OF LASSOS, SHARK-SKIN BOOTS AND POETIC FEET; FESTIVAL STAYS DRY IN SADDLE.

Byline: Stacy Brown Daily News Staff Writer

By high noon the gray sky had patches of blue;

and townsmen and their ladies square-danced two-by-two.

Spectators and performers pulled up stumps and sat down,

for the second day of verse in the mock Western town.

But rain, which was heavy at times, failed to dampen spirits at the Cowboy Poetry Festival at Melody Ranch in Santa Clarita. Cowboy Poetry entertainers gave the folks what they came to see.

The performers included Brenn Hill, winner of the Rising Star award from the Academy of Western Artists, and Dave Stamey, a cowboy packer and dude wrangler who is nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year by the Western Music Association.

The fifth annual event also featured poets Red Steagall, Rich O'Brien and Craig Chambers - who performed at the Melody Ranch Theatre - and some good ol' cowboy grub served up at an authentic-looking Chuckwagon food area.

``This is what it's all about,'' said Visalia Police Lt. Joe Ventura, who worked a cowboy coffee cafe at the festival. Ventura is a member of the Cowboy Cultural Committee, the group that helped stage the festival.

``We like to fix things up the cowboy way,'' Ventura said. ``There are all sorts of people on the committee and we all share the same interest, which is cowboy music, poetry and pretty women.''

As busloads of spectators arrived at Melody Ranch Studios where Westerns like ``Gunsmoke,'' ``High Noon,'' and ``Wyatt Earp,'' were filmed, music from the legendary era blared over loud speakers.

Newhall's Gary Anderson took a stroll down Main Street past the Saloon, Sheriff's Jail, and the First National Bank.

``It's exciting to see this place, I know it's not generally open to the public, but some of the best films were done here,'' Anderson said.

The festival is scheduled to be a part of the California Sesquicentennial until the year 2000, the 150th anniversary of California statehood and the gold and oil discoveries.

``The city of Santa Clarita is proud of its Western heritage and is working to preserve it through such events as the Cowboy and Music Festival,'' said former mayor Clyde Smyth.

Rain or shine, the festival is scheduled to continue today, organizers said.

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4 Photos

PHOTO (1--2--Color in SAC Edition only) Left, trick roping cowboy Jim Townsley performs Saturday at the Santa Clarita Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival. Above, Christian Gault came to the festival dressed in his cowboy best Saturday.

(3--Ran in SAC Edition only) Michael Tcherkassky performs at the Santa Clarita Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival on Saturday.

(4--Ran in SAC Edition only) Cowboy poet Steve Deming performs his poetry during festivities.

Tom Mendoza/Daily News