Cowboy poet laureate and long time Caine center supporter, Baxter Black, returned to Caldwell to celebrate the UI Caine Veterinary Teaching Center’s 25th Anniversary April 26. Black, clad in a neon pink shirt and equally bright blue scarf, addressed a crowd of blue jeans and cowboy hats at Caldwell’s O’Connor Fieldhouse.

Black’s lyrical humor revolved around “the cowboy mentality,” which he described by placing a hand over his face, saying, “Betcha’ can’t hit ma’ hand before I move it!”

Marie Bulgin, Caine center coordinator, said Black was, “the perfect person [to lead the celebration], one of our own.” Dick Battaglia, center director, echoed the sentiment, saying, “The things he’ll talk about are all the things we’ve done for 25 years.”

From 1970 to 1980, Black worked for J. R. Simplot Company, during which time he helped pioneer the center’s veterinary training program. Baxter Black said of the Caine center, “years ago ...when you’re young the scope of things is not clear...You only see a bit of the rainbow.”

Now that he’s older Black can see the rainbow in its entirety, concluding, “The Caine center is important and significant.”

Photos above: Hugs, humor, and warmth highlight Baxter Black’s reunion with friends celebrating the 25th anniversary of the UI Caine Veterinary Teaching Center in Caldwell.