06. « Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. Satisfaction guaranteed or we will refund vour purchase price less s<nli their racing mettle against other com petitors. "This is tlx largest horse event in the country," Eoff says, adding that more tlian S,(XX) horses and mules were “clxcked in" for last year's event. Not all of tliose animals raced, lxiwever. Many riders participate in parades through town, as well as breakfast and sunset rides on tlx ranch throughout the week- Ranch eight consecutive Libor Day weekends. He and his wife make the event an annual pilgrimage—camping on "staked out" sites, cooking over a campfire, attending trade shows and concerts by country music singers. “It’s a lot of fun,” Barnes says. It’s also a lot of work. Organizers acknowledge that, over the years, tlx event lias taken on a life of its own. “I don’t know if we can stop," Peggy says. To which her husband, a chuck wagon racer who's never taken a prize at his own party, says he’ll keep "going round the track” until he no longer can. Margaret Dor nans is a freelance writer in Ozark. Ark. The 21st National Champi onship Chuckwagon Races are scheduled Sept. 1-3. Visit www.chuckwagonraces.com for more details. Page 12 end. “People want to be a part of it, to dress- up and show off their horses.” Some folks savor tlx Old West atmo sphere. Gary Barnes of Pryor, Okla. (pop. 9,115), has camped out at tlx Bar Of Cast-Iron | Cooking [ -DUMMIES f • T ' ; r’f'f ; * American Profile