Suzi And Tuff as Flip

Art work for this year's Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering posters, flyers, programs and promotional material again comes from the brush of Riverside artist R. G. Finney and is a framed Giclee painting entitled "Suzi & Tuff as Flip".

World renowned western artist R. G. writes: "After years of painting cowboys and pioneer families, this year's painting is one of a local cowgirl and her horse".

Seventeen years ago, when the Cowboy Gathering Outfit was organized, committee members voted to use only the work of Wyoming artists. The first three years the sketches of Bill Gollings, a famous Sheridan artist from about 1900, were used, while the past thirteen years Finney's paintings have been huge hits.

R.G. and his wife Lynn have donated this beautifully framed painting to the committee and it will be raffled at the Cowboy Poetry and Music show Saturday night. Since almost everyone who attends the event wants the unique one-of-a-kind painting, the committee sells raffle tickets and selects the lucky winner. A few limited reproductions are printed and will be available at the Gathering this weekend.

Born in Ontario, Canada, a Green Beret decorated seven times in Vietnam, R. G. traded a career in the military for life as an artist. It was a wise decision because, in the years since, he has become recognized as one of America's premier western artists. His work sells well, has appeared on magazine covers and has sold out at numerous art exhibits.

Lynn was born, raised and educated in Encampment. She attended the University of Wyoming and served as a flight attendant, manager of a heath spa, gymnastic coach, aerobics teacher and now owns and operates the Spirit West River Lodge B&B east of Riverside. She is active in the community and sings in the Encampment Community Choir.

R.G. noted that the model for this year's painting is Suzi Dunning on her favorite horse, Tuffy, officially "Tuff as Flip".

Suzi is an expert horsewoman and one of the Big Creek Ranch's top hands. She is also president of the "Snowy Range Cattlewomen", an organization which promotes the livestock industry, and is the wife of Big Creek Ranch manager Mark Dunning.

According to Suzi, "Tuff as Flip is a champion cutting horse-a smart and athletic quarter horse with innate cow sense who's good at separating a steer or heifer from its herd. He's a special horse," Suzi says. "I raised him from a foal after acquiring him in El Paso."

"Tuffy is big for a cutting horse: he's sixteen hands, when most cutting horses that compete are fifteen hands or under. A lot of people thought he couldn't be a great cutting horse, but we proved them wrong" Suzi noted.

Two years in a row, Tuffy and Suzi won National Cutting Horse Association championships in Areas 4 and 5, which include Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and New Mexico. On top of that, they took home the prestigious prize for Wyoming Owned Ridden Saddle horse.

She hadn't roped on Tuffy until the 2011 branding season, but said the horse now does well at that in addition to cutting.