Cowboy Lifestyle Magazine | Spring 2022

CowboyLifestyleNetwork.com

Spring 2022

E H T AR MINT B Trip odeo Road R g n i r p S

| SHE

, W YOM N A D I R

I NG

| 1883’s James Hébert Q&A | YouTube’s Hamish & Kyloe | PBR’s New Ser

ies

trick Gottsch Q& A | Texas Honky Tonks | West a | P n io h s ern Art Fa Cowboy

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CONTENTs

MEET KATHLEEN BRANNON OF

DESERT SAGE BEAD ART 1883’s James Hébert

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P.

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Spotlight

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COVER STORY:

“Unbroken” with Kaycee Feild

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Hit the Road

7 Reasons to Watch Yellowstone

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Jackson Hole, Wyoming

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Q&A with Patrick Gottsch

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Durango, Colorado

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PBR’s New Bull Riding Team Series

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Red Lodge, Montana

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Forney: ‘We are Family First’

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Redding, California

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Sheridan, Wyoming

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Scottsdale, Arizona

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Crested Butte, Colorado

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Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Fort Worth, Texas

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Tucson, Arizona

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What to Do Destination: Navajo Nation

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Spring Rodeo Roundup

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The Best of Texas Honky Tonks

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Western Art, Lifestyle & More American Hat Company

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LaQuincey Reed: Western Sculptor

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#NativeContent 60 From the Lens 62

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YouTube’s Hamish & Kyloe

Dings, scratches and scars.

Most cowboys end up with a few dings and scratches. Sometimes they’re an easy fix. Sometimes they leave scars.

It’s the same with trucks. Sometimes you fix them and sometimes the scars let you tell a good story one more time. So, when your truck needs patching up, let us know. Because every cowboy needs a ride he can rely on. And we want to make sure yours lasts forever.

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"KEEPING GENERATIONS ON THE ROAD"®

ARIAT INTERNATIONAL PR E S E N TS

“UNBROKEN” WITH KAYCEE FEILD

Documentary featuring six-time world bareback riding champion to air on The Cowboy Channel

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riat International, the leader in innovative Western, English and Work footwear and apparel, announced the release of a new documentary depicting the inspiring story of Ariat athlete and six-time World Champion bareback rider, Kaycee Feild. Available on The Cowboy Channel, Unbroken chronicles Kaycee’s inspiring journey to overcome obstacles and fulfill his dream of becoming the best.

Kaycee Feild comes from a ProRodeo cowboy family. His late father, Lewis Feild, was a five-time world champion (all-around and bareback riding) and an inductee into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Kaycee started his career by winning the College National Finals Rodeo in 2008. Since his first career win, Kaycee has earned a record 6 World Titles, the most won in PRCA history, along with 12 WFNR Qualifications, and is a two-time Bareback Riding Champion of The American Rodeo.

“I hope people watching this documentary can feel inspired,” said Kaycee Feild. “Motivation is everything to me – if you can dream it, you can achieve anything you want. I am a fierce competitor, in and outside of the arena, but I couldn’t do this without my family, who are such an important part of who I am and inspire me every day.”

Unbroken presented by Ariat will be aired on The Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV as part of their regular programming. Check your local listings or watch it on the Cowboy Channel+ app. Simulcast is available on RFD-TV.

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REASONS TO WATCH YELLOWSTONE

If you have been waiting to jump on the Yellowstone bandwagon, then take this as your sign to jump on! We are excited to give you 7 reasons why you need to watch the hottest new series on television, besides the obvious one being it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Okay, all jokes aside, let’s dive in! BY KRYSTA PAFFRATH R E ASON 1

Everyone Wants to Be a Cowboy Yellowstone embodies the essence of the American West, and people are eating it up. A great example of this was last year when the series was released, everyone seemed to be two of the main characters – “Rip and Beth” -- for Halloween. People are always looking for an excuse to play cowboy and Yellowstone gave them a reason. The series does a phenomenal job of giving its viewers the feel of living “life on the range”, while also providing the drama of a good TV show that everyone craves.

R E ASON 2

The Story Line Speaking of drama, if it’s one thing you watch this show for, it should be the storyline and the drama that comes with it. You can’t beat the amazing landscape surrounding the show, but what about the storyline itself? At its core, the series is based on the complications that surround the Dutton Ranch, which is the largest contiguous

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ranch in the United States, based in Montana. The show navigates issues with the Broken Rock Indian reservation, the government, and land developers. Viewers love a good family-drama series, and this show checks all the boxes.

R E ASON 3

Representation of Ranching & Land Issues This is a huge reason to watch Yellowstone, whether you are an avid Western Industry enthusiast or you are brand new to the industry, there are several issues that the industry is currently facing that the show sheds light on throughout their seasons. In the seasons we have seen so far, the Dutton family faced issues with cattle rustlers, land developers, and threats from the Indian Reservation that the land they own is rightfully theirs. These are all issues, especially developers, that modern ranches face. We could go much deeper into the agriculture issues that permeate the industry, but we should wait and see what Season 5 brings us.

appearance in Season 1, he was joined by million co-champion and World Equestrian Games medalist, Custom Made Gun as well as many other world-renowned reigning champions and trainers.

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The One and Only Beth Dutton

R E ASON 4

Music That Sets the Scene Let’s talk about music! If the intro to Yellowstone doesn’t give you all of the goosebumps, then keep listening because the soundtrack to this series is unlike anything else you will hear from any other TV show on the air. Let’s take Season 4 for example, you could listen to artists such as Colter Wall, Turnpike Troubadours, Chris Stapleton, Casey Donahew, Tyler Childers and so many more.

If you’re already a fan of Texas Red Dirt Music, then this series is going to be fun to watch because there are so many artists included that you will know. In addition, it’s awesome to see a mainstream TV series using some artists that have been flying under the mainstream radar and deserve the spotlight.

Even for someone who has never watched the show, we still guarantee that they have heard of the great Beth Dutton. The infamous daughter of John Dutton on the show plays a gritty and rougharound-the-edges character that people can’t help but fall in love with.

Speaking of love, Beth’s relationship with Rip Wheeler is a huge attraction for the show as viewers live vicariously through Beth and her dramatic relationship with her husband, Rip. From the great Beth Dutton, “I believe in lovin’ with your whole soul and destroying anything that wants to kill what you love. That’s it. That’s all there is.” (Season 3, Episode 10) R E ASON 7

The Quotes We Will Never Forget If it’s one thing that die-hard fans and newbies enjoy most about Yellowstone, are the quotes circulating around social media. We featured some of our favorite quotes above. If you have a favorite, make sure to head over to our website, cowboylifestylenetwork.com, find this article comment, and comment with your own favorite quote!

“A man who puts a hand on a member of my family never puts a hand on anything else.”

JA M I E DU T T ON

R E ASON 5

The Horses This reason might just be directed towards our equine fans out there, but Yellowstone deserves applause for getting the best of the best in the AQHA to come in and be a part of the show. Let’s start with Season 1, Episode 5 when AQHA reining world champion and National Reining Horse Association Futurity champion Lil Joe Cash appeared onscreen with NRHA million dollar rider and trainer Andrea Fappani. For all the horse people wanting to watch good riding on a television show, they got it in this episode! But it wasn’t just Lil Joe Cash that made an

“It’s the one constant in life. You build something worth having, someone’s gonna try to take it.”

JOH N DU T T ON

“There’s sharks and minnows in this world. If you don’t know which you are, you ain’t a shark.”

RIP WHEELER

cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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Exploring James Hébert’s Character, Wade, in Paramount+’s 1883

BY KRYSTA PAFFRATH

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t’s no surprise that James Landry Hébert (pronounced ā-bear) stars as the humble cattle herding kingpin and bandit hunter, Wade, in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel, 1883. With more than a decade of wrangling under his belt, the boots fit. Being a cowboy is natural for James because he is a cowboy. He stars alongside legends Sam Elliot, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Billy Bob Thornton in the new Paramount+ series.

James was born in 1984 to a Cajun family in Lafayette, LA, but quickly grew up when he became an orphan at a young age. He was eventually adopted by a family on an Indian reservation where James spent the rest of his childhood. After high school “on the res,” James made his way to Louisiana State University and studied theater there before leaving home to explore what else the world had in store for him; managing bands in Tennessee, wrangling horses, and the like. But as fate would have it, James returned to his beleaguered home state after Hurricane Katrina and discovered that New Orleans had become a Hollywood boomtown.

It wasn’t long before his career took off in big-budget films like Looper, Seven Psychopaths, and Gangster Squad.

Playing killers and pimps seemed to be a stark contrast to James’ compassionate nature, but his convincing characters are due to his incredible ability to find the “heart and humanity” in each role he portrays. His noticeable break was playing the leading character, Webb, in the Texas thriller Two-Step which was written and directed by Alex R. Johnson. The film scored an Audience Award nomination at SXSW in 2014 and had the Hollywood Reporter praising James’ “riveting performance.” But that wasn’t all… James had a double-header at 2014’s SXSW; also starring in A Night in Old Mexico with Robert Duvall.

Roles like Axel in Stranger Things, Slim Miller in Westworld, and Officer Jason Twitty in Carter & June all built James’ robust resume. He also landed the series regular role of Rem in the NBC series Taken. Eventually, James’ career came full circle when he played Clem in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon in Hollywood. Many years prior—in the Louisiana film scene—James was Brad Pitt’s stand-in and photo double for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button… and now he was acting opposite of an A-list actor. From there, it didn’t take long for James to find his niche in the Wild West; he’s also appeared in The Last Son with Machine Gun Kelly, Montford: Chickasaw Rancher, the indie darling Sunset Cowboys, along with other projects in the same genre.

Cowboy Lifestyle Network sat down with James to talk all things 1883.

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YOU HAVE QUITE THE REPERTOIRE OF FILMS AND SERIES IN YOUR CAREER ALREADY AND THIS ISN’T YOUR FIRST SERIES IN THE WESTERN GENRE, WHAT LED YOU TO PLAY WADE IN 1883?

There are so many things that led to me playing Wade in 1883. But one thing that comes to mind is when I played in Westworld years ago. The series was filmed in this little horse town that I live in now and it was my first semester in college; I was so excited to do it but we didn’t actually get to do a lot of stunts on horseback. I remember thinking, “Well this really sucks, I was really hoping to ride a lot more”. That set me on a mission to become the best horseman that I could be so that maybe in the next western they would let me have a little more fun. Over the years, I’ve definitely grown those skills and 1883 has been the icing on the cake. I was so honored the moment that Taylor came up to me and said “Hey, if you want to do your stunts with the stunt guys you can.” And I was beyond excited for that opportunity.

Another thing that led to me playing Wade was, of course, Taylor Sheridan. He brought me into his world that I’ve been a fan of for so long. What got me hooked on Taylor’s writing style was when Graham Greene had a monologue in Hell or High Water, which really began my fascination with Taylor Sheridan. Then came you know, Wind River and of course, Yellowstone, which is my favorite show in the world.

I was also adopted by a Native American couple and grew up on the Chitimacha Indian Reservation. I was the only non-native allowed to go to the tribal school and that’s something I’m very proud of. So when it came to Wade’s specific skill set, he has a little more experience and knowledge when it comes to Native Americans and Mother Nature. I feel like I’d be lying if that didn’t have something to do with me playing this role as well.

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HISTORICALLY, IN YOUR FILMS, YOU PLAY THE “VILLAIN”. YOU’RE NOW PLAYING A COWBOY, WHICH FROM WHAT I READ, IS PRETTY NATURAL FOR YOU. CAN YOU EXPAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ON YOUR REAL-LIFE COWBOY EXPERIENCE AND HOW THAT’S HELPED IN THIS SERIES? Playing Wade has been such a breath of fresh air after playing a string of bad guys and guys who are more concerned with the rules of man as opposed to Mother Nature. I fancy myself a cowboy raised by Indians and I feel like Wade is too in a lot of ways. There is a certain level of comfortability needed for acting and especially when you’re on horseback. It’s important to be in the moment, rather than thinking about all the things you just learned in Cowboy Camp. My horsemanship skills helped me a lot in bringing some authenticity and comfortability on horseback to Wade.

These days, I live and work as a ranch hand for a special effects guy and his wife, who’s a horse trainer, and they have a horse training facility about an hour outside of Los Angeles. So when I’m not acting, I’m out here spending more time with horses than humans, and I love it. It’s been so fulfilling for me outside of acting and I’ve learned so much about horses but also things about myself. It’s really helped me build a strong foundation that I’ve been able to bring to 1883.

FOR ANYONE OUT THERE WHO HAS NOT SEEN THE SERIES, HOW WOULD YOU BEST DESCRIBE WADE’S CHARACTER IN 1883?

I would describe Wade as one of the more experienced cowboys on the trail.

He’s been through it all, seen it all, he knows the danger that lies ahead as much as any of the older guys on the caravan. In a lot of ways this show is about the American dream, freedom, and going westward. It’s one thing that Taylor does so well with the show, which is how he highlights the gritty, harsh reality of the American dream. I feel like that relates to Wade’s character in the sense that he’s with a caravan of dreamers, yet Wade is one of the only people on the caravan that is not

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necessarily a dreamer. His dream is to be comfortable with having as little as possible. He talks about having the ground for a bed, the sky for a blanket, a good horse, and open country; that’s all a cowboy needs.

WE HAVE SEEN YELLOWSTONE AND NOW, 1883, TAKE THE WORLD BY STORM, WHAT DO YOU THINK TAYLOR SHERIDAN HAS DONE TO SEPARATE THESE SERIES FROM OTHERS WESTERNS THAT HAVE COME OUT? Taylor is making westerns on a whole new level and he’s made them bankable again. The way Sheridan writes and the way he rides is absolutely incredible to me and I have so much respect for him. He lives and breathes this life. He’s the real deal, he gets out there every day and rides all those horses, works cows, he can rope with the best of them, and he just gets it more than anyone in Hollywood. I think those things have a lot to do with how he writes the best westerns that have ever been written, in my opinion.

SPEAKING OF YELLOWSTONE, WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER ON THE SHOW, AND WHY? That’s such a hard question, I love the show and all the characters so much.

There are definitely characters that pop like Beth Dutton, Jimmy, Casey, and then Costner’s character that make it so hard to pick. If I had to pick one, I would say Rip. The reason for it is because when I first got into movies, I actually stood in for Cole Hauser on the show called KVille, a cop show filmed in New Orleans.

Cole kind of took me under his wing and I started running lines with him and just working my way up before I ended up chasing my dream West. I love watching Cole on Yellowstone, he’s so good at playing Rip. Rip’s character just does the thing that everybody wishes they could do but can’t. He’s just the ultimate badass cowboy. And of course, the orphan in me loves the storyline with him, Beth, and the kid that shows up on the show.

I can’t help but watch Yellowstone through my own eyes, which makes the characters and storyline so much more real to me.

