Stetsons and blue jeans were the principal couture du jour at the Indian River Cattlemen’s Association’s annual dinner and auction to benefit its scholarship fund for local students.
The event was held last Wednesday evening at Waldo’s Secret Garden, the beautiful old homestead of the late local legend Waldo E. Sexton, which is now used as a wedding and event venue by his family. The grounds were aglow with twinkling lights and Christmas décor for the occasion, which celebrated the completion of a long and busy year.
Upwards of 150 guests enjoyed cocktails and reminisced with one another before raising hands and hats to bid on a host of auction items. The ever-entertaining Wesley Davis, a county commissioner, served as auctioneer for the evening; his banter so quick and humorous, that he at times had wives bidding against their husbands for the same items.
More than $8,000 was raised from donated items, which ranged from women’s jewelry to industrial weed killer – considered liquid gold by some of the ranchers, and which had cowboys urging each other on to capture the prize.
In addition to some great cowboy camaraderie, guests relished a dinner of big steaks and swamp cabbage, cooked up by the Indian River County Florida Wildlife and Game wardens who annually contribute their time at the easygoing event.
The event was yet another example of Indian River County cattlemen staying connected to the community while making a living in the business most were born into and which still maintains a stronghold on the local economy.
“Owning cattle ranches these days is a lot more complicated than ever,” said Sean Sexton, manager of the Treasure Hammock Ranch. The land originally belonged to his grandfather, Waldo Sexton, who passed it on to Sean’s father, the late Ralph Sexton. Thanks to a conservation easement approved in 2006 by the Indian River County Commissioners in conjunction with the mission of the Indian River Land Trust, the property has been protected from development in perpetuity.
“Government regulations and the outside pressure to sell their vast lands to developers makes it more tempting each year for the cattleman to discontinue their trade,” said Sexton, who sits on the board of the Indian River Cattlemen’s Association and is the Florida State Director representing Indian River County.
“This is our public outreach event,” said Sexton, adding that the annual dinner is an opportunity to donate to the community as well as to educate the public on what individuals who work in the agriculture fields deal with on a daily basis.
In addition to ranching, Sexton is also an artist and poet, with a focus on the Florida landscape and the daily struggles and blessings of cowboys. He is scheduled to speak at the Emerson Center’s Florida Lecture Series on Feb. 19 about ranching and give a poetic interpretation about the lives of the cowboy.
