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COLORADO TRAVEL FOR ALL TYPES

J ULY 2021

100

GREATEST WESTERNS OUR LIST OF THE BEST EVER MADE

MARTIN KOVE TALKS WESTERNS AND COBRA KAI

cowboysindians.com

Robert Osborn’s American Portraits Gifts And Décor Made In The West

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On the Road again!

Cheyenne Frontier Days July 23 - August 1 (next to Indian Village)

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Not Just for Cowboys

YO U R L E G E N D A RY E X P E R I E N C E AWA I T S Located in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards, Hotel Drover, an Autograph Collection Hotel by Marriott, focuses on simple pleasures and genuine hospitality.

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IX RANCH

QUINLAN RANCH

ZEMAN RANCH

BIG SANDY, MONTANA

CHAMA, NEW MEXICO

BASSETT, NEBRASKA

One of Montana’s great cattle ranches. The IX Ranch spans 126,305± acres (59,889± deeded) from Big Sandy eastward over 30 miles and runs a cattle herd of 4,300. Exceptional habitat for elk, deer, antelope and upland birds.

Offering a superlative combination of big game hunting and privacy, this 17,072± deeded acre holding controls a 26 square mile contiguous block of diverse terrain with quality improvements, stocked reservoirs, and excellent access.

Zeman Ranch consists of 10,343± deeded acres located in north central NE on Highway 183. Includes 5,640± acres irrigated by 44 center pivots and runs 2,200 cow/calf pairs. Excellent improvements. No water restrictions.

$58,000,000

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TOP HAT RANCH

GROVE CREEK RANCH

RABBIT MOUNTAIN

FISHTAIL, MONTANA

COLLBRAN, COLORADO

LYONS, COLORADO

Located along the Beartooth front near Red Lodge, this 4000± acre (3,256± deeded) ranch lies in a lush valley that commands dramatic mountain views. Attractive owner’s home, large elk herd and fishing in the West Rosebud River.

Situated on the north slope of the Grand Mesa in western Colorado, this scenic 1,720± acre mountain ranch is highlighted by excellent big game hunting combined with abundant water and agricultural production.

Located minutes from Boulder, Rabbit Mountain Vacant Land is 119± acres of undeveloped, private, raw land with development potential or the perfect location to build a residence. Adjacent to Rabbit Mountain Open Space.

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Dallas X 13710 Dallas Parkway, Ste C X Dallas, TX 75240 X 214.748.4540 Houston X 1721 Post Oak X Houston, TX 77056 X 713.627.9009 X www.thearrangement.com

Photo: Rebecca Lowndes

Colina Yazzie Onyx, Coral & Turquoise Bead Necklaces with Lapis, Amber, Spiny Oyster & Shell Sterling Silver & 14k Gold

ON THE PLAZA

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DEPARTMENTS

HAPPY TRAILS Bid farewell to author Larry McMurtry, saddle bronc rider Derek Clark, and actor Henry Darrow. ART GALLERY Toh-Atin Gallery remains dedicated to Native American artists; Wyoming sculptor D. Michael Thomas discusses his new bronze of Chris LeDoux. HOME & RANCH Find inspiration at a Crested Butte vacation home, gather tips from art collectors, and support Indigenous rug collaborations.

30 Contributors 32 Editor’s Note 34 Letters 36 Open Range 44 Western Storefront 46 On the Horizon 50 Society 146 Cowboy Corner 148 Showtime 152 Live From

MADE IN THE WEST Master artisans work together to perpetuate the craftsmanship of the West.

LIVING WEST As the owners of Rawhide Ranch Luxury Trail Horses, Kevin and Derina Pyles want to further the horseback lifestyle for future generations.

IMAGE: MICHAEL HUNTER

COWBOYSINDIANS.COM

Greatest Westerns: Reader Picks As we put together our new ranking of the 100 Greatest Westerns Ever Made (page 102), we sought out your opinions and collected your passionate recommendations. Search “reader picks” at cowboysindians.com to read more.

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C&I Annual Photo Contest Enter our 2022 photo contest, Visions of the West, by November 1, 2021. Categories include Ranch and Rodeo, Native Culture, Landscapes, Wildlife, and Equine. Visit our website to learn more.

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Fourth Of July Recipes

THE GUNFIGHTER NICKEL From the Lifestyle Series

Shop C&I Show your Western pride by shopping our online store. Filled with plenty of cowhide, turquoise, stamped silver, and back issues, the C&I Shop is the place for you. Visit cowboysindians.com/shop for more.

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IMAGE: HOME ON THE RANGE BY JAMES EVANGELISTA

NEW FOR 2021

Our staff shared their family recipes for America’s favorite holiday. From homemade ice cream to storebought strawberry shortcakes, we’ve got a little bit of everything on our Food & Drink tab.

The Promise a most unusual gift of love C

Editorial

S EDITORIAL DIRECTORS

Hunter Hauk, Dana Joseph ART & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

DIGITAL DIRECTOR

Jonathan Fehr

Song Yang

MANAGING EDITOR

SENIOR DESIGNER

Emily C. Laskowski

Sharon Kilday

FASHION EDITOR

DIGITAL EDITOR

Andrea Thorp

Kaylee Brister

SENIOR WRITER

Joe Leydon COPY AND RESEARCH EDITORS

Jeff Cavallin, Ramona Flume, Michele Powers Glaze, Diamond Rodrigue, Annie Wiles SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Mark Bedor, Kristin Brown, Matt Crossman, David Hofstede, Ellise Pierce, Jordan Rane, Red Steagall, Studio Seven Productions, Rhonda Reinhart, Wendy Wilkinson DALLAS OFFICE

THE POEM READS:

“Across the years I will walk with you– in deep, green forests; on shores of sand: and when our time on earth is through, in heaven, too, you will have my hand.” Dear Reader, The drawing you see above is called The Promise. It is completely composed of dots of ink. After writing the poem, I worked with a quill pen and placed thousands of these dots, one at a time, to create this gift. Now, I have decided to offer The Promise to those who share and value its sentiment. Each litho is numbered and signed by hand and precisely captures the detail of the drawing. As a wedding, anniversary or Valentine’s gift or simply as a standard for your own home, I believe you will ﬁnd it most appropriate. Measuring 14” by 16”, it is available either fully-framed in a subtle copper tone with hand-cut double mats of pewter and rust at $145*, or in the mats alone at $105*. Please add $18.95 for insured shipping and packaging. Your satisfaction is completely guaranteed. My best wishes are with you.

Sextonart Inc. • P.O. Box 581 • Rutherford, CA 94573 415.989.1630 All major credit cards are welcome. Please call between 10 am-5 pm Paciﬁc standard time, 7 days a week. Checks are also accepted. Please include a phone number. *California residents please include 8.0% tax

J U LY 2 0 21

Please visit my Website at

www.robertsexton.com

12221 Merit Drive, Suite 1610 Dallas, TX 75251 214.750.8222 phone 214.750.4522 fax WEBSITE

cowboysindians.com REPRINTS

For article reprints of 50 or more, contact Wright’s Media LLC at 877.652.5295. BACK ISSUES

$20 each in the U.S.; $22.50 each in Canada and international. Order online at cowboysindians.com/shop. Call 800.982.5370 for credit card orders. Prepayment is required. Make checks payable to: Cowboys & Indians Attn.: Back Issues 12221 Merit Drive, Suite 1610 Dallas, TX 75251 Questions about availability, please call 214.750.8222. SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

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PO Box 3000, Harlan, IA 51593-0019 International Inquiries 011.1.386.246.0179

ADORN YOURSELF WITH NATIVE-MADE JEWELRY, FASHIONED IN TURQUOISE. Lambert Homer (Zuni) vintage inlay ring ($895), peyotebird.com Bobby Johnson (Navajo) Carico Lake turquoise thunderbird pin ($220), coloradojo.com Henry Sam (Navajo) squash blossom necklace ($3,600), doubledranch.com Darryl Becenti (Navajo) turquoise cuff bracelet ($2,125), southwestsilvergallery.com Rena Charles (Navajo) beaded necklace ($200), hoelsindianshop.com 6 Matthew Charley (Navajo) Golden Hills turquoise concho belt (contact for price), matthewcharley.net Andy Cadman (Navajo) Royston turquoise cuff ($2,400), samsvillegallery.com

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Western Americana, Vintage Turquoise Jewelry

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403 N. Florence St. | Casa Grande, AZ 85122 (520) 426-7702 Western Trading Post TV Now on Great American Westerns 2 0 21 24 J U LY

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Autry Museum of the American West

for branded and curated items of the West.

C OW B OYS I N D I A N S . C O M / S H O P

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PHOTOGRAPHY: MARK BEDOR

“

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ack in the Saddle Again” was the signature song of famed cowboy singer and movie star Gene Autry. After a yearlong pandemic shutdown, the museum that bears his name is finally back in the saddle. And some of those who love the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles were emotional when the cherished institution reopened. “I almost got a little teary-eyed walking in,” said the Autry’s senior director of development, Jennifer Samsel. “We’re really happy to be open.” The popular Masters of the American West Exhibition and Sale was one of just two exhibits open as the museum resumed business at a measured pace — with reservations and masks required. But patrons will take what they can get. “It’s so nice to have a hint of normal,” said docent Myriel Tyree, touring the Masters show with her husband, Jim. “I’m looking forward to having the school kids be able to tour again.” “It was amazing to hear,” said Alana Thomas of the reopening. “We jumped on the first day off that we had and came in.” “With each piece, you just feel the energy,” said her friend Joanna Cadiz of the Masters show. “You get a piece of history.” As happy as patrons are with the reopening, everyone is still looking forward to a complete return to normal— and the reopening of the Autry’s acclaimed on-site cafe. “They have the chili with the cornbread,” said Jo Ann Consolo. “The best!” theautry.org — Mark Bedor

308-692-3119 - Bartley Nebraska

TOMORROW’S HEIRLOOMS, TODAY

Portraying a rustic artistic realism of a waving American Flag draped over a handcrafted bench. The entire flag opens with the lid. We wanted this unique project to represent our freedom, the sacrifices Americans have made to protect our freedom, and our drive to defend our right to be Americans. We are proud to present “Pride of Country” by Chucks Woodbarn.

Go to www.chuckswoodbarn.com to see more detailed photos and description.

MADE IN THE USA

ADAM GRAY 6x NFR QUALIFIER

Contributors

TO CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY THIS YEAR, WE ASKED OUR STAFF TO SHARE THEIR FAVORITE FOURTH OF JULY TREATS.

Ann Kidd, chief financial officer Good old strawberry shortcake! Brandy Minick, associate publisher Easy. Red, white, and blue salad: Watermelon, blueberries, goat cheese, and I use a Champagne vinaigrette. Yummy and beautiful! Kera Gonzales, accounting assistant and business subscriptions A tradition in my house is homemade corny dogs and for dessert rice crispy treats made into the American flag. They are so much fun to make with my kids. Placing the hot dogs, or for me chicken apple sausage dogs, on a stick and dipping in the corn meal batter to deep fry in the oil. For dessert, coloring the rice crispies and making layers of red and blue to design an American flag. These two recipes combined make the perfect summer and Fourth of July statement. Joe Leydon, senior writer Hot dogs with mustard, relish, and shredded cheese. Bush’s Honey Baked Beans. Cold beer. And, if I’m lucky, a marathon of classic Western movies or TV shows on a cable or streaming channel.

Emily C. Laskowski, managing editor My great-grandmother’s coleslaw! I didn’t realize how far this recipe went back until my sister included it in a family cookbook a few years ago, but it goes all the way back to Mary Laskowski, my dad’s paternal grandmother, born in 1896 in South Texas to first- and second-generation Polish immigrants. Pretty amazing! Find all the corresponding recipes at cowboysindians.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Kaylee Brister, digital editor I love Frito corn salad. Although, I don’t think salad is a very accurate description. Nothing screams summer more than shucked corn, and of course nothing is more American than mixing something healthy with mayo and cheese. The fresh corn, mayo, shredded cheddar cheese, red onion, green bell pepper, and Frito mixture is something you can pair with the classics — hot dogs and hamburgers.

Leota’s Indian Art

leotasindianart.com • 713.898.4315

e ers Rev

nt nda e P f eO Sid

’

N O T E

Remembering Christopher Cardozo

C O W B

I N D I

By Dana Joseph

NEVER MET CHRIS CARDOZO IN PERSON,

but over the years of working together on stories about Edward S. Curtis, we became friends. His voice on the phone was unmistakable, his signoff quotes on emails equally telling: “It’s such a big dream, I can’t see it all.” — Edward Curtis. “The mind works with words / The body works with muscles / The soul works with images.” —Thomas Moore. “ … many paths to enlightenment. Be sure to choose one with heart.” — Lao Tsu Our most recent conversations were about his plans to retire after having devoted decades to Curtis’ photographic legacy. He was busy with immediate arrangements for an auction of his vast collection, and he was toying with the idea of possibly moving from Minnesota back to Mexico, where he had spent some formative time working on his own fineart photography among Indigenous peoples. He sounded full of life and excited about the future. So it came as a shock when his longtime right hand at Cardozo Fine Art called with the sad news that Chris had died. He had only just days before checked in on me during Texas’ historic winter storm and the resulting power and water catastrophes. “Just a quick note to let you know I’ve been thinking about you lately and hope you have survived the nasty weather down there. I would invite you to come up here and visit, but I don’t think it’s 32

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much better up here (and definitely colder!). Anyway, I just wanted to say hi and let you know that I hope you’re doing well. … Hope to talk with you soon.” That was Chris: thoughtful, gentlemanly, caring. He would email randomly just to say hello. It was always nice when he’d include me on an email to friends saying he was off at a yoga retreat or quest for enlightenment; he’d invariably attach photographs of something beautiful and spiritual he’d discovered. He was a man of kind gestures. I still have some organic hibiscus honey lemon tea Chris once sent as a thank you for something or other — or just because. At the end of December he copied me on an email with the subject line “The photograph that changed my life”; it opened to reveal a large scan of a striking Curtis photograph of an American Indian man wearing a dark blanket, a silver earring, and a haunting expression. Chris was on the cusp of changing his life again, and I was looking forward to images of his own work from his next chapter. Every Edward Curtis image will forever remind me of Christopher Cardozo, but especially the one that put him on a path that would meet my own. Somehow I think our paths will cross again. The Christopher Cardozo Collection of Edward S. Curtis signature live auction at Santa Fe Art Auction is scheduled for June 26, 2021. santafeartauction.com, 505.954.5858.