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PATRICK GOTTSCH OWNER OF RFD-TV & THE COWBOY CHANNEL

TO GET US STARTED, CAN YOU TELL OUR AUDIENCE A WHAT WAS YOUR GOAL WHEN YOU STARTED AND HOW HAS LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR BACKGROUND IN IT BEEN WATCHING IT EVOLVE OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS? THE WESTERN INDUSTRY? One goal we had was to serve the needs and interests of rural America, I was raised in Elkhorn, Nebraska on a small farm and cattle feeding especially farmers and ranchers. The second goal is and has always been to operation. I was exposed to just about everything that has to do with agrireconnect city with the country again. If there’s a wall built between urban culture in the Midwest. Growing up, I fell in love with farming and feeding and rule America, and we’ve been doing everything we can to try to break cattle. When I came back from college, I wanted to get into farming but I that wall down. got into it at the wrong time as Nebraska had three straight years of drought I’m really proud of what we’ve built over the last 22 years. My two and high-interest rates. My dad said I needed to daughters who went with me as I installed satget a job in town because there was no future ellite dishes, and have been involved with these in agriculture or farming. I wound up getting a channels since day one, are now taking over the job installing home satellite systems for a little networks and this will be the first network that video company in Omaha and that’s how I got is owned, operated, and founded by women. into the cable industry. I spent a couple of years We’re starting to get some good sponsors and putting in a lot of satellite dishes, especially out I’m really excited about the future. in rural homes. I came to learn that the kids THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT loved having the Disney Channel, mom liked BRANCHES OF RFD-TV INCLUDING having HBO for the movies and dad liked the THE COWBOY CHANNEL, LIVE EVENTS ESPN Sports Channel, but they all asked why AND SO MUCH MORE. WHAT’S IT LIKE there wasn’t any agriculture programming.

SEEING ALL OF THOSE ENTITIES WORK I heard it so many times that I realized there TOGETHER TO PROMOTE THE WESTwas a need for it. So I put together a business ERN INDUSTRY? plan and was told for eight years what a dumb I’ve never really reflected on that until the last idea it was. I was told that farmers & ranchers couple of years and now I look back and think, don’t watch TV, I would never get on cable, and “How in the heck did we do that?” You get so would never get enough advertisers to support focused on building something and working PATRICK GOTTSCH it. Eventually, Charlie Ergen, who was a disso hard towards something, you don’t realize OWNER OF RFD-TV & THE COWBOY CHANNEL tributor with Dish Network at the time, gave us that what you’re doing shouldn’t be possible but a shot in 2000 to launch as a nonprofit, public everything turned out to be a blessing. This year interest channel. As soon as we went live, we had support from everybody in on the Cowboy Channel, we’re adding High School Rodeo, Little Britches rural America. People were really hungry for it. We ran RFD-TV for 17 years Rodeo, Quarter Horse Racing, and plan to expand on rodeos as well. Last but it was clear that there was a demand to expand into western sports. year we showed over 600 rodeos during the year and we’re excited to do even So, we bought another channel and said, well shoot, let’s make this the more this year. The Cowboy Channel is the premier channel for everything world’s first television network devoted to western sports, and so the Cowrelated to Western Sports. In addition, the RFD-TV app has really been boy Channel was born. working great as well and is a great way for people to tune in.

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AS A WHOLE, THE WESTERN INDUSTRY IS VASTLY UNDERSERVED IN MAINSTREAM MEDIA, HOW DO YOU HOPE TO BREAK THROUGH THAT WITH THE COWBOY CHANNEL? The Cowboy Channel is intended to be everything for the sport of rodeo and western sports. So we aren’t trying to re-invent the wheel, we just want to apply what they are doing and apply it to the western industry. There are all these great western companies that are really getting into it as well and starting to produce videos that we really embrace and encourage because we can’t do everything on our own. It’s awesome to see the industry get behind it and say that there are things they’ve always wanted to do but never had a television network that would air and now they’re starting to see that they’ve got that asset with the Cowboy Channel. It really comes down to partnership, whether it’s with magazines, merchandise companies, events, and digital platforms. Western sports deserves its own channel and not only for serving rural America but also cities that need to be reconnected to their rural roots.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS? I would love to see both RFD-TV and the Cowboy Channel reach their full potential.

We’re just scratching the surface and there’s so much more we could be doing. Personally, I’m trying to set this up so my daughters can carry on and grow the business. I hope to see rodeo grow, payout purses grow, I hope to see cowboys start making more money because of the additional exposure but I think it’s all possible. Truthfully, it’s one of the reasons we started The American, which was to elevate the payday for cowboys and cowgirls at least for one day and we did that for eight years. We introduced breakaway roping four years ago, which I’m really proud of. We were also one of the first ones to do a $100,000 purse for breakaway roping.

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE SOMEONE WANTING TO START A BUSINESS IN THE WESTERN INDUSTRY? If you’re going to start a business right now, the western industry is where you want to look. There are several reasons, but you see Yellowstone taking off and people are coming out of COVID wanting to reconnect with their roots. They’re rediscovering rural America and Western sports. The industry has never seen a better time for business.

DO YOU HAVE ANY CLOSING THOUGHTS OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO MENTION BEFORE WRAPPING UP? I just want to mention how appreciative we are of all the support we’ve been getting. We are beyond thankful for the support and encouragement that we get from our audience, sponsors, and advertisers. It’s just fun to see an industry where everybody’s pulling in the same direction. I think together we’re really going to create something spectacular here.

Editor’s Additon: The Cowboy Channel has played a huge role in the development of the Historic Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas. It all started with the Cowboy Channel studio, which is located in the old auction barn, right across the street from the infamous Cowtown Coliseum. Along with being a leader in the development of the Forth Worth Stockyards, The Cowboy Channel also partnered with Ethan Wayne, son of famous cowboy, John Wayne to create the John Wayne Experience which is located in the Historic Exhibits Building on the corner of Exchange St. and Rodeo Plaza. You can find more information on the John Wayne Experience at johnwayne.com.

In even more recent news, the Cowboy Channel launched its very own sports bar dedicated to being the first and only sports bar devoted solely to western sports. It is located just down the street from the network’s headquarters and TV studio in the Fort Worth Stockyards. What used to be the old Niles City Saloon has now turned into the Official Cowboy Channel Western Sports Bar, patrons can expect an atmosphere of class, community, and comfortability. Learn more at cowboychannelbar.com.

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MORE ABOUT RFD-TV What makes RFD-TV so special is that they produce six hours of live news each weekday in support of rural America and is a leading independent cable channel available in more than 52 million homes on DISH, DIRECTV®, AT&T U-Verse, Charter Spectrum, Cox, Comcast, Mediacom, Suddenlink, and many other rural cable systems. In addition, RFD-TV can be streamed online via RFD-TV Now at watchrfdtv.com, DIRECTV NOW, Roku, iOS, Android, Firestick, Apple TV, and Sling TV’s Heartland Extra package. For more information, please visit RFDTV.com.

FACEBOOK:

@OfficialRFDTV TWITTER:

@OfficialRFDTV INSTAGRAM:

@RFDTV

MORE ABOUT THE COWBOY CHANNEL The Cowboy Channel is the official network of ProRodeo and the first 24-hour television network totally dedicated to western sports and the western lifestyle. Headquartered in the Fort Worth Stockyards, The Cowboy Channel features content focused on ProRodeo, bull riding, roping, reining, barrel racing, and other western sports genres, along with western fashion and music. The lineup also features a wide variety of “live” coverage from major western events showcasing the world’s toughest and most talented cowboys and cowgirls. The network enjoys distribution into 42 million homes on cable/satellite systems on Altice, Charter Spectrum, DISH, DIRECTV®, AT&T U-Verse, Cox, Comcast, Mediacom, Verizon FIOS TV, and many other rural cable systems. In addition, The Cowboy Channel can be streamed online via The Cowboy Channel Plus at cowboychannelplus.com, DIRECTV NOW, Roku, iOS, Android, Firestick, Apple TV, and Sling TV Heartland Extra package. For more information, please visit TheCowboyChannel.com.

FACEBOOK:

@CowboyChannel TWITTER:

@Cowboy_Channel INSTAGRAM:

@TheCowboyChannel

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Cowboy Lifestyle Travel Planner

TOP

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GREAT WESTERN CITIES TO EXPERIENCE With the summer months approaching (and it’s never too early to plan for fall and winter month adventures), it’s time to start thinking about your next great Western road trip. Let us help you get your show on the road!

Red Lodge MONTANA

Crested Butte COLORADO

Durango

COLORADO

Scottsdale ARIZONA

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Redding

Santa Fe

CALIFORNIA

NEW MEXICO

Fort Worth

Sheridan WYOMING

TEXAS

Jackson Hole

Tucson

WYOMING

ARIZONA

HIT THE ROAD

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

H

ome to the famous elk antler arch that greets visitors from around the world, Jackson Hole is one of the most beautiful old west towns in the country. From its rich history to wildlife watching, there’s something for everyone in this incredible high mountain valley. Named after Davey Jackson, a mountain man who was a trapper in the area during the 1800s, it was originally a trade route stop for fur trappers across the western region. Over the years, tourism took over the small Wyoming town, yet it still holds true to its claim of being the last real mountain town thanks to conservation and sustainability. Keeping Jackson Hole wild is a passion of those lucky enough to call it home, but that wildness is what continues to draw so many each year. Do you love the outdoors and history? Enjoy classic bars and modern breweries? Jackson Hole should be at the top of your list to visit any time of year!

BY LINDSI LUFFMAN

National Parks

Mormon Row

Jackson Hole is home to what may be the most majestic national park in our country, the Grand Tetons.

Towering mountain peaks above glacial fed lakes roamed by grizzly and black bears, moose, elk, pronghorn and more, it truly is a sight to be seen. Take a ferry across Jenny Lake to access remote hiking trails or camp in one of the seven campgrounds throughout the park. There’s something for every level of outdoor enthusiast. Take a leisurely (and stunning) drive an hour north and visit Yellowstone while you’re in town as well!

Settled in the 1890’s by families from the Salt Lake region, Mormon Row was known as the town of Grovont. Iconic photos of Mormon Row include a large barn with the snowcapped Tetons in the background.

Four barns and one homestead are all that remain of the small town that once was home to multiple ranches, a church and a school. Visitors can park nearby and walk the properties, all marked explaining the history of each building and the town.

Million Dollar Cowboy Bar Dripping with history, the classic bar began in 1933 yet while it exchanged hands a number of times over the years, the Cowboy Bar has always been a staple in Jackson Hole.

From genuine leather saddle bar stools to false walls and hidden doors that allowed for drinking and gambling during the prohibition, every inch of this place has a story. In addition to the bar, there’s also an infamous stage that has hosted names such as Waylon Jennings, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr. and so many more.

All Things Outdoors JACKSON HOLE

Mountain Resort is often named the No. 1 ski resort in the country and for good reason. In a town that gets snow at high elevations sometimes year round, there’s never a lack of fresh powder to enjoy on over 2,500 acres of ski trails. Jackson Hole also has two additional ski resorts: Snow King Mountain Resort and Grand Targhee Resort. Not a cold weather person?

Float the Snake River or go on a white water adventure during the warm months!

For the casual hiker and backcountry explorer, the Tetons also offer over 200 miles of trails!

Jackson Hole Breweries Love To-Go beer in crowlers? You can thank Jackson Hole for that. Local brewer Charlie Otto of Grand Teton Brewing Company was the inventor of the first modern crowler. The high mountain valley is filled with award-winning craft beers and micro-breweries. With that in mind, Jackson Hole is a fantastic place to stop along the Wyoming Beer Trail if you want to experience these beers for yourself. Visit Melvin Brewing (inside Thai Me Up, a phenomenal Asian cuisine restaurant), Snake River Brewing Co., StillWest Brewery, Grand Teton Brewing Company, and Roadhouse Brewery during your stay! cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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Durango Narrow Gauge Railroad

HIT THE ROAD

Durango, Colorado

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ocated in southwestern Colorado near the New Mexico border you’ll find a small but unique city named Durango. Durango was founded in 1881 and is full of many stories with rich western history. This small town is settled beneath the San Juan Mountain Range. With its deep, cultural roots, pristine wilderness, and southwestern charm, Durango is your final frontier for a genuine Colorado experience.

There are several outstanding attractions that you can enjoy, everything from national parks, gold mines, railroads, monuments, and archeological sites to century-old ranches.

Passing through the mountains and canyons, you’ll discover the legendary 19th-century Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad steam train.

Main Avenue is a Nationally Registered Historic District that cuts through downtown Durango. It’s home to galleries, boutiques, restaurants, bars, and other amazing businesses.

Two notable and historic hotels, General Palmer and The Strater, lie at the south end of the avenue, near the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad depot. With its combination of historic architecture, entertainment, and shopping, Main Avenue has historically comprised the center of Durango and is a popular year-round tourist destination. BY MEGAN DEFABRY

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Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Durango is known worldwide for its Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. It’s a heritage railroad that operates on what was the Denver & Rio Grande Western’s Branch Line to the historic mining town of Silverton, Colorado. The Railroad still continues to provide year-round train service to anyone wanting to take a trip through time. The Durango & Silverton is owned and operated by American Heritage Railways. It still notably uses historic D&RGW, 100% coal-fired, steam-operated locomotives, and other historic rail equipment. The locomotives are vintage from 1923-25 and are maintained in original condition. The coaches each provide bathroom facilities and are also heated during the colder months. Hop in an open gondola car that’ll provide a panoramic view of the breathtaking mountains. On every train, there are concessions available. For general information or to make reservations call, 970-247-2733 or book online at www.durangotrain.com.

Stay at a Dude Ranch: Colorado Trails Ranch If you haven’t been to a dude ranch you’re missing out! The time is now to experience the old west by spending time at a dude ranch, Colorado Trails Ranch located at 12161 County Road 240, Durango, CO 81301. This breathtaking ranch was originally built to be a dude ranch from the very beginning in 1960. There is a lot of family fun to be experienced at Colorado Trails Ranch located just north of Durango in the beautiful San Juan mountains. The ranch offers a variety of activities for everyone including some of the best fly-fishing in the nation to comprehensive western riding and a children’s program. Colorado Trails Ranch offers two different vacation options. You can choose a flex plan where you pay as you go as you book activities and cabins. There’s the other option of a traditional all-inclusive dude ranch vacation. If you’re traveling in a large group the ranch can customize special vacation packages that’re the perfect fit for your group. For more information on Colorado Trails Ranch visit their website at www.coloradotrails. com or contact them at (970) 247-5055.

Purgatory Ski Resort PURGATORY SKI RESORT IS A YEAR-

round paradise in the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado. It’s only 25 miles north of the historic downtown Durango. It’s been distinguished as a family-friendly resort that features over 1,600 acres of skiable terrain, 11 lifts, multiple terrain parks, 105 trails, and a 2,029 feet vertical drop. It was carved by glaciers thousands of years ago and the resort offers a unique mix of wide-open cruisers and steep tree skiing trails that offer some spectacular views. Frequent storms bring consistent dry powder followed by beautiful blue sky sunny days.

Purgatory Ski Resort averages about 260 inches of snow annually. The resort features lodging, ski rentals, shopping, and dining. Purgatory is also a popular summertime recreation destination including the Inferno Mountain Coaster, the area’s only alpine slide, scenic chairlift rides, lift-served mountain biking, and more.

Animas River The Animas River, 126-mile-long, begins in the heart of the San Juan Mountains and runs through downtown Durango. The Animas River is known as one of the last free-flowing rivers in Colorado and certainly brings a soothing ambiance to Durango. The Animas River is the place to be as it’s the perfect destination for outdoor recreation. It’s known for gold medal fly fishing waters with casters catching Rainbow and Brown trout with most trout measuring between 10 and 15 inches. The Animas River is also popular for whitewater rafting, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, and so much more. On warm summer afternoons, a popular activity is to bring a tube and float from Animas City to Schneider Park or below. Come experience the Animas River and enjoy the great outdoors while taking in these breathtaking waters.

