By Nila Harris
Clay Bowman loved to run flags at the Pendleton County Youth Fair. In fact, he seemed to love everything about the fair. He rode in the pole bending events. He did barrel racing. And if his parents Mike and Dorothy Bowman couldn’t find him in the arena, they often found him sitting on a picnic table chatting with friends—young and old alike. Dorothy stated that “Clay was a social butterfly. He loved older people and just had to know what they knew.”
The Clay Bowman Memorial Flag Race is one of the equine events at the fair. “It may have been started by Charlie Frank (Peoples) or Steve and Patti Thomas.” Dorothy told how Clay learned a lot from these people and looked up to them. Tragically, Clay was killed in an automobile accident in February 2009, yet that following July, Clay was honored by having the flag race name changed. Plus, a bench was placed in the arena in memory of Clay. He was a member of the 4-H Young Riders for many years, and the flag race was a popular event amongst his peers. In this race, the rider races to retrieve a flag, then hurries to the other end of the arena to place it in a bucket of sand. Clay rode his horse named Charlie in the event every year. Dorothy stated that not all horses “can run flags” and that friends of Clay have borrowed Charlie to participate in the flag race. Clay’s 20-year-old sister Holly competes in the flag race each year, riding Charlie. “Charlie is a gifted horse, one that knows everything and had a bond with Clay. Now he has a bond with Holly. It is a pretty amazing thing to have a horse gifted to you. He (Charlie) did amazing things for Clay—lots of money and saddles.” And Dorothy claimed that Clay is Holly’s guardian angel and rides along with her. Dorothy says, “Clay, keep her safe” as Holly goes out to ride each time.
The fair starts June 19th. Come on out to the horse shows, check out Clay’s bench and enjoy the flag race. There will also be The Charlie Peoples Memorial Horse Show with barrel riding, pole bending, and many 4-H youth horse events planned.