Cowboy Tailgating: Ken Hudgeons and His Band of Merry Tailgaiters

Ken Hudgeons and his band of merry tailgaters are serious about having a good time. Each week they set up across the street from the northwest corner of Boone Pickens Stadium at the entrance of the Posse Parking. They use a custom-made cooking trailer to prepare food for anywhere from 85 to as many as 175 orange-clad fans under six orange tents, all the trimmings set in a row.

For years, Ken set all this up after the two-plus hours it takes to get from Woodward to Stillwater. His credo is to "do it up proper."

Now Ken lives in Stillwater, so delivering on that promise is easier now than it used to be. Doing it up proper also includes a weekly theme. The theme is always fun, but when one of Ken's sisters was diagnosed with breast cancer they decided to take on that serious situation and apply it to the merriment of their tailgate.

For the season opener, Ken and friends chose "Tailgating for Ta-Ta's," hanging colorful bras around the tops of the tents. Chicken breasts and pink-colored treats abounded. Money was raised with help from a fellow tailgaters. Ken's sister finished her treatments and is on the road to recovery, meanwhile the good time keep rolling just east of the Wes Watkins Center for this multigenerational gathering of OSU alumni.

The drinks flow, the food flies and when it's time to cheer for the Pokes each tailgate ends with a fresh bit of verse for a pregame toast composed exclusively for the "best tailgate at Boone Pickens Stadium."

This one was for the Texas A&M Aggies, and it apparently worked:

It's Thursday night, so this toast is short and sweet!
The Aggies of A&M think they can't be beat!
But we have something else in store!
We are going to score, and score some more!
So drinks up dear Pokes,
Here's to pounding those blokes!