Explore the Local Art & Culture DURANGO HAS MANY SPECTACULAR

artists of all mediums. Make sure to check out the rich art scene that showcases many downtown galleries. These galleries carry many treasures from Contemporary Western, American Indians, and Southwestern art featuring baskets, pottery, sculptures, photography, home furnishings, and fine art. Feel free to take a stroll through historic downtown during one of the monthly gallery walks or go see the latest theater production.

For more information contact the Durango Area Tourism Office at (970) 247-3500, www.durango.org, or visit in person at 802 Main Avenue, Durango, CO 8130. cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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Beartooth Highway

HIT THE ROAD

Red Lodge, Montana

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estled in southern Montana against the Beartooth Mountains (the state’s highest mountain peaks), 60-miles from either Billings, MT or Cody, WY, you will find Red Lodge, a quaint town that offers the perfect mix of being on vacation and feeling at home. With opportunities to explore the state’s nature and outdoor beauty, as well as to appreciate the town’s art and culture, Red Lodge visitors will find warmth and western hospitality wherever they go.

The town borders the Custer Gallatin National Forest; and by way of the Beartooth Highway, day trips to Yellowstone National Park are made possible in the warmer months. Summers in Red Lodge are short but offer cool and pleasant days.

Snow typically covers the ground by mid-December and can last into May, which ensures the Red Lodge Mountain Resort can provide exceptional ski conditions.

The valley that is home to Red Lodge served the Crow Tribe long before the arrival of permanent settlers who came to pursue mining. The town was officially established in 1884 when a post office was built; and with the opening of the Rocky Fork Coal Company’s first mine in the area, Red Lodge became home to hundreds of immigrants who moved out west. When the coal mining industry around the town was killed in the early 1900s following the Great Depression, Red Lodge became known for producing bootleg liquor.

However, by the mid-20th century, tourism, recreation and ranching took over the town’s economy.

With great effort to preserve the town and its history, visitors will experience much of the town’s past in addition to its vibrant, functional present. BY HANNAH CRANDALL

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Snow Sports With long, cold and snowy winters, ski areas around Red Lodge thrive and offer some of the most beautiful views. Red Lodge Mountain provides pure and simple Montana skiing and has grown by expanding its terrain park, opening a ski school, providing yearround reservations, and including other resort services, including a golf course. In addition to Red Lodge Mountain, visitors can ski at the Red Lodge Nordic Center and the Beartooth Basin Summer Ski Area. There is also an iceskating rink in town that is open to the public anytime there is not an event scheduled.

Art and Culture Red Lodge’s history and art presence are unique. The Carbon County Historical Society and Museum and the Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust offer a glimpse into the history of the area.

The Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery is one place to enjoy original art from over 200 western and contemporary artists, and many local artists have galleries and studios in town. Shopping in Red Lodge offers an experience that is personable and charming with shops that closer resemble galleries of what the owners are passionate about.

Events EXEMPLIFYING THE TOWN’S CLOSE-KNIT

culture and its roots, there are annual events that Red Lodge takes pride in. Red Lodge hosts the Home of Champions Rodeo over the week of July 4 each year, which also includes a night of PRCA Xtreme Bulls. The town hosts Montana’s premier music camp in June known as the Red Lodge Music Festival, and the Beartooth Bike Rally and Iron Horse Rodeo brings in motorcyclists from across the country each July. The holidays are filled with carnivals, festivals, and events, and there are concerts, shows, runs, races, and parades throughout the year.

Beartooth Highway and Yellowstone National Park Open in the summer, Beartooth Highway, considered ‘the most beautiful roadway in America’

by On the Road correspondent Charles Kuralt, winds from Red Lodge to the northeastern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The drive takes about three hours, but it is worth making a trip out of, stopping along the way. The highway was completed in 1936; and with over a dozen stop-worthy locations, you will climb to nearly 11,000 feet above sea level on this drive. Once reaching the well-known national park, visitors have access to the legendary Lamar Valley, where much of the park’s wildlife is often seen.

Camping, Hunting, Fishing, Rafting, Riding FOR THOSE THAT PREFER A MORE RUGGED

getaway over Red Lodge’s cozy lodging options, there is no shortage of campsites in the area. Fish and game are abundant around Red Lodge, and with multiple local guide services, hunters and fishermen are sure to find an excursion that fits their desires. On the Stillwater and Yellowstone rivers, your need for excitement can be fulfilled with rafting adventures; and visitors can experience Red Lodge’s rich ranching heritage with various horseback riding outfitters. cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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Whiskeytown Lake

HIT THE ROAD

Redding, California

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edding, California, is known for its captivating scenery, bustling economy, and vibrant community. Known as “the Jewel of Northern California,” Redding promotes a high quality of life for its residents and is hailed as a promising region for economic and cultural development. Redding was officially incorporated in 1887, with 600 citizens. Before it was incorporated, Redding was included in the Rancho Buena Ventura land grant given to Pierson B. Reading in 1844. The town was named after Benjamin B. Redding, a land agent of the Southern Pacific Railroad who decided to route the tracks through the area in 1872. If you’re itching to get out of the house or are headed through northern California, make sure to add these “Must See” attractions in Redding, California.

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Shasta Lake & Dam There’s plenty of room to move on this 30,000-acre/12,140-hectare reservoir, the largest in California. A typical summer day finds the crystal blue waters sprinkled with fishing boats, jet skis, inner tubes—almost anything that floats. Especially houseboats. Some Almost 370 miles of shoreline wrap around mirror-smooth coves ideal for anchoring. Cast for bass, crappie, catfish, and sturgeon. Or just kick back with a cocktail on the deck of your floating vacation home and drink in views of Mt. Shasta’s perennially snowcapped, 14,180-foot/4,322-meter peak.

Shasta Dam is located about nine miles northwest of Redding, California, on the Sacramento River. Built during the seven-year period between 1938 and 1945, the dam is a 602-foothigh concrete gravity dam, which provides flood control, power, and water supply benefits. The reservoir is also used extensively for recreation.

Sundial Bridge

Lake Shasta Caverns LAKE SHASTA CAVERNS NATIONAL

Natural Landmark is one of three known caverns in Shasta County. Our beds originated 250 million years ago when the earth was subjected to the folding of its crust. Ultimately, this created the Klamath Mountains.

The caverns were part of life for the Wintu Indians, who lived in the area. In the 1870s, a fish hatchery and small town were built on the McCloud River and the cave was named Baird Cave. A hatchery employee, J.A. Richardson officially discovered the caverns in 1878. Since 1964, they have been opened as a natural attraction to the public.

Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the Sundial Bridge is one of the world’s largest working sundials! The suspension bridge reaches 217 feet into the sky and goes about 710 feet across the Sacramento River. The Sundial Bridge was intentionally constructed without river footings to leave the salmonspawning habitat below undisturbed, making it also eco-friendly! The deck is surfaced with translucent glass which is illuminated from beneath and glows aquamarine at night. While world-renowned and environmentally sensitive, Sundial Bridge also inspires onlookers with its “bird in flight” design, symbolizing overcoming adversity.

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Located just west of Redding, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is located at the juncture of the Klamath Mountain range and the northern edge of the Sacramento Valley, making it home to a special collection of plants and animals, and year-round beauty. The park features Whiskeytown Lake, Shasta Bally mountain (6,209 ft.), and numerous waterfalls, providing outdoor enthusiasts opportunities for water recreation, hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.

Lake-based recreation is popular during the drier summer months; Whiskeytown Lake is always full and provides 36 miles of shoreline and 3,200 surface acres for recreation. Its placid surface is excellent for swimming, scuba diving, and fishing. Ranger-led kayak tours are popular and paddleboard yoga can be found on the water most weekends.

Whiskeytown’s beaches beckon families and groups, and open-water swimmers often take to the water for training. Generations of sailors have enjoyed the quiet lake for sailing, and the Whiskeytown Memorial Regatta has celebrated 50 years of racing.

Attend Redding Rodeo THE REDDING RODEO HAS BEEN A

staple to Redding since the mid-1900s. Taking place May 18-21, 2022 you can catch all the PRCA rodeo action at the Redding Rodeo Arena. We hope you are ready for three full days of rodeo action because each night the gates will open at 5 pm, pre-rodeo will start at 6:45 pm and the Grand Entry kicks off at 7 pm! You can expect to see all of your favorites including Bull Riding, Bareback Riding, Barrel Racing, Tie-down Roping, Team Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Steer Wrestling, Mutton Bustin, Chuck Wagon Races, and other special events like Extreme Bulls & Barrels.

It’s time for the 74th Annual Redding Rodeo coming up May 18-21, 2022 in Redding, California. Cowboy Lifestyle Network is proud to be partnering up with one of the best rodeos in the great state of California. It is going to be a jam-packed week of fun and rodeo. Check out the full schedule of events on their website and keep an eye out for updates regarding additional seating for rodeo weekend. Find out more by visiting reddingrodeo.com cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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HIT THE ROAD

Sheridan, Wyoming

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estled at the base of the Bighorn Mountains, Sheridan, Wyoming, is riddled with history and epic scenery. Located halfway between Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore, Sheridan is the epitome of the Old West.

When visiting, you’ll see remnants of the cowboy, pioneer and rancher lifestyle that so many sacrificed for as they traveled with the westward migration. Sheridan breathes tradition and encourages family fun any time of year; summer street festivals, semi-annual rodeos, brew fest, concerts in the park and farmer’s markets are just a few of the many things that invite people from around the world to this small Wyoming town. Visitors can also find events that encompass the traditional western lifestyle; every May spectators can watch the Eaton Horse Drive as cowboys run their herd through the heart of downtown from open land to the Eaton Ranch. Want to experience a true Cowboy lifestyle? Stay at one of the nearby ranches to stay in cabins, go horseback riding, and explore open land as far as the eye can see. If you love small towns and a slower pace of life, Sheridan is the perfect place for your next visit.

BY LINDSI LUFFMAN

Sheridan Rodeo Week

Bighorn Mountains

Twice a year you can join in the action of Rodeo Week.

In mid-July attendees can participate in the Boot Kick-Off and bed races, watch bucking broncos and Pow Wows, while enjoying the sights and sounds of a carnival. The winter rodeo offers exciting action-packed days full of skijoring through downtown (a competition where skiers are pulled by a horse and rider along a course with jumps, gates and rings), Cowboy Polo, Bike Races and live music over at Black Tooth and Luminous Breweries.

A scenic short drive outside of Sheridan, you’ll find stunning views along over 1,200 miles of trails through the Bighorn Mountains.

The trails differ in difficulty, but you’ll find something for every level of hiker. Rivers throughout the Bighorns also offer amazing spots for fly fishing Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, Black-nose Dace and Mountain Whitefish. Wildlife viewing is also a big part of the mountain range no matter what activity you participate in; keep an eye out for Bald Eagle, Whitetail deer, black bear, mountain lions and more.

Mint Bar Lit up every night with the iconic neon Wyoming Bucking Bronco, the Mint Bar has been a legendary meeting place since it’s opening in 1907. Like many historic bars, the Mint has been many things over the years, from a cigar company and soda shop with a speakeasy hidden in the walls to a casual spot to get a cold one and let the horses rest.

A visit to Sheridan isn’t complete without grabbing your friends and telling them you’ll “meet them at the Mint.”

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Don King Museum ATTACHED TO

King’s Rope, the museum is home to over three decades of the King’s family collection of Western and Cowboy memorabilia from across the world.

Visitors will see walls lined with hundreds of saddles as well as in-tact coaches, wagons, Native American artifacts, generations of firearms, Western tack and original artwork. Anyone who has a love of Cowboy history will want to make this a stop while in Sheridan.

The museum is open Monday - Saturday 8:00am to 5:00pm.

Kings Saddlery on Main Street Located in Downtown Sheridan on Main Street, King’s Saddlery and Ropes is a large western tack store that has something for “every cowboy, cowgirl and city-slicker.” From custom tooled leather goods, saddles, ropes and other horse tack to jewelry, knick-knacks and more for the general western lifestyle lover. King’s is a family run business started by the late Don King in 1946. Some of his custom handmade saddles are now in the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and the PRCA Rodeo Hall of Fame.

History. Heritage. Craft CULTURE. The Great Outdoors.

Sheridan is The Nature of the West.

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million acres of pristine wildland in the Bighorn National Forest, encompassing 1,200 miles of trails, 30 campgrounds, 10 picnic areas, 6 mountain lodges, legendary dude ranches, and hundreds of miles of waterways.

The Bighorns offer limitless outdoor recreation opportunities.

restaurants, bars, food trucks, lounges, breweries, distilleries, tap rooms, saloons, and holes in the wall are spread across Sheridan County. That’s 101 different ways to apres adventure in the craft capital of Wyoming. We are also home to more than 40 hotels, motels, RV parks, and B&Bs.

seasons in which to get WYO’d.

If you’re a skijoring savant, you’ll want to check out the Winter Rodeo. July features the beloved WYO Rodeo. Spring and fall are the perfect time to chase cool mountain streams or epic backcountry lines, race the Bighorn Trail run, and more.

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Sheridan features a thriving, historic downtown district, with western allure, hospitality and good graces to spare; a vibrant arts scene; bombastic craft culture; a robust festival and events calendar; and living history from one corner of the county to the next.

HIT THE ROAD

Scottsdale, Arizona

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cottsdale is an up-and-coming tourist destination in the heart of Arizona. Just 15 minutes from the center of Phoenix, Scottsdale is the perfect destination to enjoy luxury in the sun. Let’s start with the obvious beauty of the lush Sonoran Desert then sprinkle in the world-class resorts, chef-driven restaurants, and exciting experiences, Scottsdale is the place to go to create a once-in-a-lifetime getaway. Scottsdale had its official start in 1951 with a tiny population of only 2,000.

Since then, Scottsdale has grown to a whopping 241,361 people and that was from the 2020 census so it’s probably much more now.

If you were to ask an Arizona native to describe Scottsdale, they would say that it is commonly defined by its high quality of life and diverse culture. What’s nice about Scottsdale is that it can be your home base to explore other parts of the state and only be a few hours away from just about anywhere. Let’s check out some of the highlights that Scottsdale has to offer.

Visit the Desert Botanical Garden If you are looking to experience the Arizona desert, look no further than the Desert Botanical Garden. With the perfect combination of rugged beauty and desert landscape, the Desert Botanical Garden educates its guests on the many plants that inhabit the desert surrounding the Phoenix valley.

With options to attend events or just roam the park on one of many trails, this excursion is perfect for anyone wanting to experience the beauty of the desert in a walkable park.

Make sure to check out their website to learn more about your visit and what to bring before you head out, dbg.org.

Spend the Day in Old Town Start the day off in historic Old Town Scottsdale. It is truly the heart of Scottsdale and resembles a rustic but trendy downtown area.

Nestled in several walkable neighborhoods you’ll find an assortment of shops, restaurants, art galleries, and nightclubs. In addition, there are several contemporary public art installations, world-class museums, and historic sites from the late 1880s. If you’re looking for somewhere to stay, Old Town is home to more than 15 outstanding resorts and hotels.

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Get Outside

Spring Training A TRUE

Scottsdale experience is none other than attending a spring training baseball game.

