By Sharon Harrell

special to pop

Shawnee resident Marty Tipton, also known as The Oklahoma Kid, will perform at the annual Cleveland County Free Fair which will be Sept. 4-6 at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds at 615 E. Robinson St. Tipton is a trick roper, joke teller and motivational speaker.

"More than 100 years of family history has prepared me for my career in entertainment," Tipton said.

?Tipton's father, grandfather and great-grandfather worked with Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show, and Tipton grew up in Ponca City, home of the historic 101 Ranch. He's also related to Will Rogers by marriage in his grandmother's generation. Performance genes, a witty outlook and care for his fellow man?have trickled down through the generations, and Tipton is having a ball continuing his family's legacy. He will perform?Saturday, Sept. 6 at the Cleveland County Free Fair.

"I love people and I love Oklahoma," Tipton said. "I try to present a great image for our fine state. I like to see things happen in the world that won't happen by us sitting around."

?Like his distant relative Will Rogers, Tipton uses an uplifting saying in his public performances: "It's not always how fast you run or how high you climb; it's how high you bounce."

Tipton has been roping in one form or another for 31 years. He was riding a horse before he could walk, he said, and at 6 he was in the rodeo arena. He later went on to be a professional team roper, bull rider and bullfighter. He learned trick roping from his father and grandfather, then went on to be professionally trained at the 101 Ranch.Because he grew up in the center of a wild west show legacy, he didn't always think too much of it, he said. But as he got older, he realized the heritage was his to keep alive. From his relatives, he heard first-hand stories about the likes of Pawnee Bill, Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley, and he was always surrounded by original photographs of wild west performers.

"As I got older, I realized it was my responsibility to my family and to Oklahoma to continue the legacy of the wild west shows," he said. "I do some trick roping and tell the history of wild west shows and Oklahoma, and my family relationship to that."

?Tipton also promotes literacy, and sends out a message to youth that if they've been knocked down, they need to get up and keep trying. Many youngsters are on the fast track to success, he said, but others have to overcome obstacles before they meet their goals.

?"That's why I say it's how high you bounce in life," he said. "Everyone has a hard time in one way or another growing up, and some people stay down. Life is like riding a horse. If the horse throws you off, you have to keep getting back on until he doesn't throw you anymore."

Norman Farm Market to move?outside during upcoming county fair preparations, activities

The Norman Farm Market will move outside to the parking lot of the Cleveland County Fairgrounds at 615 E. Robinson in Norman?Saturday, Aug. 30, Wednesday, Sept. 3 and Saturday, Sept. 6 due to the Cleveland County Free Fair preparation and activities.The Norman Farm Market will move back inside to its usual?location on Wed., Sept 10.