E D I T O R

A R T

G A L L E R Y

Toh-Atin Gallery

IMAGE: COURTESY KEVIN MCCARTHY

N HISTORIC DOWNTOWN DURANGO, COLORADO, YOU’LL FIND A TROVE OF PRECIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL NATIVE

American art — Navajo rugs, turquoise jewelry, Southwest pottery, ﬁne woven baskets, and much more. The TohAtin Gallery (“no water” in Navajo) is Colorado’s biggest Native American art gallery. But it wouldn’t exist if not for the owner of a local Pepsi bottling franchise. “The franchise included much of the reservation,” says Mary Jane Clark, whose late husband, Jackson, owned and operated that franchise in the 1950s. Jackson’s great-grandfather had come to Durango as a railroad blacksmith in the late 1800s and started a hardware store Jackson would inherit. He sold that business and bought the Pepsi franchise. The franchise territory included the many trading posts of the vast Navajo Nation Indian Reservation in the Four Corners region, southwest of Durango. A lot of those customers were behind on their accounts. While money was often scarce on the rez, the traders owned a wealth of Indian art, created by generations of Native artists, who created beautiful rugs and blankets, turquoise jewelry and pottery. The elder Jackson realized he could settle up on accounts by trading. After a visit to the reservation, he had a cocktail party at which he sold weavings from the reservation artists to his friends. He soon returned to the reservation to talk to all the traders who owed him money. “So the traders began paying in rugs and jewelry, instead of money,” Mary Jane says, “because they didn’t have the trafﬁc to sell these things.” Having cornered the reservation market for cola, Jackson was also providing a buyer for Navajo artists who desperately needed to sell the items they were producing. He soon had traded for more Native art than his friends could buy and began wholesaling to national park retail shops in the West and other outlets. Jackson’s side business soon evolved into the idea of opening a gallery. “The weavers learned that the ‘Pepsi Man,’ as they called him, would buy their weaving for ABOVE: Sphinx, by Kevin McCarthy, 2020, 24” h x 36” w. COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

L E T T E R S

O W B O Y S

I N D I A N S

Greetings from Switzerland Dear Editor: C&I is also read in Switzerland and has been for many years! My edition, for example, is read by several people at once and sometimes I almost don’t get it back. ... In the last 35 years, I have traveled to the USA about 28 times. Mostly the Southwest, but was also once [in Texas] for two weeks. Often I travel around for one week and spend the second on a guest ranch to ride. If I remember correctly, I came across a C&I issue at the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. I liked it so much that I subscribed to the magazine right away. C&I has everything in it that fits my lifestyle. Thank you for the great magazine, and keep up the good work. Keep on dancing. — Markus Kohler, Line Dance Instructor, Schoefflisdorf, Switzerland Come Back Soon! I have immensely enjoyed your magazine here in the U.K. and totally miss being able to come to the Lost Valley Ranch in Sedalia, Colorado, where we go every year. Receiving your magazine makes me a bit closer to the Western world, and I am only sorry I can’t attend the many events you feature in your magazine. — Anna Nicolaou, Hampshire, United Kingdom Magazines at Millarville General Store Hi there, I run a small general store in the rural area, but people out here love your magazine and are interested in other Western style magazines as well. If I was interested in getting a few of each every month, what would the price break be? Thanks. —Tim Babey, Millarville General Store, Alberta, Canada Editor’s Note: Howdy, Tim! Stores and retailers can get more information about carrying C&I by clicking on the “C&I in Your Store” quick link at cowboysindians.com. It’s located in the bottom right-hand corner of our website under “Quick Links.” Send mail to letters@cowboysindians.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY: COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

From Ed Bruce to George Strait I love your magazine and look forward to seeing copies in my mailbox. Was saddened to see the report of Ed Bruce passing away. Just could not go without also pointing out that he wrote “The Last Cowboy Song,” which has been recorded by Willie Nelson and George Strait, among others. It is a classic song and I think of him every time I hear it. Keep up the good work. — Barry Smotherman, Houston

PHOTOGRAPHY: ALL COURTESY, (LIVING ROOM PHOTO) KERRY KIRK. (LIVING ROOM FEATURED ART) PAUL MEYER, (OFFICE PHOTO) NATHAN SCHRODER, (OFFICE FEATURED ART) ERASE BY MARK PERLMAN

JULIE DODSON, DODSON INTERIORS (HOUSTON)

How important is original art in a project? Art defines the personality of a room and can really help speak to the personality of the homeowner as well. Original art is important, yes, but even more important is art that tells your story. I have a client who travels throughout Africa for work, and his journeys are documented with photography. We blew up the images as artwork in his breakfast room. It feels personal, beautiful, and helps to share his story. Where do you look for unique pieces? In Texas, my go-to galleries are Dimmitt Contemporary Art, McClain Gallery, and Laura Rathe Fine Art; and Dinner Party Antiques for vintage in Round Top. Who are some of your favorite artists from the American West? There are so many strongTexas artists: John Holt Smith, Sarah Ferguson, John Alexander, Christian Eckart, Paul Meyer. We recently installed a work by Houston artist Joe Mancuso.

How about art-buying tips for homeowners? I think it’s important to do your own research. Our job is to figure out who a client is when designing their home, but art is personal. It’s intimate. With art, when you find a piece you love, often you can’t explain why you love it. It’s important for the homeowner to do a bit of legwork, to get out there and see what they gravitate towards. dodsoninteriors.com

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY AMERICAN DAKOTA

American Dakota owners Mark and Simone Ford at their Calhoun, Georgia, office

profession, founding American Dakota in his hometown of Calhoun, Georgia. The 12-year-old rug company has gained a dedicated following for its bold and colorful creations, and its rustic-lifestyle-inspired area rugs can be found in homes across the country, as well as hotels in Santa Fe and cabins at Yellowstone National Park. But the pieces Ford is most proud of are his collaborations with contemporary Indigenous artists. He first formed a partnership with Rande Cook, a Northwest Coast artist known for his paintings and woodcarvings. “He let us put some of his mask and drum designs on rugs,” Ford says. “They translated great, and that’s how we started.” Now American Dakota has five Indigenous artists on its roster, with designs ranging from pop arttype patterns to more traditional styles. “When we design a rug, we never discontinue it,” Ford says. “So we’re looking for a lifelong relationship COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

CUSTOM ARMS Add value to your collection with this made-to-order rifle. 1874 Military Carbine rifle ($2,007), shilohrifle.com

ARTISAN SPIRITS Barware becomes an art form by way of handpainted Western scenes. Will Hunter hand-painted whiskey glass set ($49), headwestbozeman.com

NORTHWEST WOOL Navy is the latest color addition to a classic Pendleton pattern. Harding wool blanket ($269), pendleton-usa.com

RANCH HOUSE Accessorize a ranch house entryway with a handmade cowhide piece. Horn collection cowhide ottoman ($1,299), lorecranch.com

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M A D E

I N

T H E

W E S T

By Western

Hands M A S T E R A R T I S A N S W O R K TO G E T H E R TO P E R P E T UAT E T H E C R A F T S M A N S H I P O F T H E W ES T.

By Melissa Hemken

American West functional art — objects crafted equally for their utilitarian use and aesthetics. Based out of its gallery in Cody, Wyoming, the group seeks to educate, conserve, and perpetuate the legacy of Western design and craftsmanship. And the accomplished members make fabulous works that are exemplars of functional art and the fruit of years and thousands of hours of practice. “It’s not just about a table, chair, or sofa,” says Graham Jackson, a By Western Hands board member. “There are many types of unique Western functional art. Our focus is to preserve its craftsmanship and to teach the necessary skills, so we don’t lose the art.” By Western Hands resulted from the highly successful Western Design Conference and Cody High Style annual exhibitions. Artisans hail from the Great Plains to Washington state’s Cascade Mountains. They craft with wood, steel, silver, bone, wool, leather, and stone. Their creations foster pleasure: a well-turned knife balanced in the hand; a live-edge table sanded to polish smooth; a saddle shaped for ultimate horse and rider comfort; and an ottoman crafted to become an heirloom. To a person, they are all masters of their crafts, and, yet, they value their membership for its fellowship and collaborative learning opportunities. To be a master is to be a lifelong learner. We talked with some of the artisans of By Western Hands about inspiration and craftsmanship.

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IMAGES: (ALL IMAGES) COURTESY OF ARTISTS

HE ARTISAN MEMBERS OF BY WESTERN HANDS DEMONSTRATE QUALITY WORKMANSHIP WITHIN

AMERICAN MADE HAND CRAFTED ALUMINUM AND STEEL CONSTRUCTION MANY SIZES AND OPTIONS FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED

CALL US TO CREATE YOUR CUSTOM FAN

TWISTED X ADVOCATES FOR VETERANS

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A brand of many causes, Twisted X leads the pack not only in innovation, but also generosity. Since the launch of its first patriotic footwear collection in 2014, which featured creative designs inspired by the American flag, Twisted X has built a reputation as a friend of veterans. Each pair of moccasins from the VFW collection raises both funds and support for members of the armed forces, past and present. In the past five years, the brand has contributed more than $500,000 as a presenting sponsor of the VFW Voice of Democracy. “You don’t need to thank us; we want to thank you,” says Prasad Reddy, CEO of Twisted X. “In every day of your lives, you are writing a blank check to us. For me to write a blank check that has a few zeros on it doesn’t compare to what you do for us every single day.” twistedx.com.

DAN JOSEPH ARCHITECTS

For Daniel Turvey, celebrated architect and owner of Dan Joseph Architects, the process of visualizing a build is an art form. And similar to many great artists, Turvey aims to enhance the natural beauty of the terrain through seamless architecture while both appreciating and preserving the West. “I look for the convergence of natural elements,” explains Turvey. “I’m looking for subtleties in the topography, changes in elevation, distant horizon lines, trees…features that announce that something more should happen there.” With thoughtful design at the forefront of each project, it comes as no surprise that sustainability is top priority in Turvey’s work. While the materials exude a rustic, well-aged look, the homes are highly efficient and harmonious with the land – a feat accomplished by Turvey’s true appreciation of the West. “For creative types, [the West] allows the inner voice to come out and be celebrated in a way that an urban environment doesn’t allow us to remember nature and the outdoors,” Turvey says. djawest.com.

Glenn Gilmore

Keoni Wood Artist, Colorado As functional artwork, Keoni’s intricate wood pieces classify as vessels. The artist describes them as touchable illusions, because the medium is wood, though it appears to be beaded or woven basketry. The artistic technique of illusion carving was developed in Asia centuries ago. Keoni translates it into American Southwest iconography to interpret Native American stories. The COVID-19 pandemic provided him with the time to explore larger and more complicated forms at home in his Colorado studio. His aesthetic remains founded on tribal stories with designs that incorporate contemporary modernism. What Inspires “I research tribal stories and legends. My head collects imagery, and when I find a story that resonates, I begin. I don’t sketch designs in advance of carving. I create, in the moment, to interpret the tribal story I hold in my mind. Tribal connection is a bridge between us, more so because of the pandemic. We can learn from each other’s tribal values and differences.” Artistic Process “The starting point is a tribal story, legend, or myth, gleaned from researching Native cultures of the Southwest and the world. From that collection of ideas and iconography, I create storytelling designs that I burn onto wood vessels and hollow forms that I lathe-turn from Eastern sugar maple wood. The wood-burning is done at very high temperatures using simple tools any 8-year-old Scout would recognize. “What happens when you combine heat with sugar? The sugar of the maple caramelizes inside the cell structure itself. That produces a range of brown tones that gives the appearance of age, further creating the illusion of vintage basketry. India inks and organic dyes provide the color. I use soft brushes and transparent inks to mimic the look of woven fabric, and steel pens to apply the opaque dyes for the illusion of beading.” Furthering The Craft “The techniques I use go back centuries. I first saw examples years ago during a visit to Asia. In 2017, I decided to combine my love for tribal stories with the illusion-carving techniques and my classical American woodworking skills. It’s been a journey of discovery. I’ve found a carving style many have not seen before. There’s great joy in explaining the techniques and connecting the traditional stories and values of ancestral tribes to our tribes of today.” Gallery representation at Tierra Mar Fine Art in Santa Fe; Cobalt Fine Art in Tubac, Arizona; Romero Street Gallery in Albuquerque; and By Western Hands in Cody, Wyoming. keoniwoodart.com, @keoni_fineart TOP: Keoni — wood, reimagined as basketry, hand-carved, hand-colored, inspired by high-country mountain rains of early spring, No. 6 of 20. RIGHT: Glenn Gilmore — hand-forged tools with woven handles, turkey wing broom, hanging on a textured branch stand (inspired by hiking Trapper Peak), 32” h x 16” w x 8” d steel and broom corn.