Home to the Cactus League teams, which include the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, and many more, fans can come out, sit on the lawn and enjoy a baseball hotdog and beer while watching some baseball in nearperfect temperatures.

It truly doesn’t get much better than that.

Spring training runs from February through March so make sure to put some time on the calendar to catch a game.

In reality, there are only a few months out of the year that are not the best for enjoying outdoor activities. But for 9 out of 12 months, Scottsdale has the perfect weather for all outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you want to experience a hot air balloon ride, go on a horseback ride, hike, or just have some fun in the sun, Scottsdale and the surrounding areas have something for everyone at any level.

Scottsdale is also known to have some of the best golfing in the country, so whether you want to play for the day or stay and play, Scottsdale has you covered. One of the best courses to stay and play at is the Boulders Club, which is nestled in the foothills of North Scottsdale.

Explore Local Art & Culture If you aren’t convinced enough that you need to visit Scottsdale, then let this be the deciding factor; Scottsdale is known for putting a trendy spin on its western roots. When you visit, you will quickly realize that you are immersed in a culture that prides itself on honoring where they came from but also focuses on being the epitome of luxury. With everything from the Scottsdale Rodeo Museum to fine art galleries, you will experience every facet of Scottsdale and what makes it special.

HIT THE ROAD

Crested Butte, Colorado

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f you are looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience this spring, then it’s time for you to think about making the trip to Crested Butte, Colorado. Unlike many other tourist towns, you have to intentionally be headed to Crested Butte -- it isn’t just a stop along the way -- which makes it all the more special. We hope you’re ready for beautiful mountain views, green valleys with blooming wildflowers, and some of the cleanest mountain air you’ve ever breathed.

Founded in 1878, Crested Butte started its life as a coal-mining town tucked in the Elk Mountains of northern Gunnison County. The town lies just north of Gunnison and about the same distance south of Aspen. Sitting at about 9,000 feet of elevation, it’s common in the winter to experience frigid temperatures and several feet of annual snowfall. It’s time to bust out your planner and start taking notes of all the amazing things to do in and around Crested Butte!

Enjoy Crested Butte Winter & Spring Outdoor Activities IN ADDITION TO THE AMAZING SKIING AND

snowboarding opportunities the little town has to offer, you can also enjoy several other winter activities as well. Some of those activities include dog sledding, back-country skiing, mountaineering, snowshoeing, or ice skating! Regardless of the time of year, Crested Butte is a magical place to escape and enjoy a little slice of Colorado heaven.

Take a Sleigh Ride in the Snow or Horseback Ride in the Summer If you head down to the Lazy F Bar Ranch then you will have the opportunity to enjoy a horse-drawn sleigh ride, dinner, and some good old fashion fun. This ultimate Crested Butte dining experience is something you don’t want to miss.

Enjoy a scenic 35-minute horse drawn sleigh ride to a rustic 1950’s cabin overlooking the East River. Upon arrival, you will enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal.

If you are planning for your summer trip, then you can expect scenic horseback trips for riders of all abilities. They offer a variety of different rides including 1 hour, 2 hours, half day, breakfast and dinner rides, or jump on the old hay wagon for a lovely ride up the East River Valley.

Go Downtown WHAT CUTE MOUNTAIN IS COMPLETE WITHOUT A

trendy downtown? Crested Butte is everything that a picturesque mountain town should be. You truly get the best of both worlds, the ski town vibe plus the historic Victorian-era buildings that are home to shops of all kinds. With shops ranging from boutiques to coffee shops and great restaurants to art galleries, it’s easy to get lost in the charm of it all.

Explore the Local Scenery If you’re planning to visit Crested Butte in the spring or summer, then here are some activities you can enjoy when the snow starts to melt: camping, fishing, golf, hiking, horseback riding, and much more. Take in the wildflowers with a stroll on more than a dozen nearby trails.

Feeling a bit more ambitious? Hike up to the summit of Mt. Crested Butte for a birds-eye view of the town and valley. The trout fishing in Gunnison County is some of the best found in the world with cold, clear water flowing from the high mountains.

Starting in May and going through October, the hiking season is a great time to explore the surrounding mountains of Crested Butte. Known as the wildflower capital of Colorado, CB is an incredible place to experience summer flowers in incredible mountain landscapes. The Gunnison National Forest, which includes five wilderness areas, ensures pristine conditions and memorable experiences.

Crested Butte Farmers Market STARTING MAY 29TH, THE CRESTED BUTTE

Farmers Market will be held at 2nd and Elk Avenue every Sunday.

Stroll down the street and enjoy a variety of locally sourced foods, drinks, and other goods, all while supporting local farmers and businesses. Some of the vendors you can expect to find are local farms and ranches, artisanal food producers, concessionaires, and local artists. This is a great place to get a feel for the local community while also promoting local businesses. cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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HIT THE ROAD

Santa Fe, New Mexico

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ome experience the heart and soul of New Mexico, beautiful Santa Fe. The city was founded in 1610 and is the fourth-largest city in New Mexico with a population of 84,683. Santa Fe is truly one-of-a-kind and unlike any other city you’ve been to. The architecture is stunning, with its own distinctive, rustic style, you can expect to find a mix of beautiful earth-colored adobe buildings as well as Italianate, Victorian, and California Mission Revival-style buildings, and contemporary designs throughout the city.

The Plaza is the heart of Santa Fe and there’s so much to experience you won’t need a car, this historic district is great to explore on foot. With a traditional to contemporary art scene, you can soak in the rich history and culture everywhere you go. Santa Fe offers several scenic places to visit for outdoor activities with the surrounding mountains and public lands. There are so many things offered for all ages here in Santa Fe, it really is a magical place to be, so let’s learn a little more about what Santa Fe has to offer.

Canyon Road Arts District STROLL ON THROUGH SANTA FE’S LEGENDARY

Canyon Road and just in a half-mile, you’ll discover more than hundreds of artist studios, galleries, shops, and restaurants.

Come meet outstanding gallery owners who are exhibiting spectacular work from incredible artists from all around the globe.

Be sure to check out a continuing tradition of Canyon Road’s vibrant Friday night art openings. This takes place in the very heart of the city’s long admired art scene. It’s simply a sight to see and you’ll experience how magical and creative it really is.

BY MEGAN DEFABRY

The Puya Cliff Dwellings A place between earth and sky is the Puye Cliff Dwellings. It’s a National Historic Landmark that once sheltered 1,500 Pueblo people who are now ancestors of the Santa Clara people today. The Pueblo people hunted game and farmed the land from the 900’s to 1580 A.D. Ten miles east on the Santa Clara Pueblo is where their descendants live today. The site consists of split-level caves, cliff dwellings as well as mesa-top dwellings, and connecting paths and stairways. The majesty and mystery of the site are revealed by guided tours.

The tours will take you to a historic Fred Harvey House that was built in the late 1800s for tourists traveling by train. It was the only Harvey House built on Pueblo lands. The remaining structure became the exhibit hall and gift shop.

Santa Fe National Forest SANTA FE NATIONAL FOREST IS VERY SCENIC AND

sprawls across a staggering 1.6 million acres. It contains the headwaters of three rivers, lakes and streams that all offer outstanding trout fishing. Take a raft ride down the Rio Grande in the summer or take to the powdery slopes of Ski Santa Fe in winter. You can explore until your heart’s content, whether it be on foot, horseback, or on a bike, there is over 1,000 miles of trails leading into spectacular wilderness areas.

Loretto Chapel One of the most magnificent architectural treasures of Santa Fe is the Loretto Chapel. According to the legend, a mysterious man came to the unfinished chapel after the Sisters of Loretto prayed a nine-day novena to St. Joseph, Patron Saint of Carpenters for help to complete the project. A novena is a unique prayer that is said for nine consecutive days. Something spectacular happened on the last day of the novena, a carpenter showed up and built what is now known as the ‘Miraculous Staircase’. The incredible staircase has two 360 degree turns with no center pole for structural support. He showed up with only simple tools and wooden pegs then disappeared before the sisters could pay or even thank him. Some people believe the carpenter who showed up was St. Joseph himself but others believe it was someone sent by St. Joseph. Regardless of the origin, the Sisters of Loretto prayed and their prayers were answered with the beautiful staircase for everyone to enjoy for years to come.

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Shop Downtown Santa Fe ALL AROUND THE PLAZA IS A GREAT PLACE TO

explore the local shops as you’ll venture into some unique historic buildings that are full of charm. The Plaza is located right in the heart and soul of Santa Fe. These shops are filled with many handmade treasures that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

You’ll come across a variety of goodies from furniture to fashion items, silver and turquoise jewelry to cowboy boots, concho belts, Spanish antiques and so much more.

HIT THE ROAD

Fort Worth, Texas

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onsidered the youngest city in Texas, Fort Worth is the 13th-largest city in the United States. Fort Worth is known for its Texas-sized hospitality and several remarkable districts full of culture and fun. In just a matter of minutes, you can be experiencing the infamous cattle drive in the Stockyards to hitting the club downtown. With so many diverse cultures and experiences, it makes it one of the best places to visit regardless of where you are coming from.

When Fort Worth was founded in 1849, it was an army outpost on a bluff overlooking the Trinity River. Back then and even still today, the city is known for its cattle drives and western heritage. The city still embraces that heritage today through traditional architecture and design. Fort Worth promotes itself as the “City of Cowboys and Culture”. We are excited to highlight just a few of the experiences that make Fort Worth one of the best places to travel to.

Go Downtown DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH IS JUST A FEW

minutes from the Stockyards, which is great if you’re trying to see several things in one trip. With everything from fine dining to nightclubs, there is something to make everyone in your group happy. Some highlights of downtown include the Sid Richardson Museum, which features over 40 paintings done by premier Western artists. Another impressive feature of downtown is the Fort Worth Water Gardens, which are an architectural and engineering masterpiece.

Visit the Stockyards If you’re looking for a true western experience, then you need to spend at least a day exploring the historic Fort Worth Stockyards.

In just the last few years, the area has expanded and added several trendy restaurants and bars, but you still get the true western experience.

In addition to the iconic brick roads, you will instantly fall in love with the rustic charm that the Stockyards have to offer. There is a mall located at the Stockyards Station that is full of souvenir shops, and restaurants. A daily cattle drive is held twice each day known as “The Herd”, this is done at 11:30 AM and again at 4 PM. Fort Worth is the only major city that hosts a daily cattle drive. The other area you should check out in the Stockyards is Mule Alley, a recent area that opened up with several trendy new shops and restaurants.

Experience the Rodeo YOU CAN’T COME TO TEXAS WITHOUT GOING TO

a rodeo and there is no better way to experience a rodeo than at Cowtown Coliseum. The Stockyards Championship Rodeo was the World’s First Indoor Rodeo and includes your standard eight rodeo events which include barrel racing, team roping, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, breakaway, saddle bronc and bareback riding, and the fan-favorite, bull riding. We are the world’s only year-round rodeo, held nearly every Friday and Saturday night.

Catch a Concert at Billy Bob’s Texas Considered the world’s largest honky-tonk, Billy Bob’s Texas has almost three acres under one roof. In addition to their indoor arena for bull riding every Friday and Saturday, there is a massive dance floor, several bar stations, a full restaurant, a late-night pizza kitchen, arcade games, a Wall of Fame with celebrity handprints, and a gift shop. If you are looking for a true Texas experience, then you need to make a stop at Billy Bob’s Texas. They deliver on their promise of having the finest, nightly live music, and an authentic western atmosphere to enjoy with your friends and family.

An Event at AT&T Stadium THE GRAND DADDY OF ALL STADIUMS AND HOME

to the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium is the place to catch a live event in Fort Worth. What started as a dream for the Jone’s family has changed the way fans watch football games by making every aspect of the experience more exciting than ever before. Th It doesn’t matter whether it’s a football game or The American Rodeo, attending an event at the AT&T Stadium should be on everyone’s bucket list. In addition, you are within walking distance of Texas Live! to enjoy some cold beverages, shopping, and dining. cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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HIT THE ROAD

Tucson, Arizona

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efore the United States acquired the Arizona territory, Tucson existed as a Spanish military fort. In fact, Tucson was founded in 1775, with the United States of America’s Declaration of Independence signed one year later. It then watched as Mexico gained independence from Spain. Eventually, Tucson was included in the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. The United States acquired a 29,670 square miles region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico from Mexico.

Tucson was also the location for the Wyatt Earp saga’s continuation and many other wild west activities such as frequent stagecoach robberies and gunfights.

Flash forward to present-day Tucson, and you’ll find an eclectic mix of history, modern accommodations, and the unique distinction of being the country’s first Capital of Gastronomy. Tucson is the second-largest city in Arizona but still manages to keep the rich stories of its past intertwined with its modern ways.

Tanque Verde Guest Ranch RECENTLY CALLED THE #1 TOP RESORT IN THE

Southwest in Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch allows you to step back in time without losing the amenities of the present day. This ranch, settled in 1868, snuggles against the iconic Rincon Mountains and offers relaxing accommodations and many activities to keep you and the family busy. Don’t miss out on the trail ride opportunities to travel through the picturesque Sonoran desert just like cowboys of the past.

BY TIFFANY SELCHOW

The University of Arizona

(Specifically the Stone Wall Surrounding the Original Campus)

Mi Nidito

The University of Arizona may be the entity that first tried to bring metropolitan sophistication to the Old Pueblo, but it still holds wild West tales.

The UA was founded in 1885 (25 years before Arizona became an official state), and at the time, open-range cattle were still present in the area. A wall made of volcanic stone was built around the campus perimeter to keep cattle out, and that wall still stands today. The UA campus is one of academic beauty and worth a visit. Check out the wall, find the turtle pond that was originally part of the president’s house, and then grab a quick bite on University Boulevard located next to campus.

to this iconic Mexican food restaurant, did you really even come to Tucson? The answer to that is no, so make sure you add this stop to your itinerary. Mi Nidito has been offering authentic Sonoran cuisine since 1952. While the food is enough of a draw, it can also brag about the numerous celebrities and political figures who choose to make a stop there. President Bill Clinton is a frequent diner and even has a plate on the menu dedicated to his visit called the “President’s Plate.”

IF YOU COME TO TUCSON AND DON’T MAKE A TRIP

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum The Sonoran Desert, which covers large parts of the Southwestern United States and parts of northern Mexico, is a truly unique landscape and holds many wonders of nature worth learning about. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is the perfect place to expand your knowledge about the region while being immersed in the desert landscape with the town’s amenities. Popular exhibits include a cave featuring life underground, the hummingbird aviary where you can get up close and personal with these tiny beauties, and the riparian corridor showing off the desert oases any desert dweller is happy to find.

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San Xavier del Bac THIS BEAUTIFUL WHITE DOVE OF THE DESERT

(translated name) is the oldest intact European structure in Arizona and is a place where one can find peace and reverence.

The San Xavier del Bac was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692 and is still standing as a place for worship and architectural marvel. The main attraction is the church, but visitors should also plan to take the short quarter-mile walk to Grotto Hill, which gives an overview of the grounds and a 180-degree view of the nearby Tucson Mountains.

DESTINATION: WESTERN AGENCY OF

THE NAVAJO NATION

BY KRYSTA PAFFRATH

The Cowboy Lifestyle Network Maps out a Five Stop Strategy to Experience the Beauty of Navajo Nation

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ow is the perfect time to start planning your summer and spring road trips.

