You have to have a lot of pride to carry the Wyoming flag.

You have to love the state and what it stands for.

You have to be a cowboy at heart.

That's why Clay Smith, 19, will bear the flag in the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo parade on Tuesday.

"I've lived in Wyoming my whole life and I have a good reputation," he said. "I'm a cowboy."

For 19 years, Clay has lived on the family ranch six miles southwest of Lusk.

Now a sophomore in college, he's on the rodeo team at Casper College and majoring in animal science.

And as for the future, the cowboy wants to keep ranching and pursue a career in agriculture.

But to carry the flag in this time-honored tradition, Clay's past is more important than his future.

For more than 60 years, the same Wyoming flag has been carried in the parade by a descendent of a Wyoming pioneer. This year it's Clay's turn to honor his family and the pioneers that tamed the wild west.

Both sides of Clay's family have a long history in Wyoming. His maternal great-grandparents, Albert DeGering and Ethel Boner DeGering pioneered the state as children. They homesteaded on separate ranches near Lusk in the early 1900s. When the two were married in 1913, Ethel's ranch became headquarters for a growing family business - and a growing family.

At the same time, on the other side of the state, his father's ancestors were busy building a home in the Evanston area. Clay's paternal great-grandparents - Earnest and Mary Barker, and Joseph and Mary Smith - settled on the land in the early 1900s and their families have been there ever since.

Clay's deep Wyoming roots caught the attention of Cindy Rogers, and she asked him to be flag bearer before the end of the school year. The tradition is meant to honor pioneers as well as the creator of the state flag, A.C. Keyes. Rogers has been responsible for choosing the flag bearer for the past 17 years.

With 11 years of 4-H experience and six years as a 4-H Junior Leader, Clay has the respect of his peers, family, and fellow cowboys. In 2006, he was a delegate to the National 4-H Conference in Atlanta, which is the highest honor a member can earn.

On July 8, Clay is proud to take up the flag to represent not only his own history, but also the cowboy spirit of Wyoming.

"It's a privilege to carry a big flag like that in the parade," said Clay. " You have to be respected by people. You have to be proud to be from Wyoming."

Reach reporter Riane Menardi at (307) 266-0610 or riane.menardi@trib.com

About the Wyo flag

What it means: In 1916, Wyoming was one of the few states without an official flag. To fix this, the Daughters of the Revolution decided to tap into the talents of the Wyoming people and hold a statewide design competition. One morning, Mrs. A.C. Keyes awoke from a dream of what would be the future Wyoming flag. She quickly drew up her design and submitted it to the competition. Keyes won $20, and Wyoming's state flag was born.

* The bison represents the Wyoming state mammal, which was once the "monarch of the plains."

* The colors of the Wyoming flag mirror those on national flag. Red represents the Indian and the blood of the pioneers who gave their lives for the land. White stands for purity and uprightness. Blue represents the sky and mountains, and symbolizes fidelity, justice and virility.

* The state seal is stamped on the bison's ribs to represent the custom of branding.

* The two dates on the seal, 1869 and 1890, are the years in which Wyoming received territory and state status, respectively.

* The draped figure in the center with the words "Equal Rights" symbolizes the high political status of women in Wyoming.

* The two male figures signify the livestock and mining industries.

* The two pillars hold lamps that represent the "Light of Knowledge," and are encircled by banners with the words, "oil," "mines," "livestock," and "grains," the four main industries of the state.

-Source: State of Wyoming Web site, www.wyoming.gov