Architectural Blacksmith, Montana To change the form of steel requires heat and strength. “It’s exciting to heat, hammer, and forge metal into a creation,” says Glenn Gilmore, who initially learned forged blacksmithing when shoeing horses. As a farrier, he shaped horseshoes out of bar stock. Gilmore also created his own punches and tongs for the work. When Gilmore encountered architectural forged metalwork, his excitement for the craft led him away from horses and toward houses. His studies at the International Teaching Center for Metal Design in Aachen, Germany, grounded his skill in traditional and contemporary forms. In his Montana studio he now forges commissioned architectural art for homes and businesses. What Inspires “I design pieces, such as railings and fireplace doors, to fit a room or the setting where the house is located. For instance, I created some fireplace doors for a house in Jackson, Wyoming, with a great room that looked out onto the Teton Mountains and a little aspen grove. I designed the doors with three-dimensional aspen trunks, branches, and leaves.” Artistic Process “It’s ancient manipulation techniques of metal that forms the visually pleasing objects. Through the blacksmithing techniques of forging, heating, and hammering a bar of steel, I can change its form, size, and texture to create whatever I want. In addition, the metalwork is functional and must fit a certain place, such as a stairway. I enjoy the dynamics of measurements and installations.” Furthering The Craft “I’ve taught blacksmithing at a number of craft schools over the years, in addition to demonstrating specific techniques for blacksmith groups. I regularly host school groups at my studio and host workshops for people interested in architectural blacksmithing. COVID-19 halted all of these, and my enclosed studio hasn’t been appropriate for health concerns. In the future, I hope to continue.” gilmoremetal.com

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

Proper Supply Co.

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY VENDOR

he Fort Worth Stockyards is legendary for its rich Western history — and while this staple of Cowtown modernizes, the undeniable cowboy essence remains unchanged. With the careful development of Mule Alley, a curated shopping district within the Stockyards, city planners have gracefully balanced modern convenience with timeless Western elegance. Grasping this concept wholeheartedly is Cristina Faulconer, creative director for Proper Supply Co. — a head-turning new storefront specializing in high-end, American-made goods. “We’re featuring American heritage brands who build amazing products,” Faulconer says. “Virtually all of our products are completely handmade…everything down to shirt buttons are USA-made.” With a clear focus on elevating talented makers from all over the West, Faulconer has curated a unique experience for patrons looking to take home a piece of Stockyards culture for themselves. “Retail is changing dramatically, and we have to ask ourselves ‘what can we do differently,’” Faulconer says. “Everything has to be a really meaningful purchase.” Artisan goods come to life not only on store shelves but also in face-to-face events with the makers themselves through in-store pop-ups. “It’s really cool when [customers] get to meet the people who make those products,” Faulconer says. “It’s a great feeling to say ‘wow, this is American-made and I’m really supporting something good.’ I hope everything in [Proper Supply Co.] is a meaningful purchase that people are proud to take home, whether home is here in Texas or somewhere around the world.” With a refined taste dialed in on Western excellence, Faulconer has curated an exclusive collection of apparel, boots, and accessories that speak not only to customers of Proper Supply Co., but to the enduring spirit of the Fort Worth Stockyards. Proper Supply Co., 128 E. Exchange Ave., Fort Worth, Texas, 949.874.1281, instagram.com/propersupplycofw.

DISCOVER NATIVE AMERICAN TREASURES TO CHERISH FOR YEARS TO COME. Kevin Red Star (Absaroke) Horse Lodge acrylic canvas painting ($18,000), sorrelsky.com L. Thunder Voice Eagle (Navajo) custom-made hat (contact for price), thundervoiceeagle.com Sylvia Naha (Hopi) polychrome vase ($950), medicinemangallery.com Sioux beaded leather moccasins ($3,500), ciscosgallery.com Hupa hat basket ($1,500), ciscosgallery.com 6 Navajo hand-beaded medicine bag ($24), kachinahouse.com 7 Michelle Lowden (Acoma Pueblo) Balance throw blanket ($84), eighthgeneration.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY VENDORS

Artistic Process “I first consider a horse’s shape and conformation. Matching the tree to the shape of the horse, and then balancing the rider to the horse’s movement, is what makes a saddle perform properly. In order for the horse to perform to his potential, it is very important for him to be comfortable. Horses need room to contract and relax their muscles under the saddle without binding on the tree. I guarantee the fit of my saddles because the ultimate test is for my customers to take them home, saddle up their horses, and ride. “After 20 years of the Wade reigning in popularity, cowboys want to buy swell forks. We’re seeing requests for the traditional styles — like the Tiptons, Will James, and Luellens — with 14-inch- or 15-inch-wide swells. The other trend is that seats have gotten longer. When I started, the average seat size was 15. Today it’s 16 plus. Four-and-a-half-inch cantles are now my standard. People tend to ride as tall as they can practically ride. The cantle has gotten smaller as far as width goes. Most are 12 inches or 11 inches wide.” Furthering The Craft “The saddlemaking industry is not training our next generation. If we masters don’t preserve it, quality saddlemaking may literally disappear. Saddlemaking was the most important trade of the horse-drawn era and to settling the West. I partnered with the Buffalo Bill Center of the West last year to open a five-year paid apprentice program and saddle shop in the museum. “I have three apprentices, and we build saddles right in the museum for visitors to observe and visit with us about the process. Apprentices were chosen for their desire to learn how to tool leather and build saddles, as well as their ability to interpret the craft for the public. “Another part of preserving the saddlemaking trade is preserving the client. Saddles can be made in a factory, but they’re of lesser quality than those that are handbuilt. As we move farther from a horse-drawn society, people know less about horses and their necessary tack for recreational use. Through the museum, the apprentices generate their own following of people interested in their work.” ABOVE: Keith Seidel — (top) Mother Hubbard saddle with swell, rigging, and skirts all molded from one piece of leather; (bottom) Gun Belt 3.

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seidelsaddlery.com; Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Scout Saddle Company: centerofthewest.org/experiences

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PHOTOGRAPHY: MARK BEDOR

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Cowboys & Indians’ sister B2B publication, Western & English Today, covers the western market scene and keeps tabs on trends for retailers and wholesalers. Follow the action at cowboysindians.com/wetoday.

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exas cowboys once drove cattle from the Lone Star State to Colorado. But now the biggest trade show in the Western world has taken the trail the other way. After 98 years in Denver, the Western and English Sales Association, better known as WESA, relocated its annual show for retailers to the Dallas Market Center. And despite the ongoing pandemic, organizers were very happy with the turnout for WESA’s Texas debut. “We didn’t really know what to expect,” said trade show manager Kristen Paulson. “But the turnout was really great.” The January WESA market featured 400 exhibitors, including the biggest names in Western apparel. Some 600 retailers attended. And while that was down from past years, those who did show up came to buy. “Most of the feedback was that the new business was really good,” said Paulson. “People who were here were actively buying.” WESA, whose old Denver digs will soon be torn down, will return to Dallas in 2022 as the show celebrates its 100th anniversary. — Mark Bedor

Martin Kove shared with C&I his personal trove of scrapbook shots and candids from movie sets and Western outings. Clockwise from top left: Wyatt Earp with Kevin Costner, an episode of the British TV show The Optimist dubbed “The Good, The Bad and the Nasty,” Six Gun Savior with Eric Roberts, the TV movie Hard Ground with Burt Reynolds, The Karate Kid with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, Gambler V: Playing for Keeps with Kenny Rogers, a powwow in Taos, New Mexico, Cagney & Lacey, a still from Six Gun Savior.

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Lonesome Dove — both his Pulitzer Prize-winning 1985 novel, and the epic 1989 miniseries adaptation starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. Indeed, during a 2006 interview with Cowboys & Indians, when an interviewer noted that both the novel and the miniseries were widely credited with reviving the classic myth of the American West, McMurtry responded: “I always thought of Lonesome Dove as anti-mythic. That’s not the way it was received, of course. Authors very rarely have any control over how their books are read or perceived. But I always thought of it as critical rather than celebratory.” Of course, millions of readers and viewers would strongly disagree. For them, the Lonesome Dove mythos — which McMurtry was quite happy to sustain and expand in such later novels and miniseries as Streets of Laredo (1993), Dead Man’s Walk (1995) and Comanche Moon (1997) — is our all-American version of sagas spun by Shakespeare and other immortal authors. Robert Duvall told C&I in 2014 that he was originally given a copy of Lonesome Dove by his ex-wife, who insisted that he read because, in her words, “It’s maybe better than Dostoyevsky.” Duvall wound up agreeing with her — although he dropped the “maybe” from his own appraisal. (On the other hand, it should be noted, Duvall strongly disagreed with McMurtry’s observation that he and Jones should have switched roles for the miniseries.) In his many other novels and screenplays, McMurtry offered other richly detailed and marvelously multifaceted views of both Texas and Texans — and, by extension, of an American West that is both a geographical location and a state of mind. Thanks to him, we have Hud, the enduringly powerful 1963 film based on McMurtry’s novel Horseman, Pass By, starring Paul Newman in one of his signature roles as a charismatically hunky and brazenly amoral Texas Panhandle cattle rancher; The Last Picture Show, the hauntingly raw and elegiac 1971 drama about small-town Texas life in the 1950s, which he and director Peter Bogdanovich adapted from McMurtry’s 1966 novel; and Brokeback Mountain, for which McMurtry and his writing partner Diana Ossana adapted their Oscar-winning screenplay from a short story by Annie Proulx. And yes, thanks to Larry McMurtry, we have Aurora Greenway — the self-dramatizing grande dame of Houston’s ritzy River Oaks neighborhood — who was played to Oscar-worthy perfection by Shirley MacLaine in the Oscar-winning adaptation of McMurtry’s Terms of Endearment. And who returned to raise a bit more hell before fading away in the film of McMurtry’s The Evening Star. McMurtry spent most of his life creating — and criticizing and celebrating — dozens of full-bodied and unforgettable characters like Aurora. He will be sorely missed, but he left us an incredible legacy. Larry McMurtry was 84 when he died March 25 in Archer City, Texas.

CHRISTOPHER CARDOZO dedicated much of his life to preserving and understanding

the work of Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952), the renowned ethnographer and photographer of Native peoples across North America, who created over 40,000 compelling images documenting the lives of Native peoples between 1900 and 1930. Cardozo authored nine monographs on Edward Curtis and created and curated one-person Curtis exhibitions that have been seen in nearly 100 venues in over 40 countries, and on every continent but Antarctica. Cardozo assembled the world’s largest and most broad-ranging Curtis collection and was instrumental in increasing awareness, understanding, and appreciation for Curtis’ work. His personal collection has been exhibited in major museums internationally. Cardozo was the founder and board chair of the Edward S. Curtis Foundation. He was also the founder of Cardozo Fine Art, which has pioneered techniques for preserving and revitalizing historic photographs. Cardozo was 72 when he died on February 21. 54

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PHOTOGRAPHY: ALLSTAR PICTURE LIBRARY LTD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, COURTESY LARRY MARCUS 2016

LARRY MCMURTRY often said he was surprised by the passionate response to

LEE AAKER appeared in such

films as High Noon, Hondo, and Ride Clear of Diablo before was cast, at age 11, in the 1954-59 TV western The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin. For 164 episodes, he starred as Rusty, an orphaned youngster who shared many adventures with the resourceful German shepherd of the title while being raised by U.S. Cavalry soldiers at Fort Apache. Aaker did not make a successful transition from child to adult actor, and worked in several other professions before he died April 1 at age 77 near Mesa, Arizona. DEREK CLARK a fourth-generation cowboy and 15-time

PHOTOGRAPHY: UNITED ARCHIVES GMBH/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, ROGER TILLBERG/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

National Finals Rodeo saddle bronc rider, began riding horses and competing before his rodeo career, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He competed as a saddle bronc and bull rider from 1980 until 2000 and was inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2018. Clark died April 8 at age 60. HENRY DARROW maintained a

loyal fan base during the original 1967-71 primetime run, and throughout decades of syndicated reruns, of The High Chaparral, the western drama in which he portrayed the roguish Manolito Montoya. He subsequently made his mark as the first Latino actor ever to play Zorro on television in the 1983 sitcom Zorro and Son, and also provided the voice for the masked swashbuckler in the animated series The Tarzan/Lone Ranger/Zorro Adventure Hour (1980) and The New Adventures of Zorro (1981). Years later, he made history again as the only actor ever to have played both Don Diego (a.k.a. Zorro) and his father, Don Alejandro, when he assumed the latter role in the 199093 TV series Zorro featuring Duncan Regehr as the title hero. Darrow was 87 when he passed away March 14 at his home in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Ride Back In Time.

Saddle up for the real story of the Great Cattle Drives, and the legend of the American cowboy. Get the lore of local ranching heritage, and appreciate fine horse related craft. Our collection showcases local Texas spurs, and the elegant riding gear of the Latin American vaquero and gaucho.

chisholmtrailmuseum.org

IN THE HEART OF HISTORIC CUERO, TEXAS Museum, Bookstore & Gift Shop, and George Bishop Park 302 North Esplanade | Cuero, Texas 77954 | 361-266-2866 Visit website for Hours & Admission and public safety updates. Families, military and school groups welcome.

IfhY

Oklahoma! 1 9 5 5

As long as the wind still comes sweeping down the plain, we’ll never grow tired of spending time with Curly and Laurey and Ado Annie, and listening to “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning.”

57 Quigley Down Under 1 9 9 0

Tom Selleck stars to perfection as Matthew Quigley, a sharpshooter hired by Elliott Marston (Alan Rickman), a rich Australian cattle rancher, to rid Marston’s land of troublesome aborigines. But Quigley refuses to shoot innocent bystanders, a moral distinction that eludes Marston.

58 Ride the High Country 1 9 6 2

Two western icons, Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott, get back in the saddle for career-capping performances in Sam Peckinpah’s poetic tribute to a disappearing way of life.