Cowboy Lifestyle Network is proud to be partnering with the Navajo Nation to help promote its culture and hidden gems on the reservation.

Today, we are thrilled to take a trip through the Western Agency of the Navajo Nation.

Agencies on the reservation act much like counties do. Keep reading to map out the “must-see spots” to add to your road trip list.

The first thing you should know about the Western Agency is that it is the largest Navajo

Nation Agency (5,579,499.49 acres) out of the five (Western Agency, Chinle Agency, Fort Defiance Agency, Eastern Agency, and the Shiprock Agency). Inside of the Western Agency, there are 18 Chapters and 5 Districts. With it being the largest Agency, there are TONS to see, so let’s jump in.

Twin Arrows Casino Resort Listen, you are going to need a home base for this road trip, so why not start your journey at one of the best casino resorts in the state?

Not to mention, it’s closer to all of your road trip destinations than it would be traveling from the valley Twin Arrows is Northern Arizona’s premier casino resort destination. It is nestled within a picturesque view of the majestic San Francisco Peaks just east of Flagstaff, Twin Arrows is the centerpiece of the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise’s properties. You can stay here knowing that both art and architecture have been combined to embody and showcase the rich history of the Navajo people while providing an unparalleled casino resort experience. The resort is known for its highprofile amenities, including luxury guest rooms, gourmet dining, culturally infused casual dining, a fitness center, a heated indoor pool, and more than 11,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting space. You can’t beat staying at the Twin Arrows Casino Resort.

Little Colorado River Tribal Park The Grand Canyon is a beautiful place to visit, but to see exceptional beauty, you should head to the beginning of the Grand Canyon at the Little Colorado River Tribal Park, which is only a short 7 miles from the start of the Grand Canyon.

The Little Colorado River Gorge is considered the gateway to the historic Grand Canyon, the LCR has two viewpoints that are within walking distance from the parking lot for your viewing pleasure. There are plenty of ramadas and park benches for your enjoyment. The rugged terrain and rigged rocks are what the area has to offer for the avid hiker. Please note that you must attain a Backcountry Permit before hiking. For more information, you can visit the Navajo Park and Recreation Visitor Center located at the entrance into the canyon. Hwy 89 and 64. It’s located about 10 miles from the Navajo Parks and Recreation Visitor Center.

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Horseshoe Bend Everyone should know the iconic Horseshoe Bend, but what about getting a tour of it? When you are mapping out your time allocation, make sure to give yourself an ample amount of time to explore everything this beauty has to offer. With so many options for hiking, flying, or floating, there truly is something for everyone. If you choose to do a flying tour, that would be the best way to see as much as you can in a short period of time, but if you’re down to get adventurous, we highly recommend hiking or booking a guided raft tour. There is no wrong way to get outside and start exploring, below is one of the tour companies that take care of the details for you!

FU N FACT S:

•• Horseshoe bend resides 1,000 feet above the river’s surface which is

equivalent to a 99-story building.

•• The formation was created over the course of a billion years and was

caused by the continual flow of water through the canyon walls.

Antelope Canyon This might be the most picturesque stop of your whole trip, although it may also take the most planning. All visitors are required to book a tour to view the sculptured slot canyons. Not to worry though, there are several authorized tour guides in the area that are happy to impart their knowledge about the area’s history and geology. The canyons have been shaped by several million years of water and wind erosion, and the result? The magnificent canyon was named for the herds of pronghorn antelope that once roamed the area.

The most popular tour is the Upper Antelope Canyon because more sunlight enters the canyon and the walls reach up to 120 feet. The Lower Antelope Canyon tour is equally impressive, immersing visitors in the swirling embrace of sandstone walls.

Monument Valley End your Western Agency Road Trip with the majestic views of Monument Valley. Enriched with beautiful culture and natural rock formations. This is a perfect place to end your trip and if you’re looking for a full guide on Monument Valley, make sure to check a previous article we did highlighting the must-see attractions. As always, we encourage everyone to be a good steward of the land, pack in what you pack out, and always be respectful of local culture.

cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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SPRING INTO ACTION WITH A RODEO ROAD TRIP Pack the bags, load up the family and hit the road. Here are 5 spring rodeos to enjoy this year.

Cave Creek Rodeo Days

Clovis Rodeo

Date: March 25-27, 2022 Location: Cave Creek, Arizona Website: cavecreekrodeo.com

Date: April 20-24, 2022 Location: Clovis, California Website: clovisrodeo.com

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ocated at the Cave Creek Memorial Arena, the Cave Creek Rodeo Days is a PRCA sanctioned rodeo that has made quite an impact in its community since its inauguration in 1977. Consisting entirely of volunteers, the non-profit Cave Creek Rodeo Days, Inc. has been the key to the great praise and success the rodeo receives each year. With goals to preserve the past, present, and future of Cave Creek’s western heritage, the Cave Creek Rodeo Days rodeo has created an avenue for philanthropy in the community.

With thousands of visitors each year and help from volunteers, patrons, sponsors, and the community of Cave Creek, the Cave Creek Rodeo Days Organization has had the ability to donate several thousand dollars in the last couple of years. From breast cancer awareness organizations, domestic violence awareness organizations, to veteran aid, many charitable donations have become a reality thanks to this annual rodeo extravaganza.

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C

lovis Rodeo is celebrating its 108th anniversary April 20-24, 2022 in Clovis, California! It just isn’t Spring in California unless you’ve experienced the Clovis Rodeo. It is an integral part of the Clovis community and key to upholding their western heritage.

What started out more than 108 years ago as a community event, and then became a 2-day rodeo, has grown into a 5-day event kicking off with bull riding followed by 4-days of PRCA rodeo action, generating an economic impact of more than $15 million for our region. It began as a time to bring the community together and has grown into one of the top 10 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) rodeos in the nation. With a total winning purse of more than $400,000, they bring in world champion cowboys and cowgirls to team up with some of the best bucking stock in the sport from throughout the country.

Date: April 1-17, 2022 Location: San Angelo, Texas

Helotes Cornyval Rodeo

Redding Rodeo

Date: April 28-30, 2022 Location: Helotes, Texas Website: cornyval.org

Date: May 18-21, 2022 Location: Redding, California Website: reddingrodeo.com

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ituated just outside of San Antonio proper, is the little town of Helotes, Texas, and every April the town comes together to support the annual Helotes Cornyval Festival. The rodeo this year will consist of bull riding, tie-down roping, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, and women’s barrel racing brought to you

by Andrews Rodeo Company. Make sure to show up early to the show to enjoy the pre-rodeo entertainment starting at 7 pm.

In addition to the rodeo, attendees can enjoy the carnival, concerts, and plenty of food and vendors. On May 1st, make sure to head downtown for the annual parade, hosted and organized by the City of Helotes.

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t’s time for the 74th Annual Redding Rodeo coming up May 18-21, 2022 in Redding, California. Cowboy Lifestyle Network is proud to be partnering up with one of the best rodeos in the great state of California. It is going to be a jam-packed week of fun and rodeo.

But the Redding Rodeo isn’t just a rodeo, in a normal year, there are typically several days of events; Specials Kids day to celebrate the otherly-abled children in our area, Heritage Day where kids in K-4 learn what it is to be in a rodeo, be a rancher, a horse person and be responsible and respectful while learning about Redding’s local heritage.

Hell on Wheels Chuck Wagon Dinner & Rodeo Location: Laramie, Wyoming Date: June 10 & 24, July 8 & 15, August 19 & 26 Website: visitcheyenne.ticketspice.com/how-rodeo-2022

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f you’re planning a trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming this summer then make sure to mark your calendars for the Hell on Wheels Chuck Wagon Dinner and Rodeo. There are very few things that you can do for an authentic, cowboy-western experience, but the Hell on Wheels Chuck Wagon dinner and homegrown rodeo hits the mark! Award-winning 3LazyR Chuck Wagon will be serving up some of the best home cooking, done the way your grandma used to: Low and slow-cooked over a fire all afternoon. Attendees can enjoy brisket, beans, garlic roasted baby potatoes, and a warm cobbler that will fill your belly and your heart with a true taste of the West.

After dinner, you can make your way over to the rodeo arena to cheer on our hometown cowboys and cowgirls competing in events including Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc, Breakaway Roping, Steer Wrestling, Barrels, Bull Riding, and more. Enjoy the West’s favorite sport under the open sky with some of Wyoming’s finest competitors!

Website: sanangelorodeo.com

San Angelo Rodeo THE SAN ANGELO

Rodeo holds twelve PRCA sanctioned rodeo performances.

Each performance includes one section of Bareback Riding, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Calf Roping, Barrel Racing, and Bull Riding. Make sure to stay for the PRCA Finals on April 15th where the top 12 in each event come back to town to compete for the championship! It is one of the most coveted titles in Pro Rodeo!

In addition to the 12 PRCA performances and the Finals, San Angelo also hosts the Cinch Chute-Out which is one of their best-selling events. The contestants in each event are made up of the top five from the 2021 year-end standings, and the top five from the current 2022 world standings. In the first round, each contestant goes head-tohead and the four with the fastest times, or best scores, advance to the second round. From those four, the one with the best ride or run in the second round takes home $12,500 in each event! The total purse is $100,000 for the single performance. You watch the best of the best compete for big money and the title of Cinch Chute Out Champion, all in one night! cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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PBR ANNOUNCES NEW TEAM-BASED THE PBR TEAM SERIES DEBUTS IN JUNE 2022

P

rofessional Bull Riders recently announced the team owners, cities, names, and logos of the eight teams launching PBR Team Series, an elite new league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing in games beginning in June 2022.

The PBR Team Series’ inaugural 10-event regular season will culminate in a team playoff at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas November 4-6, 2022. The league will launch with eight founding teams, each scheduled to host in their respective city an annual bull riding event and western lifestyle festival, building excitement and rooting interests in the sport.

There will also be two “neutral site” leagueproduced regular-season events and the season playoff and championship. All PBR Team Series events will be carried on either the CBS Television Network, streaming live on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, or Pluto TV. The league will host a PBR Team Series rider draft on May 23 prior to the start of the 2022 season, among PBR rider members who have declared for the draft during a league eligibility

ARIAT TEXAS

RATTLERS

AUSTIN

GAMBLERS

CAROLINA

CHAOS

window. To determine the team selection order of the athletes, a draft lottery among teams will be held prior to the PBR Unleash The Beast event at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday, January 7.

The PBR Team Series complements the successful PBR Unleash The Beast premiere tour, which held its first championship in 1994 and in 2022 will be staged January – May, with its World Finals held in Fort Worth, Texas from May 13-22, 2022.

“Over the past 29 years, PBR has grown to become a mainstream sport carried by CBS and Pluto TV and packing marquee arenas across the country,” said PBR CEO and Commissioner Sean Gleason.

“The incredible lineup of passionate, highly successful team owners validates the new PBR Team Series league – a transformational addition to the sport that will help take PBR to new levels.”

The PBR Team Series builds on the existing structure of professional bull riding with the same basic rules for judging and scoring qualified 8-second bull rides. Events will be structured in a

An Interview with Chad Blankenship, Senior Vice President, PBR CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT WENT INTO CREATING THIS NEW PBR TEAM SERIES AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THE SPORT OF BULL RIDING? For about a decade, we’ve really been thinking about the opportunity to create a team-based bull riding league, how it might work, how the riders might respond to competing in a team environment, which is obviously atypical for Western Sports and bull riding, and how fans would respond to it. We’ve produced a handful of team-based events to test and learn with the competition and live event formats. The most prominent example is the nation-versusnation PBR Global Cup, which PBR launched in 2018 in Edmonton, Canada.

We then hosted the Global Cup in Sydney, Australia, and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for several years including this coming March.

Another team-based event that we’ve held in recent history is Cowboys For a Cause. That’s been a military charity event that we’ve staged twice on the flight deck of the USS Lexington - an aircraft carrier in Corpus Christi, Texas - and televised nationally. Through all these events, we’ve learned a few things. First of all, when it comes to team-based bull riding, the riders love it, because it’s a different kind of challenge for them. We still have cowboy athletes, matching up against a big, powerful bovine athlete; but what the cowboys tell us when they participate in the team events is that being part of a team gives them a broader sense of purpose. With this new team

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ARIZONA

RIDGE RIDERS

series, they’re not just riding for themselves, their family, and their fans, they’re really riding for each other. I think part of that is the camaraderie that the guys report with the team. A little bit of it also, I think for some of the riders, is having a coach. Then there’s also a dynamic with the team format in which bulls are drawn to the teams and then the coaches and riders decide who’s going to get on what versus a blind draw, which is what we typically see in individual bull riding events now. That helps, too, because bull riders have an opportunity to match up better with a bull that fits their riding style.

CAN YOU DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE MISSION OF THIS NEW LEAGUE? When it comes to growing the bull riding ecosystem, a big part of our mission as a league, and as a business, is to grow the sport, to create new and additional earning opportunities for the riders, and to continue to stoke fandom across the country and other parts of the world for bull riding. The PBR Team Series is a significant catalyst toward the mission. Historically there is a bit of an off-season for PBR from June to mid-August. We sanction plenty of really great PBR events in that window, but in terms of the PBR premier series and our owned and operated events, we typically take a summer hiatus. To create a continuous schedule for our riders and fans we’ve restructured the Unleash the Beast premier series season, which will now run from November to May in a typical season without a two and a half month break in the summer. That will better serve our fans, allowing us to create a dramatic crescendo in the Unleash the Beast culminating in a terrific World Finals in Fort Worth in May, and then move right into the PBR Teams season.

BULL RIDING SERIES

Date JULY 25-26

Kansas City, MO

AUG. 12-13

Anaheim, CA

MISSOURI

THUNDER

NASHVILLE

STAMPEDE

tournament-style format with all teams competing in head-to-head matchups against a different opponent each day. Each game will feature five riders per team squaring off against another team. Full team rosters will comprise seven riders on the core roster and up to three practice squad members.

The team with the highest aggregate score of qualified rides among its riders will be declared the winner of each game. The event winner will be the team with the most game wins across an event, with a special bonus round designed as a tie-breaker to determine final event standings.

Team-formatted bull riding events have been growing in popularity since the debut of the PBR Global Cup in 2017, which pitted nation against nation in the name of national pride. The successful event format continued in June and July 2021 with the PBR Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by U.S. Border Patrol. In addition, PBR has staged multiple Air Force Reserve Cowboys for a Cause team charity events.

WE KNOW THAT THE RIDERS PICKED FOR EACH TEAM WILL BE DONE THROUGH A LOTTERY DRAFT, BUT ARE THERE ANY CONDITIONS IN WHICH A COWBOY CAN APPLY FOR THE DRAFT? SHOULD WE ANTICIPATE SOME PRETTY BIG NAMES APPEARING ON THESE TEAMS? PBR Team Series is designed to broadly create opportunities for more bull riders within the PBR and rodeo ecosystems. PBR Teams is a shorter season than Unleash the Beast. It’s 10 regular season events plus a Playoff in Las Vegas, so 11 total events. It will span July to the first weekend of November. In order to have the potential to compete on a team, a rider has to have either a PBR member card or a PBR Draft card; that provides the opportunity to participate in the draft. Anybody who wants to participate in the 2023 season has to declare by May 6th and then we’ll have the initial draft on Monday, May 23, which is the day after our PBR World Finals.

