Chicken-Fried News: Ol’ Nelly

Remember the time that one Yankee asked if you rode your horse to school when you told him you were from Oklahoma? You laughed it off, rolled your eyes and secretly dubbed him an idiot for so willingly accepting stereotypes as truth. Well, Chicken-Fried News just met the guy who gave that guy something to talk about.

A handsome older gentleman clad in chaps and a cowboy hat walked into a tractor supply store in Elk City recently and asked store employees if he could bring his horse inside. After management gave the cowboy the go-ahead, he proceeded to find horse feed for the animal and allowed Ol’ Nelly to carry it on her back to the checkout line.

According to an employees’ Facebook post, which has since gone viral, the cowboy confessed to store workers that both he and the horse were seniors.

“I’m a senior here to buy senior horse feed for my senior horse. Can he come in?” the cowboy asked upon entering the store.

Okies know that’s proper gentlemen talk for “It’s hot as hell out here and our old asses need some AC and food.”

Under an Oklahoma sun in the dead of summer, we know that not many can stay outside for long, so in all honesty, we applaud the cowboy for taking himself in and lovingly considering the health and wellbeing of his animal.

In our opinion, instances like these are few and far between these days in the Sooner state and any reminders of past glory days are welcome.

Facebook users agreed and responded to the employees’ post with words of praise, encouragement and approval.

“I love the sound of those hooves on that floor!” said one commenter.

“Good for him! They don’t make ’em like that anymore!” said another.

One commenter said the nostalgia she felt watching the video the employee captured of horse and cowboy caused her to rethink her living situation.

“It looks like a pretty nice town and I also like the population,” she said. “I’ll be thinking about this for later in a few years.”

With the stress, heat and construction all around this state, it’s no wonder that more of us don’t get comfortable and strip down to our boots … and our roots for that matter.

Since fall is just around the corner, CFN proposes a gathering of folks and their horses at Edna’s Bar near nightfall this weekend.

We can tie our horses up out back so they can catch some cool breezes while we rightfully sip on whiskey and Lunchboxes like our ancestors did after a hard day’s work on the farm. We’ll take a group photo and send it to every Yankee we know.

On behalf of us all, thank you, Lone Ranger, for reminding us of the good old days. 

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