59 The Sons of Katie Elder 1 9 6 5

In The Sons of Katie Elder, John Wayne and Dean Martin reprise their Rio Bravo chemistry as four brothers track down their father’s killer, with no help from local lawmen. 112

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Silverado 1 9 8 5

An ambitious attempt to revive the oldschool western by writer Lawrence Kasdan, who manages to simultaneously salute and send up every cliché of the genre.

61 3 Godfathers 1 9 4 8 Three Cowboys Find a Baby: John Ford’s take on the oft-ﬁlmed story is sentimental in the right way and gave John Wayne a chance to stretch his familiar screen persona.

62 Lonely Are the Brave 1 9 6 2

The passing of the Old West was indelibly captured in one unforgettable image when fugitive cowboy Kirk Douglas tries to cross a superhighway on horseback.

63 Little Big Man 1 9 7 0

Director Arthur Penn may be best known for Bonnie and Clyde, but he often insisted he was equally proud of his seriocomic revisionist western epic starring Dustin Hoffman as a white man who was raised by members of the Cheyenne Nation, and spends most of his long life attempting to bridge the gap between two cultures.

Hell or High Water 2 0 1 6

Two brothers (Chris Pine, Ben Foster) try to save their family farm through a series of bank robberies, all the while pursued by determined Texas Rangers (Jeff Bridges, Gil Birmingham) in this gripping contemporary drama scripted by Taylor Sheridan.

65 Django 1 9 6 6

Franco Nero shoots ﬁrst, last, and seldom asks questions at all in Sergio Corbucci’s spaghetti western, one of the ﬁrst and best to ride the coattails of Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars. It spawned scads of unrelated sequels (and outright rip-offs), and inspired Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012).

66 Comes a Horseman 1 9 7 8

Superb Gordon Willis photography elevates this post-World War II spin on the old story of independent ranchers under siege from big business.

67 Giant 1 9 5 6

Director George Stevens won the Oscar for Giant’s amazing visuals, including the iconic image of James Dean, cowboy hat low over his forehead, reclining behind the wheel of a vintage roadster.

68 The Plainsman

19 36

Cecil B. DeMille’s frontier epic about Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane surrounds Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur with 2,500 Sioux and Cheyenne extras. Note the dramatic Star Wars-style credits.

Hang ’Em High 1 9 6 8

Clint Eastwood’s ﬁrst ﬁlm after the Dollars trilogy has him playing an innocent rancher condemned for murder. Lively attempt at cooking Leone’s spaghetti recipe stateside.

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Toh-Atin Gallery

IMAGE: COURTESY KEVIN MCCARTHY

N HISTORIC DOWNTOWN DURANGO, COLORADO, YOU’LL FIND A TROVE OF PRECIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL NATIVE

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a fair price but also give them a case of Pepsi,” Mary Jane’s daughter Antonia says. The family-run business is owned today by Jackson’s namesake son and remains dedicated to helping Native American artists by providing the market and income they need to survive, thrive, and continue creating. “They don’t have to wonder where they’re going to sell their rug,” Antonia says. “They just need to wonder, How quickly can I get this rug done so that Jackson will buy it from me so I can get the money that I need.” What goes on here is much more than a business transaction. For more than 60 years, the Clark family has nurtured deep roots of friendship and trust with the Native artists who show in their gallery. “All the artists we work with are basically friends that we appreciate, that we try to work with for both of our beneﬁt,” Jackson says. “It’s old home week every time someone comes in. That’s what makes this business worthwhile. If you sell the art, it’s great, because you help support the artist and help preserve the tradition. But the real joy of this thing is the people.” We asked owner Jackson Clark about two artists Toh-Atin Gallery is especially pleased to represent.

Kevin McCarthy

phone call with artist and geologist Kevin McCarthy. “I love the landscapes here in the West,” he enthuses, as if describing a favorite dessert. “I’m sitting in Cortez right now, on top of one of my favorite formations. The Dakota Sandstone is really a fascinating one.” McCarthy is in the middle of a move from Durango to a new home and studio in Cortez, southwest of Telluride. Painting the rock formation landscapes of the Southwest is a relatively new undertaking for McCarthy, who is best known for his authentic and action-packed sculptures of Native Americans, horses, and the Old West. “He’s got a natural eye,” says Jackson Clark. “When you look at these bronze sculptures he’s done, you can feel the muscles moving. You can just feel the power coming out of the horses.” ABOVE: (left) Cheyenne Threat, 1997, 40” h x 30” w x 20” d; (right) Tracking the Enemy, 2001, 30” h x 20” w x 22” d.

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IMAGES: COURTESY KEVIN MCCARTHY

PASSION FOR LIFE AND LEARNING COMES THROUGH LIKE THE WIND ON A BLUSTERY COLORADO DAY IN A CELL

Portraying Old West action scenes runs in the family. Kevin is the son of the late Frank McCarthy, an acclaimed member of the Cowboy Artists of America, who was known as the “Dean of Western Action Painters.” Before he moved to Sedona, Arizona, to paint the American West, Frank was an acclaimed New York illustrator. Kevin grew up watching his father work, with his own drawing table in Dad’s downstairs studio in their Scarsdale, New York, home. “I watched him working on the other side of the room,” Kevin says. “And I witnessed some of the most amazing art being drawn.” His father took him along on New York business trips, where Kevin met Frank’s fellow illustrators and often visited the Museum of Modern Art. Father and son also often visited the polo ﬁeld near their home, where Frank would photograph and study the movement of the horses. Kevin would later spend a lot of time studying the groundbreaking photography of Eadweard Muybridge, whose historic work ﬁrst accurately revealed the exact nature of the movement of a running horse. At 15, McCarthy spent an inspiring summer in Italy studying Renaissance art and Greek and Roman sculpture. The stories those works told were similar to those of the

American West. “They had the very same themes: the fallen warrior, the victor,” he says. “I wanted to express that. I wanted to learn figure sculpture. I wanted to be able to put figures on horses. I wanted to be able to do animals. And I wanted to have it all fit together. In the Western genre, there is so much room for that.” A job out of high school at the Santa Fe bronze foundry of Forrest Fenn, where he had the opportunity to work on sculptures by artists like Glenna Goodacre, was another game changer. McCarthy credits his Northern Arizona University sculpture and art anatomy professor Tuck Williams with teaching him how to build a sculpture “from the inside out.” “You can’t get that action, I don’t think, unless you study the skeletal structure,” he says. “And what I really love is the action.” He’s a stickler for authenticity as well. “He has a great deal of respect for these Native people and their traditions,” Clark says. “That’s one of the reasons I really value his art.” For every historical piece, McCarthy does a lot of reading and research. “It’s another whole love and fascination,” he says. “What did that actually look like? And then I try to flesh that out.” His landscapes are equally grounded in reality. “I have always been fascinated by rocks,” says McCarthy, who has

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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a degree in geology. “There’s usually all kinds of geologic reasoning within the paintings. I’m really conscious of what formation is what, and what’s on top of what.” When he’s not painting, sculpting, or backpacking, you’ll likely ﬁnd this stellar jazz guitarist performing with his Kevin McCarthy Jazz Trio in Telluride. “He’s an incredible jazz musician,” Clark says. “He’s opened the Telluride Jazz Festival a couple of times.” McCarthy’s remarkable life story also includes the 1989 crash landing of United Airlines Flight 232 in Sioux City, Iowa, when he and his wife were among the 184 people who survived the crash that killed 112: “We were incredibly lucky — a little pocket of survivors. Everyone around us

died.” The disaster left him in a body cast for three months and essentially disabled for an entire year. He spent much of that recovery time visualizing the sculptures he was yet to create. “There was no way I was going to quit just because I was in pain all the time,” he says. “I’ve done some life-size pieces that have really challenged me physically. But I regret nothing. I just stay in action as best I can.” Perhaps that explains the joy of simply being alive that comes through so clearly in a phone call on a blustery Colorado day, and the vitality that ﬁlls his music and his art. Prices for Kevin McCarthy’s Western sculptures range from $1,400 to $16,000; his paintings range from $2,000 to $3,000. mccarthysculpture.com, mccarthyjazz.com

Marie Begay

rugs don’t get any more traditional than the work of Marie Begay. And few modern-day Navajo (or Diné, in their own language) have led a life as traditional as Begay. As a young woman, the octogenarian, who doesn’t speak English, spent her wedding night with a man she met the day of the ceremony and has crafted a loving relationship and a wonderful family. “My father [Matthew] had been out partying and getting into all kinds of trouble,” daughter Theresa, one of the couple’s five children, told Jackson Clark at her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary party. “And his uncle said, ‘You need a wife!’ Begay’s parents came in one morning and told her to take a bath and get her best outfit on, and she was getting married.” That arranged marriage has now lasted more than 60 years. “Matthew still makes her coffee every morning,” Clark says. “And he brings it to her in bed.” Begay was one of five sisters who grew up weaving, part of a family that the Clark family have known more than 60 years. ABOVE: Classic Burnham design rug, 28” x 38”, all natural handspun wool with natural wool colors, woven 2020. OPPOSITE PAGE: Classic Burnham design rug, 26” x 40”, all natural handspun wool with natural wool colors, woven 2019.

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IMAGES: COURTESY HOWARD ROWE

REATED FROM WOOL THAT’S SHEARED, BLENDED, AND SPUN BY HAND FROM HER OWN HERD OF SHEEP, NAVAJO

“We’ve been lucky enough to buy pretty much every one of Marie’s rugs for 25 years, maybe longer,” Clark says. Living in the remote Burnham area of New Mexico’s vast Navajo Indian Reservation (where electricity arrived just 15 years ago), Begay is one of the few Navajo who weave wool from the sheep they raise. She uses no dye, instead creating color by blending different shades of wool. “She blends the yarn by carding it together to get the colors she wants,” Clark explains. “The designs she creates are always sharp, different, and unique. If you see one of Marie’s rugs across the room, you know that’s gotta be one of hers and yet they’re all different. You couldn’t mistake hers for anybody else’s pattern — that’s a characteristic that not a lot of weavers are able to pull off.” A Navajo rug takes months to weave; with the hours required, it barely pays minimum wage. Fortunately for Begay, there’s her husband’s power-plant pension and a home that’s paid for, so she doesn’t need to weave out of ﬁnancial

imperative. “She absolutely loves to weave,” Clark says. “I think she lives to weave and I think it keeps her healthy.” Begay is part of a dwindling generation in which virtually every Navajo woman grew up weaving. But the time and energy the craft requires can make it impossible for younger Diné to continue the craft and choose instead to pursue education and careers. “This is an art form and a weaver of a generation that are not going to be with us for very long,” Clark says. Yet the very act of weaving can extend the life of artists like Marie Begay, some of whom continue creating into their 90s. “It keeps them alive,” Clark says. “It gives them purpose in their lives. It gives them something they can be proud of.” Prices for Marie Begay weavings range from $3,500 to $7,000. — Mark Bedor Find more on the artists and Toh-Atin Gallery at toh-atin.com.

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D. Michael Thomas

new bronze sculpture of one of Wyoming’s most beloved native sons: the late and legendary Chris LeDoux. Nearly six years in the making, the 14 x 17-foot sculpture called Just LeDoux It was a labor of love for artist D. Michael Thomas. A Wyoming native himself, Thomas has two major pieces at the University of Wyoming at Laramie, two pieces in Sheridan, four in his hometown of Buffalo, a huge one of LeDoux in Kaycee, and the upcoming one in Cheyenne. Thomas was also a friend of LeDoux’s. “He was everything good,” he says. For Thomas, “Mr. Wyoming” was a cowboy and a gentleman, the incarnation of the Cowboy Code — a man of his word, a talented musician, an accomplished athlete and rodeo star, a rancher, a builder, a sculptor, and much more. What especially animates Thomas’ memories and this latest work of art is LeDoux’s heart: a devoted husband, father, grandfather; a cherished friend; and a neighbor to all. C&I talked with Thomas about his friendship with LeDoux and why this new bronze of him matters so much to him. Cowboys & Indians: How did you meet Chris LeDoux? D. Michael Thomas: I met Chris early on but really got to know him as a friend when I was running the feed store. He had a ranch and used to buy feed from me. We got to talking and discovered we had a lot in common. We lived about 40 miles apart, but he would come in and we’d share ideas about building our log cabins and barns, playing guitar and writing songs, and we talked about art and sculpture. Chris was an exceptional sculptor himself. I’m convinced that had he pursued that instead of music he would have done equally well. We would often be on the phone strumming our guitars and bouncing off lyrics to new songs he was writing. His music career really took off when Garth Brooks wrote him into his hit song “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old).” After that, Chris seemed to become more famous in all our laymen’s eyes. Occasionally, he would send me a new CD of his latest work, and I always enjoyed some of his inscriptions on the cover, written with a Sharpie. ABOVE: Just LeDoux It, 2021, 24” h x 29” l x 14” w, ed. 50.

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IMAGES: COURTESY D. MICHAEL THOMAS. ALL ARTWORK COPYRIGHT D. MICHAEL THOMAS

ELCOMING VISITORS TO CHEYENNE FRONTIER DAYS IN FRONTIER PARK THIS SUMMER WILL BE A MAGNIFICENT

C&I: How did the project for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo come to you? Thomas: When Chris died in 2005, I wanted to do something to honor him. I was heartsick, and his family was grieving, so I didn’t approach them for about a year. In 2006, I spoke to his wife, Peggy, and she loved the idea. I worked for the next ﬁve years on Good Ride Cowboy, a sculpture of Chris riding at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. He was the only rider to cover all 10 head of broncs, becoming the world champion that day and taking home the gold buckle. The sculpture is on display in LeDoux’s hometown of Kaycee, Wyoming. When the piece was completed in 2011, I proposed it to the Frontier Days committees and have been trying to get it there since, but it wasn’t until the current CEO, Tom Hirsig, wanted Chris LeDoux to be honored on his watch that the wheels started turning. Hirsig proposed the idea of a competition for a sculpture to Chris’ family, but the family told him “no one but Mike.” Wanting to do something special for the 125th anniversary for the Cheyenne Rodeo, the idea was ﬁnally accepted about two and a half years ago, and the process of Just LeDoux It was on its way.