There will be a multi-round primary draft and then a few days later, a supplemental draft for Team GMs and Coaches to finalize their rosters of 7 core riders. In order to participate in the Primary Draft, bull riders must declare that they are available for all 11 events in the series. The Supplemental Draft creates an opportunity for bull riders who aren’t available for all 11; these riders can declare eligibility for a partial season, the minimum requirement is six regular-season events plus the playoffs. That was specifically designed to create an opportunity for a rider who wants to participate in Teams but can make only a partial commitment. We anticipate that we’re going to have more bull riders from the rodeo ranks, who choose to participate in PBR Teams because it’s a smaller commitment in terms of the

Honda Center

NEUTRAL SITE

KANSAS CITY OUTLAWS

NEUTRAL SITE

NASHVILLE STAMPEDE

Austin, TX

AUSTIN GAMBLERS

Ridgedale, MO

MISSOURI THUNDER

SEPT. 9-11

Winston-Salem, NC

CAROLINA CHAOS

SEPT 16-18

Oklahoma City, OK

OKLAHOMA FREEDOM

OCT. 7-9

Fort Worth, TX

TEXAS RATTLERS

OCT. 14-16

Glendale, AZ

ARIZONA RIDGE RIDERS

NOV. 4-6

Las Vegas, NV

OKLAHOMA

FREEDOM

T-Mobile Center

Home Team

Nashville, TN

AUG. 26-28

KANSAS CITY

Cheyenne, WY

Cheyenne Frontier Days

AUG. 5-7

AUG. 19-21

OUTLAWS

City/ Venue

SEPT. 3-5

Bridgestone Arena

Moody Center

Thunder Ridge Amphitheater

LJVM Coliseum

Paycom Center

Dickies Arena

Gila River Arena

T-Mobile Arena

CHAMPIONSHIP

calendar year. This opportunity for all bull riders to compete in PBR Teams should also drive the interest of an even larger fan base.

THE EIGHT FOUNDING TEAMS ARE BACKED BY SOME PRETTY BIG PLAYERS AND NOT JUST COMPANIES IN THE WESTERN INDUSTRY, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BRINGING IN A VARIETY OF SPONSORS TO THE SPORT OF BULL RIDING? In our inaugural season, the ownership groups that we’ve assembled are incredibly validating to Western Sports and bull riding specifically. If you look across our ownership groups, not only are there a couple of established and new players in the Western Sports space but all major league sports are also represented. Our Team owners and operators include successful sports leaders in the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers, MLB Oakland A’s, NBA Knicks, MLS Earthquakes and NYC FC, EPL Manchester City, and NASCAR among others. Our owners are also successful operators in western sports and lifestyle including The American, NBHA, Road to the Horse, Better Barrel Races, and Western Horseman magazine among others.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR THE PBR TEAM SERIES? The sky’s the limit. As we’ve tested our trial events with a team format, it’s proved to be incredibly engaging and fun for fans and bull riders alike. Sponsors also love the Team format. Right now we’ve assembled such a compelling collection of owners and team operators, we feel great about starting with eight teams and eleven events. We’re also really leaning into the opportunity to stoke local fandom. For the first time ever, fans have a rooting interest not only for their favorite rider, but their entire hometown team. That’s very unique to Western Sports and bull riding, and we want to lean into that opportunity to really get fans excited about flying the flag, literally and figuratively, for their home team. cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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Q&A WITH AUSTIN DILLON ‘God, Country and Cowboy’

G

BY JARED TURNER

rowing up around a grandfather – legendary NASCAR team owner Richard Childress – who one could argue is the embodiment of a cowboy, NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Dillon embraced the cowboy and western lifestyle from his youth.

Now a 31-year-old competing in NASCAR’s premier division for his grandfather’s team, Dillon has continued to immerse himself in cowboy culture – whether it be his proclivity for sporting a cowboy hat at the race track or his affinity for professional bull riding.

Earlier this year, Professional Bull Riders officials announced Dillon would oversee the Carolina Chaos – one of eight teams participating in the PBR Team Series, a new league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing in games beginning this June. The Chaos will represent Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which is near Dillon’s hometown of Lewisville, North Carolina, and the same city where his famous grandfather spent his earliest days in racing at fabled Bowman Gray Stadium.

The Chaos – run by Richard Childress Racing, with Dillon as its general manager – will host a competition at Wake Forest University’s Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum as part of the PBR Team Series’ inaugural 10-event regular season.

In the following Q&A, Dillon talks about why he decided to pursue this new venture, his love of the cowboy lifestyle and much more.

•• NASCAR Driver Austin Dillon is the

General Manager of the Carolina Chaos in the newly-formed PBR Team Series.

WHAT CONVINCED YOU TO TAKE ON YOUR ROLE WITH THE CAROLINA CHAOS? My grandfather and I had talked with Sean (Professional Bull Riders CEO and commissioner Sean Gleason) a couple times … and we thought it was very awesome and something we would want to be a part of when it all came to fruition. I love sports in general. I keep up with football, baseball, basketball and NASCAR and PBR. Having met friends in the PBR industry, like Cooper Davis and Luke Snyder, I think it just all kind of ties together with stuff that we love – God, country and cowboys.

HOW MANY PBR EVENTS DO YOU ANTICIPATE ATTENDING WITH YOUR BUSY RACING SCHEDULE? It’s going to be tough. I’ll have a live feed for some of them that I’ll be able to watch at the track. We race on Sundays, and they ride on Sundays, but I’m going to try to attend some Thursday/Friday events when we don’t have Cup practice. My grandfather and my business manager are also involved in this, so they’ll be going to some events.

WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN DUTIES AS GM? I have a budget I have to stick to. Our owner

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is the PBR, so they’ll be keeping up with what we’re spending and then, obviously, I’ll be trying to keep all the riders healthy and happy. …

We’re running the team basically. What does that entail? We’ve got some of the guidelines, but it’s a new league and a learning process, and hopefully we learn the fastest.

HOW DID YOU COME TO LOVE THE COWBOY LIFESTYLE? I think it’s my grandpa. From an early age on, my grandfather has pushed me, and I’ve watched John Wayne movies since I was a kid. My grandfather has taken me out to Montana to hunt, fish and ride horses. I remember riding horses in our backyard, getting horse lessons, getting bucked off a horse and told to get back on the horse when I was just a little kid. It’s just those building blocks of life around the outdoors and cowboys, because my grandfather is a cowboy in my mind.

The cowboys I’ve been around with PBR, man, they’re different. They’re unbelievable. Everybody just looks at what they are as tough, but a lot of them are God-fearing men that set good examples, and they’re super-polite, good ole boys that just want to go out and ride some rank bulls and have a little fun and meet some good people in the process.

HOW MUCH ARE YOU MOTIVATED AFTER A DISAPPOINTING 2021?

A lot. We were able to bring back a bunch of my same team guys this year and added some new guys I’m excited about. And then just having this opportunity with the Next Gen car, I think it’s a clean slate for everyone. The competition is stout at the top level of motorsports, so we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, and I’m as motivated as I’ve ever been.

HOW HAVE YOU CHANGED SINCE YOU JOINED THE CUP SERIES 8 YEARS AGO? A lot. I think you go through the phases of Austin Dillon. You just look at my beard and my hair change over the years, and the mindset changes with it. It’s funny, though: When you have a bad day, you feel like experience after a while helps you cope with certain days … but your stomach still churns because you want to perform.

And I think that’s what drives us all as competitors is you’ve got to hate to lose. … You get to this point and sometimes you get comfortable. You have to push yourself to get uncomfortable because you’re not here for a long time, and you want to do good while you are here, so I’m still pushing myself. If you think I’m comfortable, I’m not.

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COWBOY FASHION

AMERICAN HAT COMPANY

BY MEGAN DEFABRY

A

merican Hat Company have been making the finest cowboy hats in the world, both felt and straw, since 1915. Crafted in Bowie, Texas, each hat is handmade by expert craftsmen. Whether you’re looking for a hat to wear for a rodeo, ranch work, riding, a concert, dancing, or to just add to your overall daily wardrobe, the American Hat Company has the perfect hat for you! Their goal is to provide the finest quality, American-made cowboy hats to their customers.

American Hat Company uses presses from the mid-1800s and sewing machines that have been in service since before the 1950s. Each and every piece of machinery is specialized for every step of the hat making process. In addition, every single hat is finished and sanded by hand. The only cowboy hat that can live up to the standard of style, quality, and durability that you’d expect from an American-made product is one made by the American Hat Company.

American Hat Company takes a lot of pride in the fact that there’s no set expectation for men’s and women’s hats. Hats aren’t confined to a single style, so people can craft a hat style suited specifically for them. Hat shapes and styles also vary from location, lifestyle, and personal preference.

American Hat Company provides you with a selection of quality hats in

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different price ranges and colors, as well as your choice of hat shape including crowns, creases, and brims.

There are two main types of hats, felts and straws. Felt hats, typically worn in the colder months, are widely popular as they came around before their straw counterparts. Straw hats are typically worn in the summer because the material and vents are much better for warmer weather. Additionally, straw hats can be made out of lots of different materials, colors and styles as well.

American Hat Company hats are sold across the globe at most western stores. However, you won’t be able to purchase a hat directly from their facility in Bowie, Texas as they are wholesale only. When shopping for your American hat, your hat shaper will be integral to the process of getting it to look just the way you want. They will use steam to shape your hat to your face, style, and liking. If you don’t already have a signature shape you prefer to wear, they will help you decide on a crown and brim shape. The crown is the top part of the hat that covers your head with the brim being the flat portion that keeps the sun off your face and shoulders.

Following are some of the crown styles.

OPEN CROWN American Hat Company is known for its open crown and flat brim, which means it’s a cowboy hat with no crown or brim shape. All hats originally start out as open and flat, then the customer has the opportunity to have their hat shaped to their exact specifications with the help of a hat shaper. You’ll have a lot more ability to make these changes as your shaper is shaping the hat because it hasn’t set to cool and set the shape yet. This is one thing other hat companies have stepped away from because it’s easier to have pre-crease styles of hats that are prefinished. American Hat Company has taken that extra step and wants you to have the perfect custom hat that fits your personality.

Black is the top-selling color year after year.

FASHION HAT Fashion hats can come in many colors, shapes, and thousands of other customizations to make the hat yours. They essentially have a shorter brim and a more feminine crown. The creativity is absolutely limitless with a fashion hat.

WEST TEXAS PUNCH

COOL HAND LUKE

The West Texas Punch, or WTP for short, is typically associated with West Texas cowboys. That’s where you will see this shape more often, especially on the larger 5” brim hats as opposed to a standard 4 1/4” brim hat. It’s big, bold, and very simple.

The Cool Hand Luke, or CHL for short, is typically worn by bull riders, rough stock riders, and the younger crowd.

It’s a less traditional shape and can easily become part of your signature style. cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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MINNICK The Minnick shape is a more modern-day shape that’s being worn by people of all ages. It’s very similar to the Cattleman style but the crown is going to be a bit taller making it a modern cattleman. People that traditionally ride horses or compete on horseback are able to get the Minnick style hat on and down tighter on their heads so there’s less of a chance of it coming off when they ride. This one is shown on a Silver Sand hat which is considered to be more of a dress hat for special occasions due to the much lighter color.

GUS The Gus is a hat shape createdl as an ode to Augustus McCrae from film Lonesome Dove. This style is for men or women who want that old west type of look for their hats crown style.

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CATTLEMAN A cattleman will be the most common and traditional hat shape. It’s distinguished by the center dent in the middle of the crown, with two indentations on the sides of the crown. It’s the oldest crease found in cowboy hats and one of the most popular, top-selling styles decade after decade. Natural is a color that can be great for both a work hat and a dress hat due to the lighter color.

THE BEST OF TEXAS

HONKY TONKS

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When in Texas, it’s a staple to pull your boots on and head down to some authentic honky-tonks for a boot-scootin’ good time! Texas is home to some of the world’s most famous and longest-operating honky-tonks that are an absolute must-visit. Once you take a step inside you’ll experience the rich history these honky-tonks represent. Here are five of the best Texas honky-tonks that are more than just a dance hall and will leave you with the most memorable experience of your life!

BY MEGAN DEFABRY

Gruene Hall 1281 GRUENE RD, NEW BRAUNFELS, TX 78130 THIS IS ONE OF TEXAS’ OLDEST AND MOST FAMOUS DANCE HALLS LOCATED IN NEW

Braunfels, Texas which was built in 1878. It’s still in operation ever since its inception, and not much has changed about Gruene Hall in terms of design and appearance. The original layout of the hall is still quite intact, with a high-pitched tin roof and side flaps for open-air dancing. It has become an internationally recognized tourist destination over the years and is also often utilized as a music venue for both budding and established artists. Numerous popular country artists have performed at this honky-tonk in Texas, such as George Strait, Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, Midland, Willie Nelson, Lee Ann Womack, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, to name a few.

Broken Spoke

Schroeder Hall

3201 S LAMAR BLVD, AUSTIN, TX 78704 INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN AS

one of the most authentic honky-tonks, Broken Spoke in Austin, Texas, is your go-to place for the Texas two-steppin’. Many amazing stars from the music industry have performed at this famous dance hall, including Willie Nelson, George Strait, and Dolly Parton. It has been operating since 1964, and its incredible owners James and Annetta have made great efforts to boost its reputation as the ultimate place for the best country live music. From two-step lessons, private parties, to exclusive dinners followed by performances and shows, Broken Spoke has a lot to offer!

12516 FM622, GOLIAD, TX 77963 THIS IS THE SECOND-OLDEST

dance hall located in Goliad, Texas, and has hosted generations of Texans ever since 1890. With delicious food, excellent music, and the area’s most spectacular dance floor, Schroeder Hall has done great justice to its reputation. Ever since it was built, this honky-tonk has attracted and hosted some of the most legendary figures from country music such as Merle Haggard, Tracy Byrd, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Kyle Park, Charley Pride, and so many others!

Billy Bob’s of Texas 2520 RODEO PLAZA, FORT WORTH, TX 76164 BUILT IN 1910, BILLY BOB’S IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS, ORIGINALLY FUNCTIONED AS

an open-air barn where the Fort Worth Stock Show was held to house prize cattle for the Fort Worth Stock Show. Later in 1936, the structure was renewed with an auction ring and livestock stalls that is now the Billy Bob’s Bull Riding arena. During World War II, it was utilized as an airplane factory, and then later in the 1950s, the building was transformed into a huge department store.

Finally, on April 1, 1981, Billy Bob’s Texas came into existence featuring a massive 100,000 square feet entertainment center, a Texas-size dance floor, and had more than 30 bar stations. This generated national attention, after which this honky-tonk also hosted some of the biggest music stars from the industry, such as George Strait, Willie Nelson, Alabama, and ZZ Top. This grand ole honky-tonk has even been featured on several movie and tv screens such as “Walker Texas Ranger”, “Dallas”, “Pure Country” in 1992, starring George Strait, “Baja Oklahoma”, with Lesley Ann Warren, Peter Coyote & Willie Nelson in 1988, and many others. Eventually, Billy Bob’s became to be known as “The World’s Largest Honky Tonk” and can accommodate up to 6,000 people! Billy Bob’s is open daily with entertainment nightly. Every Friday and Saturday night you can come experience Billy Bob’s Live Pro Bull Riding.

