How a Texas rodeo and a cowboy hat became a symbol of US-China relations

A memorable moment in the US-China relationship was revealed in the form of an American cowboy hat, as two sisters, Kitty Van Dries and Kelly Van Dries, shared their extraordinary memory — leading the grand entry at their family's Round-Up Rodeo in Simonton, Texas, during Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's historic visit in 1979.

Their story, interwoven with the excitement of the rodeo and the gravity of a pivotal moment in US-China relations, captivated the audience during the Vision China event in New York. It painted a vivid picture of how two young Texan girls, then in high school, became an unexpected part of a diplomatic milestone.

"When we were told the vice-premier of China was coming to Simonton to see a rodeo, we didn't know what to expect," Kelly said at her pair presentation with her elder sister, Kitty.

The sisters' father had purchased the rodeo arena a few years earlier, turning their regular Saturday night entertainment into a family business and an unforgettable chapter in their lives. Six months of preparation culminated in a day filled with bright lights and reporters worldwide.

According to their speech, it is a tradition that they begin every rodeo with a grand entry. "On Feb 2, 1979, the grand entry was led by my sister and I. I carried the American flag, and my sister Kelly carried the Chinese flag," Kitty said.

Kelly said the Chinese flag was nearly twice the size of the American flag. She showed a picture from that day of her riding a horse with part of the flag tucked into her boot and the rest in her hand. Their performance wasn't without its challenges. Kitty just recovered from a knee surgery; her horse lost its footing and fell, sending her tumbling.

Replacing his sister, Kelly rode her horse up to the fence, holding her reins in one hand and presenting the cowboy hat for Deng in the other. "As I gifted him the hat, he accepted the gift and placed it on his head," she recalled, describing the arena "went wild" with applauses, flashlights and shouts.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I am more than grateful as I was able to be part of it," Kelly said.

Kitty said when she was carried to the back, Deng sent his personal physician there to make sure she was okay. Then, she was invited to sit with Deng, his wife and the translator in the stands for a while. "They asked me questions about the different rodeo events and I explained everything to them in detail."

And Kitty still remembered what happened the next day. "The People's Republic of China sent our family a three-foot multiple five-foot needlepoint of the Great Wall of China, which was beyond beautiful!" In their memory, this art had been hanging in their parents' living room for many years.

Kitty said, "People back home still talk about Deng's visit even 45 years later!"

Kelly said, "Who would have thought a cowboy hat would become a huge deal for the relationship between the United States and China!"