C&I: What was the most challenging aspect of doing this bronze sculpture of him? Thomas: The most challenging part about this for me was to please the LeDoux family — to get the likeness as close as I could to Chris’ anatomy and face. His family was so gracious. They lent me several photographs of Chris. And not only that, but they loaned me all his rodeo gear — his chaps, his spurs, his rigging — and also his beloved Guild guitar. His boys even modeled for me, one of whom is the spitting image of his father. It was very satisfying to get to know his family. I knew Peggy, his wife, but this brought us all together, and I was able to get to know his kids. It was very, very important to me to get Chris’ image right for them. C&I: Did you always know that you wanted to be a sculptor? Thomas: Absolutely not. I grew up — of course, all of us kids did — wanting to be a cowboy. I was raised around rodeo and even competed in it, but when I got to a certain age, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I went to college and got my degree in pre-veterinary medicine and animal science. My junior year, I had a friend who did bronze artwork, and it really intrigued me. So I picked up a clump of wax and a few tools down at the bookstore and would just lose myself in sculpting little

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figurines. The animal anatomy that I had learned from the pre-vet courses helped me sculpt my wax horses in detail. I had all the images in my head — I didn’t sketch them on paper. After I graduated, I never got into a vet school, so I went into agribusiness for the next 16 years instead. I became an ag-banker for several years and then ran a feed store. After about eight years at the store, a local bank, knowing that I sculpted a bit, came to me and wanted to commission me to do something for their 100th anniversary. I had never pursued my art professionally, but this was the turning point for me. I presented my idea at a board meeting. Three board meetings later, I had to make the decision to quit my job and become a full-time artist. It was very spooky to give up my regular paycheck, benefits, and all, but I plunged in with both feet, learning along the way. I talked myself into it, and I did it. It took me a year to complete my project for the bank, and I’ve never looked back. C&I: Of all your sculptures and monuments, do you have a favorite? Thomas: I did a monument for my alma mater, the University of Wyoming, called Breakin’Through. It depicts an early 1900s-era cowgirl coming through a wall. The wall is 25 feet tall; the sculpture is 16 feet. The university is built mostly of limestone quarry rock, so I tried to emulate that look. A major benefactor had asked if I would consider sculpting a female on this bucking horse. After some pondering, I went and studied the clothing of that era and absolutely got caught up in capturing their homemade silk blouses, split skirts, decorative kidney belts, beaded gauntlets, wild rags, and 10-gallon hats. For a little twist, to poke fun at her male counterpart, I have her smiling — she knows it’s a horse her brother can’t ride. I will leave it up to the viewer what this sculpture means to them. Wyoming is known as the Equality State: first women to vote, first woman governor, first woman justice of the peace, first women to serve in the legislature, and many more. I have another favorite piece called After the Dust Settles, which depicts two war horses — an Indian pony and a cavalry horse — decked out in their tack of the time in 1874. They found a quiet spot during a heated battle, before they were rounded up and dealt with. Their riders fought relentlessly for their beliefs; however, the horses show no animosity. Although the work stands on its own merits, the goal is to allow the viewer to form their own perception. — Deanne L. Joseph Cheyenne Frontier Days — “The Daddy of ’Em All” rodeo — is scheduled for July 23 – August 1, 2021; check cfdrodeo.com for updates and for purchase information for bronzes of D. Michael Thomas’ Just LeDoux It (24” h x 29” l x 14” w, edition of 50). Visit the artist online at dmichaelthomas.com. ABOVE: (left) Breakin’ Through, 2014, 32” h x 24” l x 24” w, ed. 2 (sold out); (right) After the Dust Settles, 2004, 18” h x 8” l x 14” w, ed. 35 (sold out).

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HEARTH AND HOME: Though Adam covered the walls in a fresh coat of white paint (they were originally an orangey-peach color), she left the original stain on the wood. “I thought the stain was really fitting for a mountain house,” she says. For that same reason, she kept several other existing elements in the space, including the stone fireplace surround, the antler chandelier, and the matching antler sconces flanking the fireplace. 66

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PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY VENDORS/MICHAEL HUNTER

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MAKEOVER F I N E A RT A N D C OL OR F U L AC C E N T S F R E SH E N U P A DA LL A S FA M I LY ’ S C R E S T E D BU T T E VACAT ION HOM E . By Rhonda Reinhart

HEN A DALLAS COUPLE AND THEIR THREE

kids went looking for a Colorado getaway, they found their dream retreat in the charming mountain town of Crested Butte. The 9,000-square-foot home had it all: open spaces, unobstructed views, and plenty of room for entertaining. But it also had dark, outdated finishes and a houseful of unattractive décor. “It came furnished, and it was atrocious,” says Kara Adam, the couple’s Dallas-based interior designer. “Everything was turquoise and burnt orange.” Though the furnishings were less than ideal, the forgiving homeowners figured that with a few minor adjustments they could live with what they had. But that plan wasn’t meant to be. “We initially told Kara, ‘Just sheets and towels,’” the wife says with a laugh.

“That quickly evolved, as we realized we wanted to put our stamp on this home to create a place for our family to enjoy for generations to come.” Now tasked with a full interior redo, Adam set about selecting finishes that would lighten and brighten the house. Then, to add warmth, she brought in vibrant antique rugs and colorfully patterned fabrics. To complete the transformation, the designer enlisted her trusted art consultant, Dallas-based Lynsey Wiley Provost, to help the homeowners round out their impressive art collection. Now the space is a lovely and comfortable haven for the family of five. “We wanted a home that felt warm and cozy and extremely family friendly,” says the wife. “It’s been a fantastic retreat from the day-to-day city life of our primary home.”

BACK TO NATURE: A massive bison triptych by Connecticut artist Rick Shaefer is the focal point of the great room, where the family most often hangs out. Though Adam and the homeowners often swap out artwork throughout the house, the bison piece always stays put. “That will never move,” says the designer. “He’s become a statement piece in this room.” To accent the otherwise neutral space, Adam incorporated pops of blue and green. “We tried to pull colors from nature,” she says. In the corner, a round game table is surrounded by Quintus chairs upholstered in an indigo ikat-inspired textile by Peter Dunham.

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KARI WHITMAN Colorado-born celebrity interior designer Kari Whitman founded her eponymous interiors company in 1994. Dividing her time between Los Angeles (20 percent) and Boulder (80 percent), she works with high-profile clients such as Jessica Alba, Antonio Banderas, and Melanie Griffith. Her passion is high-end residential design, which she showcases in unique homes throughout Colorado and the world. Why she moved from Los Angeles back to Boulder I was raised in Boulder and then moved to New York, thinking that I wanted to move away from Colorado, and of course years later, realized how wonderful Colorado really is. Ending up in L.A. for a few years, I dabbled in acting and modeling, but I soon realized that acting wasn’t my calling. I had always loved design and had taken drafting in high school. When my focus became design, Emilio Estevez was my first client. Four years ago I opened my office in Boulder and felt like I was going home. Now I divide my time between California and Colorado. What makes Colorado so special There is so, so much. There is an energy in Colorado that I have never felt anywhere else that is caused by the bright sun and the quiet snow, and even the flow of the mountains. I am around people who love their neighbors, and there is a feeling of freedom here. When I get to Boulder, I never really want to leave. How Colorado and Boulder inspire her unique sense of design The state and the town inspire me 1,000 percent! Nature is my muse. One quick example: I was looking in my front yard and pulled a piece of bark off of a tree and created a color palette from its greens and corals for a house that I’m designing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Perhaps Colorado’s most prominent nature photographer, John Fielder has published 50-plus books in 40-plus years. In 2020, he published the bestselling book Colorado’s Highest: The History of Naming the 14,000-Foot Peaks. This fall, he’s coming out with a new book on the state: Weld County: 4,000 Square Miles of Grandeur, Greatness & Yesterdays (available for preorder on johnfielder.com). To experience his Colorado I love to share Colorado through photography and a few well-chosen words when appropriate. My skills come from a strong pair of legs that can take me most any place, and my eye as a photographer capturing Colorado nature. I’ve lived in the state for more than 40 years. I love sharing with my readers the sublimeness that is Colorado. I believe the state is the most beautiful place on earth! THIS PAGE: (top) Locoweed and Pawnee Buttes, Weld County; (bottom) sunrise, lupine wildflowers in front of Mount Gunnison (12,725 feet), by John Fielder.

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY JOHN FIELDER

JOHN FIELDER

LIGHTEN UP: Granite counters and a brown backsplash paired with dark-stained cabinetry made the kitchen look dim and drab. So Adam made a few room-transforming tweaks. She left the cabinets as is but replaced the backsplash with white marble from Waterworks and updated the countertops with White Mountain quartzite in a leather finish. “Quartzite is super durable,” says the designer, “so it’s great for a vacation home.” The turned-leg Hickory Chair barstools are upholstered in Walter G fabric from James Showroom in Dallas.

KIDS’ CHOICE: The homeowners’ children got to pick the color scheme for their rooms, which is how this space ended up splashed with lavender. Adam upholstered the bed in a fabric by Jennifer Shorto and installed a custom upholstered chair with purple trim. The window seat is a comfy spot to read a book or take in Crested Butte’s signature scenery.

DESIGN DETAILS Architecture: Freestyle Architects, freestylearchitects.com Art Consultant: Wiley Fine Art Advisory, wileyfineartadvisory.com Builder: Jack Huckins Construction, jackhuckinsco.com Interior Design: Kara Adam Interiors, karaadaminteriors.com

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(800) 942-9255 COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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ART BEAT: Even the home’s bathrooms feature cherished artwork. The painting in the primary bath is by a local artist, and it’s one of several pieces in the house that the homeowners purchased in Crested Butte. “We have really fallen in love with the town and want to support the local gallery Oh Be Joyful,” says the wife. “Owner Nick Reti represents a wide array of artists and happens to be a very talented painter himself. The artists capture the surrounding beauty on canvas, and it’s yet another way to bring the outside in. We have met many of them, and it makes the pieces we have that much more special.”

SET THE BAR: The bar in the game room is one of three bar areas in the house, a must for the frequent entertainers. “Crested Butte has become a destination for many of our friends,” says the homeowner. “So the summers are a time when we entertain quite a bit.” The painting is by noted Western artist Kenneth Riley.

GET THE LOOK Blue Yonder rug (available in different sizes and prices), southwestlooms.com Magellan Table Lamp ($323), adobeinteriors.com Antler Table Lamp ($349), hatcreek.us Acoma Polychrome Geometric Pot ($4,995), kokopellioutlet.com

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Where The Art Is W E A S K E D T H E LE A DE R S AT T H R EE I N T E R IOR DE S IGN F I R M S T O SH A R E T H E I R C OLLE C T I NG T I P S A N D C U R AT ION SE C R E T S . S P OI LE R A LE RT: T H E Y WA N T YOU T O FOLL OW YOU R H E A RT. By Rhonda Reinhart

JEREMIAH YOUNG, KIBLER & KIRCH (BILLINGS, MONTANA)

How important is original art in a project? I don’t think that I’ve ever seen a successfully designed space without great art. There’s a sometimes subtle but essential quality that original art imparts to a home. It’s the brushstrokes, the tiny imperfections, and the sense that human hands have made a work of art that really has a great effect on a space. Where do you look for unique pieces? I believe that good design speaks to its place in the world. We seek out artists local to the home in order to tell the story of where we are. Who are some of your favorite artists from the American West? I have to plug the Indigenous artists I represent in Stapleton Gallery, which I started a few years ago as a sister business to our design firm. Ben Pease is a young artist whose potential cannot be overstated. He will be one of the greats—much like another one of our artists, Kevin Red Star. Kevin might be the most important living Native artist of his generation. We also love the work of Judd Thompson, who is not afraid of color, and his work is kind of blowing up right now. Photography belongs in every home and doesn’t get the same attention as paintings in the West, so I try to incorporate black-andwhite photos into every space. Audrey Hall is the best working in Montana at the moment. COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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How about art-buying tips for homeowners? My best tip for acquiring art is to buy what you love—not what you think is a good investment. That said, I also really encourage people to reach out to galleries that represent their favorite artists to procure commissions. That way you are getting to know your favorite artist personally and getting the expertise of the gallery curators that can help you make smart art investments. kiblerandkirch.com

RUSH JENKINS AND KLAUS BAER, WRJ DESIGN (JACKSON, WYOMING)

Where do you look for unique pieces? Jenkins: Typically, we travel extensively around the world for inspiration and to source pieces for our clients. Meanwhile, the art scene in Jackson combined with the spectacular natural surroundings is a large part of why we moved our business here from New York in 2010. It has always been such a pleasure to take our clients to local galleries to experience the art firsthand and find what pieces speak to them. A visit to Jackson’s Turner Fine Art, for instance, resulted in the purchase of a special work by renowned local artist Kathryn Mapes Turner. The painting, Elk in the Mist, now presides over a French agedoak dining room table with a Belgian bluestone top in the clients’ Jackson-area home (pictured, top right). How about art-buying tips for homeowners? Jenkins: As Klaus said, first and foremost, what do you love? If you’re able to collect what you love, then you’re going to enjoy looking at the art every single day. And then it’s extraordinarily important that you look at art in the context of the environment where it’s being placed. There is a magic that happens when you put the right art within the right place. And if you don’t, the art’s not going to sing as much as it could. Understanding scale, understanding the size, understanding the palette, understanding the color, the content—all those things are really important. Baer: Changing a frame—for instance, from contemporary to traditional—can really change the way you experience the piece of art. So even though that’s a little detail, it’s a big detail. wrjdesign.com 72