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aQuincey Reed is an artist and Elected Member of the National Sculpture Society based in Oklahoma City, OK. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BFA in studio art and after graduation worked as a sculptor assistant on the Oklahoma Landrun monument. He has been commissioned to complete works for the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Baptist University, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Cleveland County courthouse, the Oklahoma State Capitol and other institutions. He exhibits his artwork across the country and his work was part of Brookgreen Gardens’ exhibit on Emerging Stars in American Sculpture. Recently, he was selected for the Skirvin Hilton Hotel and Paseo Arts Association Artist in Residence Skirvin Paseo Artists Creativity Exposition program.

A. ME AND MY GIRLFRIEND 8x8x16, bronze Tools often become attached to us and we can develop a strong bond like a relationship with them. I know that I am like that with particular sculpting tools. Being a black man in the West, where bigotry could be around the corner would lead anyone to feel strongly about the tools you use to protect yourself and grant success. My piece shows a man sleeping peacefully and comfortably with the tools of protection and financial freedom, like they were with his girlfriend.

YOUR PASSION FOR ART STARTED AT A YOUNG AGE. CAN YOU SHARE A FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY? My favorite childhood memory of making art is of my uncles and I drawing together on the sun porch of my Grandmother’s house. We would draw superheroes from comic books and make up our own. They were the main influence that led me to become an artist.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS YOU GO THROUGH TO RESEARCH AND DETERMINE YOUR NEXT SCULPTURE? My research process starts with seeds of interest in a variety of history.

I’m not often sure where they start or come from but the common theme is curiosity. My recent work is focused on Blacks in the West and the research on that topic has led me to research the influence of the American West on the Bills of the Congo.

HOW DO YOU MENTALLY PREPARE TO START A SCULPTING PROJECT? CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THAT PROCESS? To prepare for a sculpture, I try to make sure I have enough reference material and a sketch. The sketch is just the starting point and there are many changes and adjustments that a sculpture will go through to make the narrative, emotion and aesthetic work. The positive and negative spaces are constantly reworked to create a cohesive three dimensional form and very rarely does a sculpture look like the preparatory sketch.

YOU ARE STILL YOUNG-ISH, BUT WHAT PROJECT HAS BEEN THE GREATEST THRILL OF YOUR LIFE TO DATE? The greatest thrill of my life has been meeting so many great artists, art supporters, and collectors. Everyone has been so helpful and encouraging in my journey. It’s still a shock that anyone cares about what I do. I’m humbled that people are able to find value and meaning in the thoughts and emotions I hope to communicate to my audience.

FOR ANYONE WHO OWNS YOUR ARTWORK, WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO FEEL WHEN THEY LOOK AT IT? For anyone who owns my artwork, I want them to feel as though they have something to be proud to own. I’d love for them to pass it to their children, show it to their family and friends and know that they own something of value. I’d also want them to have an emotional connection with the piece because they either empathize with the story and emotion or they had a chance to speak with me and understand my perspective and research. cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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I PROFIT OFF ME

I PROFIT OFF ME

18x6x5, bronze Watching the movie “Lincoln” with Daniel Day Lewis, there is a scene where Lincoln’s son is viewing an image of a slave with keloids on his back from whipping. The image is of a man called “Whipped Peter” and the photo was widely distributed to bolster the cause of the abolishment of slavery. With the end of slavery, I thought it must feel particularly gratifying to have the fruits of your labor belong solely to yourself.

The west had a good number (up to ¼ by some estimates) of Black cowboys and some were either born into slavery or were recently freed men.

Scars of the horrible history of not realizing the profits of your labor are still present, but this man can now start his day as the sole profiteer of his own success.

BY BLOOD 17x20x24, bronze “By Blood” is about the relationship between African Americans and Native Americans in the west. Historically and even today, the relationship has been complicated. During the old west, some Blacks were slaves while others were accepted as members of tribes and married and had families within the tribe. There are also Black tribal members who were able to gain prominence in certain tribes. Though, today some tribes struggle with how to recognize Blacks that have history within the tribe.

Specifically in this piece, I focus on acceptance.

Hunting was a huge part of Native American culture where many members joined to make it successful. After hunting bison, the party would sometimes cool themselves with fresh bison blood before field dressing the animal. Blood is often seen as a familial bond and I find it fitting to show acceptance by sharing blood after a hunt.

I feel this theme is particularly important with the current climate in our country. Acceptance and understanding ultimately unite us and can bring us together by our shared national blood.

HOLD UP! WAIT! 15x14x7, bronze As an art teacher in Jones, Oklahoma, I came across black students that were involved in rodeo while also enjoying the more urban and popular culture of Oklahoma City.

This inspired me to explore the sudden stops and transitions we encounter in our lives and how we navigate culturally and physically everyday.

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BY BLOOD

HOLD UP! WAIT!

cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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ONLY ONE TO GET THE JOB DONE

PUTTIN’ IN THAT WORK

SADDLIN

ONLY ONE TO GET THE JOB DONE 1 8 X 5X 5, B R ON Z E ONE OF MY FIRST BRONZES TO EXPLORE THE EXPERIENCE

of African Americans in the West began with the study of the “Buffalo Soldiers”.

These soldiers were found throughout the West of the United States and were important players in various conflicts. They were universally praised by both Native Americans and Whites for their qualities as soldiers.The name “Buffalo Soldiers” was given to them by Native Americans for the curly hair that resembled a bison’s curly fur.

Often I approach a work and wonder what the emotional characteristics are embodied in that person and seek to capture that essence. To be a solid soldier, a person must be confident in their ability to complete a task . They must believe in their singular ability to successfully complete that task. The depicted Buffalo Soldier stands tall and strong with a vigilant glare. Wearing a buffalo hide, he stands confidently with the full belief that he is the only one to get the job done.

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PUTTIN’ IN THAT WORK 20. 5X 1 3 X 20 CL AY FOR B R ON Z E DURING THE CIVIL WAR, MANY WESTERN PLANTATIONS RELIED

on slaves to keep the plantations working. These slaves ended up gaining many valuable skills and once free were able to use those skills for gainful employment.

Many of the jobs given to slaves were difficult and included breaking the most unruly horses. This sculpture shows a Black man working dangerously and strenuously to wrangle a wild horse using the skills he gained as a slave for his own benefit.

SADDLIN 16 X6 X 7 CL AY FOR B R ON Z E ACROSS THE COUNTRY THERE ARE URBAN RIDING CLUBS.

Notably there’s the Compton Cowboys in California and Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club in Philadelphia, PA. These groups function as a way to inspire a positive influence on kids through riding. This sculpture features a black adolescent walking across the street with his saddle.

DON’T PUSH ME 1 8 X6 X 7, B R ON Z E AFTER THE CIVIL WAR AND

slavey ended, Black Americans faced a decision: stay in the South, go North or find success in the West. The decision to move West allowed many to find acceptance through their work ethic, but bigotry was hard to completely root out. “Don’t Push Me” depicts a determined and proud man sizing up his surroundings. He is agreeable , wants to be treated fairly, but he is not willing to be pushed around.

cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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Hello, I am

Kathleen Brannon

OF DESERT SAGE BEAD ART PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIE MOSS (OLIESIMAGES.COM)

Having spent most of my life in the Southwest, I have always had a natural passion for its wideopen spaces, distinctive colors, and its free-spirited lifestyle. It was during this period that I developed a deep appreciation for the native lands of Arizona and New Mexico, and through that exposure to tribes and their artisans I developed my art form.

As a trained acrylic artist, I worked primarily as a colorist in ancient motifs, designed and painted on wood. The bead work was simply an evolution which followed in the late 1970s, primarily as a result of admiring and studying the Navajo bead artists. My work maintains the basic colors of the desert landscapes, which connected with my interest in ancient symbols. The simplicity of both connected into my artform.

Living the Western lifestyle, my craft was a natural fit for those also living the same life, as it opened doors for me professionally to show in the Rodeo and Reining Cow Horse world. Bead work is historic in so many cultures, and if one was raised in the West they have been exposed to Native bead work. It created a natural and appreciative client base.

I still travel the reservation lands as well as old wagon train trails, loving the wide-open spaces, studying the history of the West... full of color which continually inspires me.

I now reside in Northern Nevada, living in harmony in this region’s high mountain desert surrounded by the enormous energy of ancient pinion, squaw tea and desert sage.

SEE BRANNON’S ARTWORK AT DESERTSAGEBEADART.COM cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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WE MET YOU AT COWBOY CHRISTMAS SHOW AT NFR. YOUR BOOTH WAS HOPPING WITH ENERGY. TELL US WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO. It’s always been that way, no matter where I show. Perhaps it has a lot to do with I simply love what I do, and it shows. When you come into the booth and are interested in any of my pieces, it’s an instant connection for me. If you like what I create, you will like my work as it is an extension of myself. You simply do not put a piece on and go. People are interested in the symbolism on each piece and how personal it can connect to their lives. It takes time and within that period, a true relationship develops, that most have lasted a lifetime. It is very rare that negativity on any level comes into the booth. Everyone that comes in, has a smile on their face...and they have a ‘bead story’. Their mother, their aunt....they lived near a reservation, they all have a fun and happy bead story from their history.

Even men come in and say “I learned how to bead

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in Boy Scout camp”. Personally, I love to hear their stories...it’s genuine and creates a very positive vibe that is apparent.

WHAT IS/ARE THE INSPIRATION(S) BEHIND YOUR DESIGNS? Since a young girl I have traveled the Southwest and visited Petroglyphs and other symbols of Rock Art. The simplicity of it was my immediate attraction. That lead me to learning what these ancient symbols stood for and have ever since loved that path. My designs are not original. They are of ancient creation....I simply create them in a Contemporary Design and bring new color to them. The use of these ancient symbols were by the Mayan, the Aborigine, the Asian, European, to the South African to the Hopi and the Navajo... the symbols are the same in each culture, however, the interpretation varies, however, it is a true common thread. Once you hear the definitions of each symbol, you can relate on how simple it all was....and still is.

DO YOU HAVE A SYMBOL THAT MEANS SOMETHING SPECIAL TO YOU? They are all so personal to me because of their simplicity. These symbols were created thousands of years ago and their basic meanings of each symbol literally applies to current civilization we are living. They are based on protection, grounding, energy, safety, eternal......all simple and foundations we live on in today’s world.

YOUR WEBSITE DESERTSAGEBEADART.COM IS JAM PACKED WITH FANTASTIC ART – FROM CUFFS TO BELTS TO CROSSES. WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR REQUESTS YOU RECEIVE? Cuffs, Brands, Belts....it is constant. I believe because I keep my work simple, using only 3-4 colors...simple is timeless. Whatever is created will never go out of style. The website is set up from a ‘color base’ to ‘symbolic’ options. I’ve staged the website for those to be able to select from either.

The crosses and neck pieces are old cans that I find at old Cowboy Dumps. Walking through the desert you come across them from old wagons to open range families coming through the west. They create dumps loaded with history...from old cans, bottles broken china to children’s toys made from earth findings. I simply take the old cans and cut them up....and make pieces.

The old Pioneer glass is cleaned and hangs in my studio window. When the morning sun comes through, it creates a prism through the entire room. I always wonder, ‘who were they’.

IF WE BUMPED INTO ONE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO SAY ABOUT YOUR CRAFTSMANSHIP? Hopefully, they would have enjoyed the relationship that was created. It is learning about them, their family history and the ‘reason why’ a certain design is passionate to them. Each cuff is personally hand crafted by myself. I cut the metal, I cover it, then I attach a bead strip to it...all hand sewn. In the years that I have been in business, ‘repairs’ are few....so I do believe they appreciate the craftsmanship. However, the greatest compliment is not ‘man, can she bead beautifully’, rather ‘working with HER is wonderful, easy and fun’.

TELL US SOMETHING EXCITING THAT IS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST? I am living my bucket list. I have always been an artist and I truly am living every dream I have ever had. I have been so very fortunate in my life to have lived and learned...and continue to learn. The relationships that I have created and the craft that has been so respected. I look back and realized I have not missed one thing. If anything, I would only want more time to stay healthy, walk the desert lands, live under a big blue sky and smell the sagebrush. cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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Smoked N’ Spiced Old Fashioned Bourbon

BY KRYSTA PAFFRATH

I

f you’re anything like me, you enjoy a good oldfashioned bourbon. If you’re also like me, you don’t make your own cocktails at home and usually opt for a simple mixed drink or you order your bourbon on ice. I am excited to share this recipe with all of you because I am not a mixologist by any means. In addition, I didn’t even have to make an extra visit to the store for the ingredients. This is a recipe that is easily adaptable, smooth to drink but takes your bourbon drinking to the next level.

This Smoked N’ Spiced Old Fashioned has hints of cherry-smoked wood, warm spices, and citrus. The key to this drink is definitely the bourbon. Truthfully, I tried this recipe with a few different kinds to see what would give me the best result and I went with Basil Hayden but you can go with your bourbon of choice. The other key ingredient that makes this recipe what it is, is the brown sugar spiced simple syrup.

I’ve included the recipe for that below as well, it’s extremely easy to make and worth the extra step.

There is a little bit of preparation involved to get this drink just right, so let’s start with what you need to have on hand to pull this recipe together.

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Equipment To Smoke Your Bourbon •• Two jars or glasses. One with a larger opening that can fit over the smaller jar. You also want something that fits pretty well so there aren’t a ton of gaps between the jars. I used a regular-sized mason jar with a larger drinking glass.

•• A fire-safe surface. Make sure this is something you can put direct heat on and you don’t mind if it gets damaged. I personally used an old cheese board and it was perfect.

•• A lighter. Preferably a larger one so you can get a good light on your wood chips.

•• Wood chips. I used cherry wood chips for this recipe, but you can use any kind of smoking wood chips.

Now that you know what you need to have on hand, let’s jump into this recipe!

Recipe Ingredients for the Cocktail:

•• 2 ounces smoked bourbon •• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters •• 2 teaspoons of brown sugar spiced simple syrup •• Garnish: Orange peel & cherry Ingredients for the Brown Sugar Spiced Simple Syrup:

•• 1/4 cup of hot water •• 1/4 cup of brown sugar •• 1/8 teaspoon of each ground ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon (or add to your own taste)

STEP 1

Smoke Your Bourbon 1.) Get all of your equipment from above in one place. Go ahead and pour some bourbon into the smaller of the two jars. The amount of bourbon is up to you, you can pour just what you’re using or pour more if you want to keep smoked bourbon on hand.

2.) You will want to use a palm-full of wood chips and place them in a small pile on your fire-safe surface. Make sure you can fit your larger glass over the top of it and have all the wood chips under it.

3.) Use your lighter and start burning your wood chips. I found that leaving the flame on them for about 20 seconds is best. You’re looking for the chips to hold a small flame on their own. When you see that they’ve caught, put your glass or jar over the top of it. The flame should go out relatively quickly, but then the jar will start to fill up with smoke.

4.) Once you can see that the chips aren’t smoking (should take about 30 seconds), carefully lift up your larger jar and place it over your smaller jar with the bourbon in it. I did this on a table, so I moved my wood chip set up to the edge of the table and had my bourbon just below the edge of the table so I could transfer the smoke with the least amount of smoke loss.

5.) While you’re getting your other ingredients together, let the bourbon sit while the smoke settles down into the smaller jar.

PRO TIP: If you don’t feel like you are getting enough smoke, just pull

your jar off and light your chips up again until you feel like you have enough smoke in the jar.

