A select few men are honored every year for dedicating their time and efforts to keeping one of Osceola County's long-standing traditions alive. The Silver Spurs Riding Club gave three members the title Coca-Cola Cowboys.

Jim Dulgar, Dick Davis and Johnny Platt are the Coca-Cola Cowboys -- an honor begun in 1982 that is reserved for members with the highest level of participation. It has been given to many of the club's founding members.

Jim Dulgar has been involved with Silver Spurs since the 1950s. Aside from volunteering for events, Jim Dulgar rode in the mounted police patrol.

Dick and Ruth Davis made volunteering with Silver Spurs a priority of their marriage. The couple, who have been married 59 years, most notably have headed the club's concession stand operations for 15 years.

"We have always felt like the Silver Spurs folks were just like extended family, and like to support that," Dick Davis said. "The rodeo provides a good, clean atmosphere for families."

Johnny Platt began his association with the club in 1954 and has found creative ways to raise funds and sell rodeo tickets. Through his Western store, Platt sold more than $22,000 of rodeo tickets through the years. He also has worked in the concession stand and behind the scenes at rodeo events.

"Selling those tickets in my store just made perfect sense, because most people coming in there were part of the rodeo or ranching industry," Platt said.

Excerpts from the Osceola Sentinel