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PHOTOGRAPHY: (PREVIOUS PAGE) COURTESY KIBLER & KIRCH (LANDSCAPE ART BY MICHAEL COLEMAN, TEPEE ART BY ROB AKEY, PHOTOGRAPHS BY AUDREY HALL), (THIS PAGE) WILLIAM ABRANOWICZ (FEATURED ART ABOVE COUCH: NAUTILUS BY DANIEL ADEL)

How important is original art in a project? Baer: Art is critical. And I think it’s important to remember that art does not necessarily have to mean expensive. It should mean what you love. It really should be about collecting the pieces of art that integrate with something that speaks to you, which is different for all of us. Jenkins: Bringing meaningful art into the home is such an important step in the design process, one that often determines much of the work we do in a space. Our clients often have certain pieces that are personally very meaningful, and so we work to ensure that the fabrics, palette, furniture, and textures are complementing the art and never fighting it.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ALL COURTESY, (LIVING ROOM PHOTO) KERRY KIRK. (LIVING ROOM FEATURED ART) PAUL MEYER, (OFFICE PHOTO) NATHAN SCHRODER, (OFFICE FEATURED ART) ERASE BY MARK PERLMAN

JULIE DODSON, DODSON INTERIORS (HOUSTON)

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TOTALLY

FLOORED BY PA RT N E R I NG W I T H I N DIGE NOUS A RT I S T S , GE ORGI A- BA S E D A M E R ICA N DA KO TA H A S C R E AT E D A C OLL A B OR AT I V E C OLLE C T ION OF WOWWORT H Y RUG DE S IGN S . 74

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S A COLLEGE STUDENT MAJORING IN FINE ARTS AND MINORING

in Native American studies, Mark Ford dreamed of one day working at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Like a lot of university-era intentions, however, that plan didn’t pan out, but Ford never lost his appreciation for Native art and culture. “My passion is trying to figure out a way to uplift and put some light on Native American artists,” he says. So in 2009, after years of working in the rug industry, the longtime textile designer merged his passion with his

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY AMERICAN DAKOTA

American Dakota owners Mark and Simone Ford at their Calhoun, Georgia, office

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Meet the Artists: Let your rug research take you further into these featured artists’ virtual spaces. • Randy L. Barton: randylbarton.com • Avis Charley: avischarleyart.com • Rande Cook: randecook.ca • Mike Dangeli: @mikedangeli on Instagram • Steven Paul Judd: stoodis.com

Pow Wow Mix Tape rug by Steven Paul Judd. The young boy pictured is Tailen Robles-Diaz, age 5.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: JODIE BAXENDALE/COURTESY AMERICAN DAKOTA

with the artist.” The artists also make 50 percent of the profit every time one of their rugs is sold. “I always smile when I write that check,” Ford adds, “because it just makes me happy that we can provide a little bit of income to somebody who put the work in originally.” All American Dakota rugs are made to order and come in six sizes; go to americandakota.com for a list of dealers. –– Rhonda Reinhart

Welcome to D’Amore Interiors, where you’ll find unique, one-of-akind home furnishings throughout our 18,500 sq. ft. showroom. Established in 1980, we have spent years perfecting our craft and are proud of the collection on display in our showroom. We have traveled the world to find some of the most unique home furnishings available and have brought them back to Denver. Our abundance of resources for furniture, accessories, art, lighting, area rugs, and fabrics make finding what you need a satisfying experience. D’Amore Interiors is also a full service interior design firm for larger projects where professional help is desired. This includes new construction, small remodels, and everything in-between. We are family owned and operated, open to the public, and can’t wait to meet you in our showroom.

D’Amore Interiors 475 S. Broadway Denver, CO 80209

303-422-8704 | Open Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, Closed Sunday & Monday | damoreinteriors.com

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Hands M A S T E R A R T I S A N S W O R K TO G E T H E R TO P E R P E T UAT E T H E C R A F T S M A N S H I P O F T H E W ES T.

By Melissa Hemken

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IMAGES: (ALL IMAGES) COURTESY OF ARTISTS

HE ARTISAN MEMBERS OF BY WESTERN HANDS DEMONSTRATE QUALITY WORKMANSHIP WITHIN

Maria D’Souza Beaded Skull Artist, Tennessee As a child, Maria D’Souza carried her love of animals with her as her family traveled the world for her father’s work. Her artwork expanded to utilizing animal skulls as canvases after her initial visit to the American West. D’Souza spent a childhood watching wildlife on South African safaris, but bison in Yellowstone National Park and Texas Longhorns mesmerized her. Her first beaded skull was a bison. Since then, from her studio in Nashville, she has worked with a variety of animals, from springbok antelope to bear, from caribou to lion. What Inspires “It’s the wonder of creation and the seemingly random perfection of nature. I imagine the life, the spirit of the animal through motion, color, and depth. With my beadwork, I bring the animal to life again. To create, I must become present with the spirit of the animal. Once I trust, the moment is so beautiful and soulful as I’m led through the design. The flow is in allowing myself to connect with the animal and artistic process. “When I begin to work with a skull, it’s a daily ritual to sit with an image of the animal. Once the skull arrives in my studio, the true connection begins when I touch it and feel its

contours. I never sketch the entire design. It comes step by step.” Artistic Process “Often I dream of design colors, which I capture in my little diary that I have on my nightstand. I call it my mini-bible, because it goes everywhere with me. A manufacturer creates two- and three-dimensional beads for me in various colors. I also explore metal, silver, copper, and leather in my designs. A gentleman mixes a proprietary glue solution that’s durable indoors and out, in various temperatures. All of the skulls are sourced ethically, both the American iconic animals and the exotics from overseas. I also work on commission pieces that are hunters’ trophies.” Furthering The Craft “I want to teach children the intuitive process of being present with whatever art form they choose. Be it skulls and beads or canvas and wood, kids can learn from letting go and trusting their innate artistic sense. I feel people often see artwork and then just re-create it in a similar pattern or style. Art is so unique to a person, but you have to look within yourself to see it.” beadedskullart.com, @beadedskullart

OPPOSITE PAGE: Maria D’Souza — large Wyoming bison with four uniquely cut Sonora Sunrise cabochons on antique copper with cut red leather, beading, black suede, and hand-hammered copper horn cuffs. ABOVE: Maria D’Souza— array of assorted hand-beaded embellished skulls.

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Upholstered Furniture Designer, Oregon When Anne Beard transitioned from clothing design to creating upholstered furniture, she told a friend, “It’s furniture wearing clothes.” Beard often collaborates with woodworkers to build the furniture frames that sport her American West scenes brought to life through wool gabardine appliqué, pleats, and leather fringe and tassels. For each functional art piece, Beard first envisions the art — the form — and then decides what type of furniture — the functional canvas — suits the art. What Inspires “I sit still and look around for inspiration. I live in the high desert of Eastern Oregon in a working ranch community — a lot of cowboys, cowgirls, ranches, and cattle. I’m inspired by anything of the West, whether it is the romanticized Western vignette or the natural landscape of trees, wildlife, and flowers.” Artistic Process “I collaborate frequently with other members, specifically woodworkers, and I love that process. Artisans tend to work in isolation. The BWH brings us together. The process is the broad spectrum of conceiving, sketching, selecting fabric colors and furniture style, and actually making a piece through cutting fabrics and sewing. I only create one-of-a-kind pieces, because I have so many more ideas for designs. I keep a folder stacked with sketches. The worst thing you can do creatively is to repeat your design. It would take all the fun out of it. “A design I’ve wanted to create for a while is my current project: a wastebasket with each of its four sides showcasing aspen trees in each season. Another member, John Gallis, built the frame for the Four Season Aspen wastebasket.” Furthering The Craft “My mom was a fearless seamstress. She would tackle any and every project. All the best clothes worn by my sister and me, as youngsters, were made by my mom. One summer, she enrolled me in a sewing class in town. I was not at all interested. I wanted to be back home on the ranch, out with the horses. When I left home, my mom wasn’t there to make every oneof-a-kind clothing piece that I could think of, or that she could think of. That’s when I decided I needed to learn to sew. “I’m sorry to say that fewer and fewer people learn to sew. It’s rarely taught in school. I host 4-H groups occasionally in my studio. Most people don’t care to learn. I have heard people say they didn’t buy a jacket because the sleeves were too long. I would have just taken out the hem and turned up the sleeves. Sewing is such a skill to take forward into your life.” Beard is represented through By Western Hands Design Center and her work is exhibited at By Western Hands Museum, both in Cody, Wyoming. annebeard.com THIS PAGE: Anne Beard — (top) Sylvan Sunset, appliquéd and embroidered portal mirror; (middle) appliqued and embroidered footrests accented with nailheads; (bottom) Will You Let Me Paint a Picture, appliquéd and embroidered hearth screen accented with pictorial nailheads.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY DALE DEGABRIELE

Anne Beard

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E S S A Y

The Art Of

Robert Osborn A F T E R PHO T O GR A PH I NG A ROU N D T H E WOR LD, H E T R A I N E D H I S LE N S ON T H E A M E R ICA N W E S T A N D H I S LI F E A N D A RT C H A NGE D FOR E V E R .

Images and text by Robert Osborn

ARAVAGGIO, BACH, ANSEL ADAMS,

Tolkien, Avedon, Rostropovich. I love art. I need art in my life. I am enormously grateful that art, in the form of photography, entered my life more than 70 years ago and never went away. Photography has taken me places I could otherwise only have dreamed: Stone Age passage tombs in Ireland’s Boyne Valley, Maya ruins in the Yucatan, Buddhist temples in the Far East, soaring medieval cathedrals in Europe. In the 1970s and 1980s I spent 15 extraordinary years photographing BMX and freestyle events around the world. In 1985 I rented Stonehenge for 24 hours. It ended up being so foggy I didn’t get a single good picture. Five-thousand-year-old religious magical megalithic art — massive, imperative, arcane, spooky, beautiful. But no pictures. In America, photography has taken me to the Southwest to shoot the mystery of Anasazi ruins, to the Sierra Nevada to capture the winter majesty of Yosemite Valley, to Death Valley to photograph the curvilinear starkness of sand dunes. And finally, 20 years ago, to Montana, where one day I decided I

should photograph a cowboy. It took me six months to meet one. That photo session changed my life. Where before I’d been primarily a scenic photographer, suddenly I discovered the most absorbing and complex art subject of all: people — specifically, the cowboys of Montana. Northern Plains Indians would come later. I began visiting cow ranches all over central Montana. Often, by the time I’d been at a ranch maybe 10 minutes, I’d be in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and a big slice of homemade pie in front of me. The more ranches I visited, the more I encountered Montana history. I saw old, dilapidated log cabins built by the original homesteaders. Hundred-year-old barns were fairly common. I think every ranch house I visited was built before World War II. The cowboys I met were third- and fourthgeneration descendants of homesteaders, working the same ranches their forebears created. They were hardworking, durable, unpretentious people who cherished their families, helped their neighbors, and loved the land and the critters. They had firm opinions, a dry sense of humor, and a rock-solid honesty. If they shook your hand on a deal, it was a done deal, as good as a legal document. Better, actually.

Barb Gunness, Wolf Ridge Lamb Co., Pray, Montana 2011.

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Andy Sanchez Furniture Maker, New Mexico Carpentry began for Andy Sanchez at his dad’s workbench. He honed his skills working on a two-year job building the finish carpentry on a house for which the owner demanded perfection. “It was like being paid to go to school,” he recalls. “It didn’t matter how long a cabinet took to build, or how many times we did it over again. It just had to be as perfect as we could make it.” Today, Sanchez and his son Daniel build furniture to perfection in their New Mexico studio. Their furniture is instantly recognizable, from the U.S. to Europe, for how its live edges and polish allow the wood to speak. What Inspires “I was building Spanish Colonial furniture, which is what my dad built, when a man brought me two incredible slabs of alligator juniper wood. The tree only grows in New Mexico and Arizona. At the time, I was fascinated by craftsman George Nakashima’s live-edge furniture. With a live-edge style, the natural edge of a piece of wood forms the furniture versus cutting everything square. I took that alligator juniper wood and made a dining room table. It was gorgeous. I’ve allowed wood to speak for itself ever since. “It’s just beautiful when you can just take the wood and accent its burls, checks, and cracks. I love studying wood and honoring it in furniture. My respect for wood and nature originates in my faith in the Creator.” Artistic Process “The alligator juniper is a protected tree. A couple harvests dead standing trees, with a logging permit, from national forest lands for me. My sons and I often help carry the larger trees out to the nearest road. The biggest tree that we ever harvested was about 8 feet across. I had to build a saw that would be able to slab a tree of that diameter. The wood is beautiful, and

removing dead trees helps mitigate wildfire risk. Additionally, I work with a company that removes dead or dying trees that are potentially hazardous to people and buildings. If I were making a movie, I would say, ‘No live trees were hurt in the making of my furniture.’ “For a table, we take two 25-inch-wide slabs that were next to each other when cut from the tree and book-match them together. We fill the natural knotholes and voids with semiprecious stones, such as opals, turquoise, marble, and ammonites. Sometimes we use a live edge in the center and lay stones all through the middle. “We oil finish, instead of using polyurethane or varnish. Because oil doesn’t fill in the scratches left by rough sandpaper, we sand down to a 400-to-600 fine grit. The wood must have the feel of a perfect polish before we oil. When wood absorbs oil, all of the burls and grain just pop out. I love it. It’s not work — it’s just plain fun. Wood that is a thousand years and older deserves to wear the jewelry of a good finish and precious stones.” Furthering The Craft “Seven years ago, an apprentice joined my family’s studio. Jason Romero is now an accomplished craftsman. I encourage my fellow artists to believe in themselves. [I advise them to] do what comes from within, more than following trends. We keep making what we love, and people love what we do. When a craftsman puts his heart and soul into something to the best of his ability and makes it with future generations in mind, a piece maintains style for decades.” Gallery representation by Andy Sanchez Furniture in Algodones, New Mexico; Cowboys and Indians in Santa Fe; and Patrick Mavros in London. andysanchez.com, Facebook @AndyandAarons, Instagram @SanchezFurniture

ABOVE: Andy Sanchez — (left) Elbara (“God created”), black-walnut wall-art sculpture with ammonites, turquoise, and marble inlay; (middle) Ancient Burl, coffee table in hand-selected and -finished 2,000-year-old redwood burl and antler legs; (right) ergonomic rocker of salvaged black walnut, ammonites on back and arms, caribou upholstery.