STEP 2

Mix Up Your Simple Syrup

1.) Mix together all of the ingredients for the simple syrup until all of the brown sugar is dissolved. The end result will be a dark syrup with visible spices in it.

STEP 3

Craft Your Cocktail 1.) Grab your favorite bourbon glass and add in your simple syrup, then your two dashes of bitters, then your two ounces of smoked bourbon, and give it a quick stir.

2.) Go ahead get a little peel of an orange. I used a paring knife so you don’t need a fancy tool to do this. I twisted the peel into my drink for aromatics then topped it with ice.

3.) Place your orange peel and a cherry of your choice on top, and enjoy!

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HAMISH AND

KYLOE Marc Stewart’s Thistle Do Farm is Turning Highland Cattle into YouTube Stars

BY JOSH MULL

VISIT THEM ON YOUTUBE AT

YOUTUBE.COM/C/HAMISHANDKYLOE

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If you have a dog, you know the joy of having a buddy with four legs -- you hold a lot of one sided conversations, you hang out together, brush their fur.

Marc Stewart’s buddy just happens to be 2,000 pounds.

Marc is the owner of Thistle Do Farms, home to some of the most famous cows in the world -- Hamish and Kyloe. So famous, in fact, that they have their own YouTube and Facebook audiences.

“It was a natural progression,” Marc explains. “We started on Facebook, and the goal was to show as many people as possible what Highland are like. Good natured and sweet.”

Scottish Highland cows look different from the Angus cows you might be used to seeing.

Their thick fur and stunning horns give them a unique profile on the farm.

“They’re the best cows in the world, really amazing animals,” Marc says. “The fascination comes from them not being Angus. You don’t see them every day. If there were 42 million Highland like there are Angus, there wouldn’t be this mystique.”

“Despite their size and the horns,” Marc says, “they’re the most laid back cows you could ask for.”

Hamish and Kyloe have racked up over 13 million views on YouTube. The community tunes in each week to spend time with Marc and the pair of amazing cattle.

“I’ve gotten amazing responses from people,” he says. “A lot of these people watch our videos and give us encouragement. They tell us how we change their day. Some of them are going through some really bad times, things that would scare me, but they’re still strong enough to encourage me.”

“Hamish is laid back, he just wants to eat, lay down and chill,” Marc says. “He wants to chew some cud and then eat some more.”

Kyloe eats because he needs the energy to go out and destroy things - hay rings, hay bales, trees,” Marc laughs. “He’s extremely curious, and funny. He’s the consummate little brother, always trying to rile up Hamish and get him to play.”

Hamish & Kyloe enjoy their time on the sanctuary nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, along with their friends - four dogs, three horse, two kunekune pigs, one goat, and a “buttload of chickens,” as Marc says (if the cows don’t get you, you’ll fall in love with Marc’s signature dry wit.)

The whole idea for a sanctuary started not with the stars of the show, but with one little pig named Miss Jane. She was rescued after a hurricane in Florida, and bounced around from pig foster home to pig foster home. Marc finally got her from a farmer who had used her as bait to train boar hunting dogs.

“She wasn’t people friendly, and she certainly wasn’t dog friendly,” he explains. “I had never even thought about a sanctuary until she curled up next to me, rolled over, and gave me her belly. That’s a very distinct sign of trust.”

“The day she did that, I realized I can still make a difference.”

Hamish came to Thistle Do after a simple offer. If Marc hadn’t taken him in, he likely would have gone to slaughter. Kyloe, being small and a bit of a runt, came to the sanctuary after being abused by his own herd.

Thistle Do offers the animals a home for life - no adoptions, no sales. However, fans are welcome to arrange a trip to the sanctuary to meet Hamish and Kyloe, hang out with them, and even brush their hair.

Fans have come from as far away as Seattle and Florida just to spend time with them.

“We have people come out once or twice a month usually,” Marc says.

Marc says the animals can be quite intimidating based on their appearance, but it’s all show - their personalities are sweet and kind.

“I like to see people have a deeper appreciation of highland cattle,” he explains. “And if they learn something about them, all the better. The channel is giving them a chance to just watch. In a lot of my videos, I don’t really say a whole lot, I don’t even feel the need to. I just point the camera.”

“Part of the reason our channel does well is because of the relationship I have with Hamish and Kyloe,” Marc explains. “That’s not always going to be the case with people and their animals - cattle, dogs, cats, whatever. We love the support, we encourage people to follow their dreams. If you want something, do your best to go after it.” cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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Say Yá’át’ééh to the Native American YouTubers Building their Online Community

BY JOSH MULL

Makeup tutorials. Comedy Skits. Family Vlogs. Sounds like your typical YouTube fare, right? But this community is different. These Native American YouTubers are not only creating great content, but they’re also helping to educate and illuminate their viewers on their native heritage and traditions.

While the community is large and growing, today we’re looking at three channels who are helping to build the online community - not just of other Native Americans - but of viewers from around the world.

Whether you need a good laugh, want to learn about a new culture, or even just want to make a new friend, these are three channels you need to check out to connect to the online Native American YouTube community.

Man & Lakota Bae have quickly become a staple in native family channels.

NAVAJO MAN & LAKOTA BAE “People are commenting how respectful we are,” says Angel, Imagine hanging out in your kitchen aka Lakota Bae, “how respectful Darwin is, and how we’re just with 10,000 people. That’s what it’s like for these folks a good native family. And I think since our audience is bringing their subscribers into their lives mainly indigenous people, they really can relate through videos and livestreams. to that, and to us being an indigenous “We were in our house 24/7 on family.” lockdown, and we had a lot of “I want to bring laughter and time on our hands. And we positivity to not just indigenous had to find a way to entertain communities, not just Navajo ourselves.” communities, but other naThis is Navajo Man & Lative communities and other kota Bae, a family channel. places in general,” says Dar“We want to show that win. “We have viewers in living on a reservation, New York that are from the being Native Americans in city and they want to expethis modern day and age, rience the Native American life isn’t all that bad,” says culture side or a reservation.”

Darwin, aka Navajo Man. And that’s the special thing “Even if you’re in quarantine about hanging out with Darwin, VISIT THEM ON YOUTUBE AT with COVID around, life can still Angel, and the Twin-dians. Not youtube.com/c/NavajoManLakotaBae continue, it can still be entertaining just the entertainment, but you’ll also and happy.” learn something along the way.

What started as a gaming channel quickly “We do try to speak the Navajo language,” took on a whole new life - two lives actually - when the pair Darwin says. “And of course, we got Lakota language in announced their pregnancy - with twins! That video brought there too, because Angel speaks her language too. We try to in the viewers, and it hasn’t stopped since. keep it English and Navajo, so our fluent and non-fluent viewThe two twin boys, known on YouTube as “ the Twin-dians,” ers - and even those that don’t speak Navajo - at least have a have arguably become the real stars of the channel. But Navajo little understanding.“

Spend Time with the Fam

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It’s Showtime!

of the native reservations. And then not not just the Navajo reservation, but a lot of native reservations, in Canada, back East and in the Midwest.”

MIKEY JUNIOR’S YOUTUBE ADVENTURES While Mikey Junior’s Adventures have exploded in popularity across “I’ve always had this dream of going into many social media platforms, especially thanks to the Auntie show business for the purpose of entertaining people and Berta character, his YouTube channel offers a lot of variety. bringing a smile and laughter to their face, and mak“I like creating videos where I either collaborate ing their lives a little bit better.” with other YouTubers or artists,” he explains. “I That’s Mikey, comedian and host of Mikey make videos, for example, going to the NaJunior’s YouTube Adventures. As a kid, vajo flea market or going to some some place Mikey always wanted to get into showbiz. where people are showcasing their work, When COVID hit, the opportunity preand it gives me the opportunity to interact sented itself for him to branch out into with them, and to showcase what they’re YouTube. doing as an artist - whether it be music “I’ve always enjoyed comedy movies,” or jewelry, or paintings or whatever says Michael. “Some of my biggest comethat they’re doing. I love featuring these dians that I looked up to were Jim Carrey, people and I love interacting with them.”

Robin Williams, Chris Farley, you know, Mikey’s followers are measured in the just to name a few of them. And because of tens of thousands these days, numbers that the way I connected to them through their can be hard to keep in perspective. movies and shows, I felt like I wanted to do the I’ve been so grateful and humbled,” he VISIT HIM ON YOUTUBE AT youtube.com/c/ same thing.” says. “My brother and I went to one of the Suns MikeyJuniorsYouTubeAdventures Inspired by these legendary comedians, Mikey games here in Phoenix, and the stadium was full of created the character of Auntie Berta, the “Rez” version of people - it was a packed house! And I sat there and I told my famous characters like Madea, Big Mama, or Mrs. Doubtfire. brother, ‘this arena doesn’t even fit 17,000 people, and I have almost “We posted an Auntie Berta video on Facebook, and a lot of people took to double that in followers!’ Man, that gives me goosebumps on my arms to just it,” Michael says. “So we posted it on TikTok, and the same thing - it took off! fathom that, that concept of me being able to entertain all these people. It’s So, all of a sudden, these videos were being circulated all over the net on a lot a huge blessing.”

Meet Your New Bestie

her signature storytelling style and sense of humor. Getting ghosted, guys showing up drunk, and getting catfished - Kitty has seen it all.

WHAT WOULD KITTY DO “Native people - we’re very nosy and we’re very curious. We come “I didn’t see a lot of Native Americans from small communities already, and so we like to gossip. So on the YouTube platform, and I felt that a lot of nonI figured I’d start telling my dating horror stories,” she natives don’t know a lot about our culture or says. “Everybody likes it, they relate to it.” upbringing.”

Her community is growing every day, That’s Kitty, eponymous host of What and viewers love to get involved and hear Would Kitty Do. She’s got a whole new from Kitty. spin on the BFF genre of YouTube. She’s “They just want more,” Kitty says. “They’ll got shopping hauls, make-up tutorials, share something similar that happened to and she even spills the tea on some of her them. The conversations are really open, worst dating experiences. amongst each other or messaging me.”

But have you ever heard the story of “I feel like Native people especially the man with the hooves? What about can tell when you’re not being honest paranormal possessions? You’ll hear it all and true to yourself,” she says. “So that when you make friends with a bona fide was one thing I really wanted to do. That’s “Rez Girl” like Kitty. a big thing I get complimented on the most “I started off telling paranormal stories - they like my personality and how I’m not VISIT HER ON YOUTUBE AT from the Native American community, and afraid to be the Rez Girl I am.” youtube.com/c/WhatWouldKittyDo scary stories I’ve come across through the years That attitude is the most important takeaway that have happened to other tribes,” she says. “Those from Kitty’s channel - be yourself. are the popular ones I would say.”

“There’s people out there dealing with mental issues, “In general, Native Americans are pretty spiritual. We’re born into it.” dealing with staying home in quarantine, dealing with lost loved Kitty’s channel offers far more than just spooky campfire stories from a ones. What helps them is the videos, the stories, and helping people Native perspective. She also shares the trials of dating as a Rez Girl, all with through the show.”

cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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A

In each edition, Cowboy Lifestyle features a talented photographer who deserves the opportunity to have her or his work showcased to a national audience. In this edition, we feature Samantha Tindall of Quarter-Circle Photography. You can find Tindall on Instagram at @quartercirclephotography.

C

D

E

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B

A. I would like to define connection as the energy that exists between two bodies when they feel seen, heard, and valued.

I believe that is why we love the connection to horses so much.

They listen to understand versus listening to respond, without saying a word.

B. Action photography is like playing chess – you always want to be one step ahead.

C. Sometimes your shutter timing and lens offers a different focus than what you originally intended.

D. Appreciating the livestock is important to me.

E. Capturing a high-speed

F

G

lifestyle in a still photo is all about a high shutter speed, good lighting, and cardio fitness.

F. Weird mouth positions help with focussing on your subject.

And so does manual mode.

G. Behind the scenes: the quiet moments before your performance.

Meet Samantha Tindall I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PROCESS OF

taking pictures: the wandering around and finding things, and the manipulative movements in certain lighting.

The more I think about it, the more I feel as though it is a type of performance. The pictures you see are the documentation of this performance.

Thank you for allowing me to share the Quarter-Circle performance. cowboylifestylenetwork.com

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Forney Industries:

‘We are Family First’

BY RACHEL BIGUM, FORNEY INDUSTRIES

Family companies rarely make it past the second generation.

I’m proud to be part of the third generation and look forward to our fourth.

Steve Anderson

PRE SI DE NT & CEO OF FORNEY I NDUSTRI E S

For Forney Industries, being family-owned and operated isn’t just a privilege, it’s a legacy almost a century in the making.

Steve Anderson is the president and CEO of Forney Industries and residing third generation of the company. His grandfather, J.D. Forney, started the welding and metalworking business in 1932. Steve’s son, Dane Anderson, is the fourth generation in charge of Operations and Business Administration.

This year, Forney Industries is celebrating 90 years of business. In honor of this milestone, Steve and Dane joined forces for a special interview.

“This company has such a rich history from the invention of the Instant Heat Soldering Iron, the first 110V welder, aviation, central vacuum systems, generators and plethora of other products and ideas,” Steve Anderson said. “Our founder’s incredible perseverance and ‘get-it-done’ attitude continues to live in the very backbone of this company.”

Forney stands apart from other companies because of its culture.

“We are family first. We care about our people,” Steve Anderson noted. “Our mission is helping every team member be better, and in turn they give back so much more. Without them, we are not a company. We encourage out-of-the-box thinking and it has paid us back in so many ways.”

Dane Anderson has achieved many things since joining his father at Forney Industries, in fact he always knew working at Forney was in the cards for him.

“It is hard to say when I knew I was going to work for the company, because it has always felt like my destiny. My first memories were at Forney when my father would set me on a box and push me down the conveyor belts,” Dane Anderson recalled. “My father always emphasized that I needed to work for other companies before I came back to Forney, and when he finally asked me to come back, I knew it was the right time. It is so exciting to be able to honor the generations before me and leave my mark on Forney Industries and the welding community.”

Ninety years of business is no small accomplishment – especially after the turbulent effects of a global pandemic and supply chain shortages, among other roadblocks.

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Dane Anderson noted, “I think that Forney’s greatest achievement (in the past 90 years) has been the ability to stay resilient when the cards are stacked against us. Forney is set to become a fourth-generation, family-owned company. Less than two percent of family-owned companies hit that mark. Also, Forney has stood the test of time. We were born in the heart of The Great Depression and continually prove to be unbreakable. We have mountains to climb, but what I know is that this company is built to withstand these challenges and come out even stronger.”

So, what’s the best part about working with your family?

“I’m impressed with Dane’s knowledge. He might not have the years of experience I have, but I truly admire the way he interacts with people,” Steve Anderson said. “He is not afraid to make mistakes. From a very early age, working with my father and grandfathers taught me the importance of a strong work ethic, and Dane clearly has that same drive.”

“The best part about working with my father is that most of the lessons I’ve learned, haven’t happened at work. Growing up around him, I’ve learned that ‘keeping your eye on the ball’ isn’t just about baseball.” Dane Anderson said. “Every day he provides me guidance on how to treat employees and customers like family. I also love that he treats me as an equal and encourages me to give my input and opinion. They are extremely large shoes to fill, but with his mentoring I am hopeful to live up to them.”

Forney Industries remains rooted in its unwavering belief in the power of family, and looks forward to another 90 years of success and innovation.

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