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Keith Seidel Saddlemaker, Wyoming Across from Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel in Cody, Wyoming, stands Seidel’s Saddlery. The building is half a block down from the boot shop where Keith Seidel began his leather career sweeping the floor. From there, he hired on with various saddlemakers from Wyoming to Arizona. It’s in Seidel’s nature to question everything, so when he learned techniques, he would immediately test them to see if they were correct or not. That approach has helped Seidel craft saddles known for durability, horse fit, a comfortable rider seat, and, of course, beauty. What Inspires “It has to be a saddle first. I don’t really care what it looks like if it doesn’t function properly. Some saddles are really pretty, but you can’t ride them across the street. After function, I decorate it. “Years ago, a guy came into my shop who had spent the winter in a line shack. He had a file thick with clippings and sketches. He wanted to put all these parts of different saddles together, along with some new ideas. I gave it a lot of thought and said, ‘It can’t be done.’ It took me four months of literally waking up in the middle of the night with ideas to sketch. Then, I figured out how to do it. It introduced a new way for me to build saddles. The design combined an in-skirt rigging with a Sam Stagg-style “over the swell” rigging with a Mother

Keith Seidel — tooled-leather hatbands.

Hubbard single skirt. This eventually evolved into a one-piece saddle where the entire top of the saddle is made from a single piece of leather molded to the tree without any splits or seams. “I’m a fairly flamboyant person. My personal saddle is a Wildcat swell fork that I developed to combine the features of Association, Packer, and Wade trees. The swell has a low profile with a wood post horn and prominent front lip. The saddle has large butterfly round skirts, is three-quarters tooled — smooth under my leg — with an alligator inlaid seat and 24-inch eaglebeak tapaderos. The silver is by Rob Schaezlien, which really pops against the rich chestnut two-tone color.”

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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seidelsaddlery.com; Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Scout Saddle Company: centerofthewest.org/experiences

A couple of years later, Don married his old high school sweetheart. The wedding was in the middle of a brutal winter. Temperatures were way below zero, and there were winter storm warnings all over the state: snow-packed roads, drifting snow, near whiteouts. It took me 10 hours, mostly in four-wheel drive, to get to the reservation. When I walked into the cultural center in Wolf Point, Don gave me a hug and handed me a ceremonial blue shirt with ribbons on it like the one he was wearing. I asked him what it was for. He said, “Didn’t I tell you? You’re in the ceremony. You’re my best man.” The following summer I was adopted into the Assiniboine tribe. Don stood beside me as a brother during the ceremony. The drumming and singing of the medicine man went to my heart, ancient and powerful and consuming. There were 50 or 60 Native people there. After the ceremony there was a feast. Never in my life have I felt more honored. Each time I photograph a traditional Indian I see the long-ago history of this land. I see a warrior. I see dignity and pride. I see sorrow for what their people have lost. I see distrust of the white man — and, prior to being adopted into the Assiniboine tribe, distrust of this white photographer. I want every bit of that to be in the portrait I make. But that is content. The style of my portraits is consciously baroque, strong, essential — dark, brooding tonalities with an almost spiritual light on the subject’s eyes and face. Think of a Caravaggio or Rembrandt. Listen to Rostropovich play Bach. Terry Bear Robe Martinez, Hunkpapa Sioux, Poplar, Montana 2018.

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Kevin and Derina Pyles train and sell performance-level luxury trail horses with one overarching goal: to preserve family horsemanship by providing an amazing riding experience. By Lindsay Whelchel 88

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orse lovers will certainly agree with the sentiment of the famous Winston Churchill quote that declares “No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.” And they’ll affirm that the sentiment is best borne out when that saddle is on the back of a really good horse. Kevin and Derina Pyles know all about the difference between time spent on a really good horse, versus a less-than-ideal mount. As owners of Rawhide Ranch Luxury Trail Horses, they built their business with the goal of ensuring a successful human and equine partnership that strengthens the horse-human connection and furthers the horseback lifestyle for future generations. “My wife and I both have always had a passion for nature and horses,” says Kevin Pyles. “We kind of saw the writing on the

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY RAWHIDE RANCH LUXURY TRAIL HORSES

RAWHIDE RANCH LUXURY TRAIL HORSES

OPPOSITE PAGE: Derina Pyles sends Traveler over a staircase obstacle to build the gelding’s confidence. ABOVE: (top left) Kevin and Derina Pyles enjoy trail riding on their ranch in the North Carolina mountain foothills; (bottom left) all the horses in the program can be ridden with the lightest of cues from the rider; (right) practicing groundwork exercises with the horses helps build respect and trust that transfer to a willing partnership.

wall. Every year it seemed like horsemanship was going down because people would buy a trail horse, have a bad experience, and then they wouldn’t ride. So their children wouldn’t start riding. It was like a trickle-down effect. We really had a passion to play our part to change that.” Kevin and Derina looked at the horse industry they had grown up in. “We realized that people can buy performance horses in reining. People can buy barrel [racing] horses, but you have generally an advanced rider using a horse for a smaller period of time in a controlled environment, and those were the horses that were getting all of the focus. Then in the trail-horse world everybody seemed to be trading their problems,” he says. “You took what most likely is a less-experienced rider and put

them on a horse that they got for a bargain and put them in an uncontrolled environment with all types of variables and hazards, and it just didn’t make sense to us. It seemed to us that that horse should be a better horse than the performance reiner, because it’s got so much more to deal with. So we started our focus on that.” The business, based in North Carolina, began about 10 years ago when the Pyles family decided to transform their property, dubbed Rawhide Ranch, into the ultimate trail-horse boot camp in order to foster the experience an above-average horse would need to have to take care of its rider out on the trails. Kevin and Derina went to work installing a 3.5-acre obstacle course with water features and anything else they could COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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C O V E R

S T O R Y

KOVE Martin

W E S T E R N MOV I E S A N D T R A I L - R I DE M E MOR I E S A R E FOR E V E R ON T H E H E A RT A N D M I N D OF T H E V E T E R A N C OBR A K A I S TA R .

By Joe Leydon

IMAGES: COURTESY MARTIN KOVE, PHOTOGRAPHY BY CURTIS BONDS BAKER (PAGE 100) AND RAY KACHATORIAN (ALL OTHER PORTRAITS)

N HIS OTHER LIFE, MARTIN KOVE IS A

cowboy. Sure, the Brooklyn-born actor may be best known for his signature role as John Kreese, the ferociously demanding sensei introduced in The Karate Kid (1984) and its two sequels, and currently on view in the smash-hit Netflix series Cobra Kai. And nostalgic TV viewers might recall his multi-season run as Det. Victor Isbecki on Cagney & Lacey. Take a close look at his other credits, however, and you’ll find a number of TV and movie westerns, ranging from a guest spot on the original Gunsmoke to a costarring part in Wyatt Earp (1994) — which called for his bad-guy character to punch Kevin Costner’s titular hero — to, most recently, his cameo in the faux TV series Bounty Law that introduces Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Off-screen, Kove has eagerly participated almost every year since 1983 in an annual trek to Wyoming’s Hole-in-the-Wall — yep, the very place where Butch and Sundance used to lie low — so he and his friends can cowboy up. “We rent horses,” he said during a break from filming Cobra Kai, “and we ride for like eight hours a day, maybe 10 miles a day. We’re there five days in a base

camp. And we dress in cowboy vintage clothing — no tennis shoes and baseball caps. And we have a great time.” Fairly early on in my conversation with Kove, I couldn’t help being impressed with his diehard-fan, borderline-encyclopedic knowledge of western films and TV series — really, don’t try to one-up him in any trivia contest — and the sheer exuberance in his voice as he described what he’s looking forward to bringing to the new home he recently purchased in Tennessee. “I’ve got 11 acres with a lake, and a broken-down barn, and an immaculate Tuscany Villa inside. And you know what’s going up on the walls? My house is a museum. I’ve got all these giant European movie posters for westerns, all hand-painted in French or Italian. Like, they called The Wild Bunch ‘La Horde Sauvage’ in France. That’s what you’ll see there. “And you know,” he continued, “I’m going to get a couple of horses by the end of the year. The only thing in disarray is this barn, so I’m going to restore it. It’s got three stalls in it, and it’s going to be great. And I’m gonna get a period canoe to go in that lake, you know. I’ll get a canoe like right out of Last of the Mohicans.” So just imagine a couple of western fans sitting in that canoe on that lake at twilight, talking about cowboys — and, of course, Cobra Kai. COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

Mercy is for the weak, here and on the streets. Defeat does not exist in this dojo. Fear does not exist in this dojo. Cowboys & Indians: So tell me, Martin — what is it like to punch Kevin Costner? Martin Kove: [Laughs.] Yeah, the first scene I’m with him, and I have to punch him out. And when I do that — you know as a kid, sometimes you make a sound effect when you’re pretending to box? You go — kuh! kuh! kuh! — or something like that? Well, I habitually do it, every time I punch him. So, we did it four times. The sound guy keeps saying, “Hey, what is that sound? What is that sound? Every time Marty hits Kevin there’s that sound.” Now, you can’t see me do it, because I’m crossing my mouth with my right hand punching. But then I realize it’s me. Why, we’re four takes into the damn movie. And I think, “How unprofessional of me.” So I owned up to it. And everybody cracked up. They were hysterical — Kevin, [director Lawrence] Kasdan, the sound guy — because they knew that, as kids, they did the same thing. I got it clean on the fifth take, without making that sound. But I never lived that down for the entire time I was there — making my own sound effects in a $90 million movie. C&I: What you’ve done with rebooting the Karate Kid movies as Cobra Kai — picking up the characters you, Ralph Macchio, and William Zabka played more than 30 years ago and placing them in the present day — probably is not unprecedented. But you could probably count the successful instances of this on the fingers of one hand. Did you have any qualms about attempting it? Martin: Well, Ralph, Billy, and I had been going to autograph shows and seeing each other for years, and we knew the movies were still popular. And I personally think that the reason why it has been successful is because of the writers. Not only the writers of Cobra Kai on television — first on YouTube, and then on Netflix — but Robert Mark Kamen, who wrote the original movies. Of course, he doesn’t think that. He thinks that the charisma and the chemistry between Pat Morita and Ralph is what made it so exciting. But I still say the writing made it exciting. Look, we’re all still saying, “Sweep the leg,” “No mercy,” “Wax on, wax off.” We’re still saying it 35 years later. And if you think about the movies where certain lines are still quoted years and years later, things like, “Play it again, Sam,”

or, “May the force be with you,” or, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” — the writing is what made those movies classics. You know? And I think that if this writing in Cobra Kai wasn’t as good as it is, this whole deal wouldn’t work. C&I: What’s your fondest memory of the late John Avildsen, the director of the original Karate Kid movies? Martin: My fondest memory of John Avildsen is what he told me once: “I didn’t hire you because you need direction. I hired you because you’re good enough and you can do your job by yourself, and whatever I need from you, you can do. That’s the reason I hired you — because you’re a good enough actor to do what I need done without me coaching you.” And, you know, it makes you feel good having a guy who directed Rocky and Joe — two terrific emotional movies — tell you that. C&I: So it was a dream working with him right from the start? Martin: [Laughs.] When I first met him, it was horrible. Really. I was given the script on a Monday. And the casting woman said, “You’ll have till Friday with this.” But then all of a sudden, the very next morning, I get a call: “You’ve got to meet [Avildsen] at noon on the set. They want to cast this role now.” I said, “But you gave me the whole week.” See, it was the scene where I’m marching up and down the hallway, saying things like, “Mercy is for the weak, here and on the streets.” “Defeat does not exist in this dojo.” “Fear does not exist in this dojo.” All those lines — and very angry lines. And, God, you know, I said to my wife, “Look at this, I got to go in an hour. I haven’t worked on this.” And she said, “Take all the venom you feel for John Avildsen and the casting woman and use it in the reading. Just let them know how you feel and then go right into the reading.” So I went to reading with that dialogue. And I told John, “You’re a real asshole, John Avildsen. So are you, [casting director] Caro Jones. We wait for years to meet directors of your caliber. We fire our agents. We fire our managers just to meet directors like you. And now you give me no time with the script. You’re a goddamn asshole, John Avildsen. And so are you, Caro Jones.” And then I went right into “Mercy is for the weak, here and (continued on page 100)

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artin Kove is a man who rarely, if ever, backs down from a challenge. So when we asked him to name his five favorite classic westerns of all time, he was ready, willing … and surprisingly contemplative. He wanted to choose carefully, so he asked for a little time while he went reeling through the decades. “In the 1940s, I think Red River was probably my favorite. Howard Hawks would always be my favorite. I love the story of Montgomery Clift never having done a western before that. The thing is, Howard Hawks saw him in a Broadway play in 1945, and boom! Right away, he asked him, ‘Do you want to come make a movie?’ Six months later, Clift learned how to use a gun, ride a horse. It was the only western he ever made — and he was brilliant. Montgomery Clift was just brilliant, and he played Matt so well. But that whole movie worked because Dimitri Tiomkin did that music. You know that scene where John Wayne says, ‘Take them to Missouri, Matt,’ where they’re crossing the river with cattle, and there’s that brilliant music in the background? I play that music all the time in my car. “I think in the ’50s, there were a lot of good westerns. Like you had Shane, which was a great western. But what really turns me on in the ’50s is Gunfight at the O.K. Corral with Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster — two giants doing an old story that has been told God knows how many times. I mean, My Darling Clementine was basically a debauchery when it comes to the truth about the gunfight at O.K. Corral. I’ve been to Tombstone, Arizona. I know lots of facts. I’ve sat with the historians in Tombstone, and we’ve compared my movie Wyatt Earp with the movie Tombstone. And they cite My Darling Clementine as the most inaccurate re-creation of that event in history. But with Gunfight at O.K. Corral, you had those two giant actors. I thought Burt Lancaster did a great job as Wyatt, because we’ve seen so many Wyatts over the years. And I think Kirk Douglas was terrific in that hotel room scene where he’s coughing himself to death, and he wants to kill Jo Van Fleet, you know? I mean, this was the heyday of their careers in 1957 when that movie came out. And they even had Edith Head doing the costumes. I can stream that movie over and over and over again. “The ’60s are interesting, because you’ve got two major players. You got a love story, an affair between two men who loved each other, and I say that in a very masculine way, in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. And you have to couple that with The Wild Bunch. Two totally different kinds of movies. And there was The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, one of my favorites. But if you start with 1960 — The Magnificent Seven. I mean, what’s better than an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa? And there was that terrific cast. The only real star at the time was obviously Yul Brynner. But you can see everybody, especially McQueen and a couple of these other guys, all trying to upstage Yul Brynner. That’s a classic. And you know, what I think constitutes a classic, especially a western classic, is if you can view it, and watch it three times or more with the whole family — and everybody enjoys it. That to me constitutes a classic western. “In the ’70s? You know, to me, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid was a ballet. It was too slow, but it was a ballet, you know. I enjoyed that. And I enjoyed the musical choices of Bob Dylan. And I loved McCabe & Mrs. Miller. I would say the two of them are my two favorites in the ’70s. “But if I had to limit it to just five classic westerns overall, my five favorites would be The Wild Bunch, Red River, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and then Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and probably, The Magnificent Seven. But it’s hard to choose, because there’ve been so many great ones.”

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(continued from page 96)

on the streets, when someone confronts you.” And they loved it. I never even got to finish it. They sent me to [producer] Jerry Weintraub. And I did the same thing to Jerry, because he was four days late. I was on pins and needles the whole time. I berated him just like that. And then I met the head of the studio. But I didn’t have the courage to do it to him.

We take the pictures, and they say, “I love you in Cobra Kai.” OK, two hours later, I’m in Ybor City, at a cigar lounge buying some cigars, and a 67-year-old guy comes up to me with his wife. And he says, “We love you in the show, Mr. Kove.” And I was blown away. I said, “Well, where are you from?” He says, “Brooklyn.” And I said, “Hey, I’m from Brooklyn, too.”

C&I: Probably a smart move. Martin: So I just did it in the bathroom, got real angry in the bathroom. And then bam! I came right out with that kind of headstrong feeling. And I did it with Pat Morita on the set and that was the clincher. But you know, I figure it just was meant to be. It just was meant to be.

C&I: Finally, to ask the obvious question — will we ever see you in another western? Martin: I’m dying to find a western script that’s about an old gunfighter and a young kid — a 30-year-old kid, like my son, Jesse. I’m playing with this concept of whether it’s two brothers — older brother, younger brother — or a father and a son. But I’m trying to find the twist where a guy takes his guns off. For 20 years, he hasn’t picked up the guns, sort of like Gregory Peck in The Gunfighter. And then he has to pick up his guns at the end and defend some impossible purpose, some impossible cause — and he gets killed, of course. And whether he’s a bad guy who’s done terrible things in the past, like William Munny in Unforgiven, or whether he was framed, or whatever it is, he had to put his guns away because his family lost a lot of respect for him. And so I’m trying to find the twist: Why he had to put his guns down, and why he has to pick his guns up. I mean, you have to get a guy like Tarantino, who writes so well, to make it work. Because nowadays, you’ve got to have really good writing in a western. It was such an overexposed genre from 1920 to 1967, when like one of every three movies that came out in Hollywood was a western. So you really have to dig down deep. The good guy, bad guy thing doesn’t really work. It’s gotta be like Cobra Kai, where everybody is gray. You know, in the original Karate Kid movies, it was black hats and white hats. Miyagi and Ralph were the white hats, Billy and I were the black hats. But you’ve got to be more sophisticated in your writing now.

C&I: There have been rumors that Quentin Tarantino actually wants to film five half-hour, black-and-white episodes of the fake TV western where you appear in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Martin: Bounty Law? He’s writing it now. And so I sent him a letter, it must be months ago, that I’d love to participate in Bounty Law. And I know he’s watched Cobra Kai. And that was before the airing of Season 3 on Netflix. I mean, after I got the offer to do Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, I was at the pre-production party. And I walked up to Quentin and I asked, “Quentin, did you hire me for this role because I’ve been bugging you for three or four years to be in a western with you? Or did you give me this part because I’m hot from Cobra Kai?” And after a long pause, a big smile comes on his face, and he said, “A little bit of both.” C&I: You know, I’ll bet there are people who got their first exposure to John Kreese and Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence in Cobra Kai, and have now gone back to look at the movies to see how it all started. Martin: You’re a hundred percent correct. The kids that never saw the movies because they were too young, they now go back and watch the movies diligently. Like people that saw the movies that don’t really watch much TV — they go and watch Cobra Kai and they binge it. I was in Tampa a while ago, and I had 5-year-olds come up to me in a restaurant with their parents. They wanted pictures with me, with their cellphones. 100

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C&I crew adheres to a time-tested adage: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. In the case of our “100 Best Westerns Ever Made” list, however, we figured it was way past time for an update. For one thing, the original list ﬁrst appeared almost 20 years ago — in January 2002, to be precise — and since then, more than a few list-worthy ﬁlms have been released. Also: We have decided — reluctantly, we admit — to heed many requests that we restrict this list to theatrical features, and provide another rundown for

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television series, made-for-TV movies, and miniseries (including Lonesome Dove) in a future issue. Finally: During the pandemic lockdown, we have had time to rewatch and reevaluate scads of classic westerns. As a result, more than a few titles have moved higher on the list — and others are appearing for the first time. What follows is a roundup based on surveys of C&I staffers and readers, film critics, and actors and filmmakers who have a special affinity for the western genre. And don’t worry: We won’t wait another two decades for an update.

By Joe Leydon

1 Stagecoach

he disreputable doctor who cracks wise and drinks heavily, but sobers up when the chips are down. The goldenhaired shady lady who brightens incandescently when a naive cowpoke calls her “a lady.” The shifty-eyed gambler with a gun at his side and, presumably, an ace up his sleeve. And, of course: The square-jawed, slow-talking gunfighter who’s willing to hang up his shootin’ irons — who’s even agreeable to mending his ways and settling down on a small farm with a good woman — but not before he settles some unfinished business with the varmints who terminated his loved ones. Why? Because, as the gunfighter tersely notes, “There are some things a man can’t run away from.” These and other familiar figures had already established themselves as archetypes by 1939, that magical movie year in which Stagecoach premiered. Even so, director John Ford’s mustsee masterwork arguably is the first significant western of the talking-pictures era, the paradigm that cast the mold, set the rules, and firmly established the dramatis personae for all later movies of its kind. Indeed, it single-handedly revived the genre after a long period of box-office doldrums, elevating the western to a new level of critical and popular acceptance. And, not incidentally, it made John Wayne a full-fledged movie star.

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Shane 1 9 5 3

If you define a classic film as one that most people automatically assume they’ve seen, even if they haven’t, because so many other movies have reprised its basic plot, then director George Stevens’ Shane certainly qualifies for that label. Alan Ladd stars to perfection as Shane, a mysterious gunfighter who providentially appears in a Wyoming community just when the clash between homesteaders and cattle ranchers is turning uglier and bloodier. Truth to tell, Shane would like to put away his guns, and put down some roots with a farming family. But a seriously mean galoot named Jack Wilson (Jack Palance in a career-defining performance) forces him to do, however reluctantly, what he’s got to do.

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John Wayne gives one of his finest and most complex performances in John Ford’s enduringly popular and influential western as Ethan Edwards, a former Confederate soldier who’s obsessively driven to recover his beloved niece after her family is killed and she is abducted by marauding Comanches. For years, he continues his search, accompanied by Marty (Jeffrey Hunter), a “half-breed” orphan raised to adulthood by Ethan’s brother. And as they continue, however, Marty comes to question Ethan’s fanaticism, and the movie itself offers a darkly powerful counterpoint to the reassuring clichés of standard-issue horse operas. Even after six decades, Ford’s film seems fresh and vital as it undermines audience assumptions about what to expect from westerns in general and “a John Wayne movie” in particular.

With all due respect to admirers of Tombstone and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral — both worthy films that appear later on this list — John Ford’s unforgettable drama remains in a class by itself as a cinematic account of the legendary shootout involving Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda), Doc Holliday (Victor Mature), and the Clanton clan (led by a startlingly vicious Walter Brennan). As critic Roger Ebert noted, “My Darling Clementine must be one of the sweetest and most good-hearted of all westerns. The giveaway is the title, which is not about Wyatt or Doc or the gunfight, but about Clementine [played by Cathy Downs], certainly the most important thing to happen to Marshal Earp during the story.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: PICTURELUX/THE HOLLYWOOD ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

The Searchers

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My Darling Clementine 1 9 4 6

The Magnificent Seven 1 9 6 0

Another sign of a classic: Whenever it pops up during a channel surf, you can’t turn it off. In this case whether it’s near the beginning, when Yul Brynner recruits his titular team of mercenaries, or when the Seven ride into the Mexican village they’re hired to protect, to the pulsequickening “Bomp-BUMP-Bump-Bomp” of Elmer Bernstein’s score, or at the film’s climax during the crackerjack shootout with the vicious raiders led by the demonic Calvera (Eli Wallach), you simply must keep watching. Whereas the previous four films on this list are justly lauded as cinematic art, The Magnificent Seven has no pretentions other than to being the ultimate cowboy popcorn movie.

High Noon 1 9 5 2

PHOTOGRAPHY: AF ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

No classic western divides movie fans more than High Noon. Carl Foreman, a blacklisted screenwriter, based the film on personal experience, hence the cold shoulder Marshal Will Kane receives when he asks his community for help. John Wayne and Howard Hawks were outraged that Kane would try to recruit amateurs into his fight and made Rio Bravo to remind moviegoers how the West was won. But the public loved High Noon, with its vulnerable hero (Gary Cooper, who won the Best Actor Oscar), lovely newcomer Grace Kelly, and haunting theme song. The film was taut and suspenseful, its story told on the faces of its characters and with the relentless ticking clock.

Ride Lonesome

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Randolph Scott and director Budd Boetticher collaborated on seven memorable westerns between 1956 and 1960, but Ride Lonesome is considered by most aficionados to be the very best of the bunch. Scripted by Burt Kennedy, the film finds Scott perfectly cast as Ben Brigade, a bounty hunter who’s determined to transport a captured outlaw (James Best) across Indian territory. Two semi-reformed bandits (a pre-Bonanza Pernell Roberts and a callow James Coburn) want to wrest control of Brigade’s captive in order to claim an amnesty offered for their own past crimes. But Brigade isn’t interested in amnesty, or even a reward. Rather, he wants to lure the outlaw’s older brother (Lee Van Cleef) into a forced feeding of just desserts.

Dances With Wolves 1 9 9 0

We knew, we always knew, even while cheering for the cavalry in countless films, that history is written by the winners of the world’s conflicts, and America’s Native population got a raw deal. With Dances With Wolves, we saw the other side of the tale, and how fitting that it was through the eyes of an American soldier. Dances With Wolves became a personal crusade for Kevin Costner, who coproduced, directed, starred, and raised financing overseas after a string of Hollywood studios passed. His passion was rewarded with seven Academy Awards and an awakening of our national conscience.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1 9 6 9

“Not that it matters, but the following story is true.” William Goldman’s “history with a twist” formula mixes fact and legend to create a high-spirited adventure. Butch and Sundance may not have been as glib or good-looking as Paul Newman and Robert Redford, but Goldman’s script stayed close to the facts as they’re known, and if Butch and Sundance didn’t really jump off that cliff to escape a posse, they should have. Redford and Newman’s potent chemistry inspired legions of attempts at imitation. The duo single-handedly gave birth to the “Buddy Film,” and the enduring inﬂuence of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid can be found in movies as diverse as 48 Hours and Shanghai Noon. COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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the wild bunch

The best opening credits sequence ever ends with William Holden growling, “If they move ... kill ’em!” followed by the sepia-toned freeze-frame “Directed by Sam Peckinpah.” Kinda says it all. The director’s original 144-minute cut was trimmed almost immediately after the ﬁlm’s release, but it’s been restored for the video and DVD release. The new scenes deepen the connection between Pike (Holden) and former Bunch member Thornton (Robert Ryan), now a bounty hunter on Holden’s trail, and after 30 years we ﬁnally discover how Pike got that limp.

The Outlaw Rio Bravo 1 9 5 9 Josey Wales 1 9 7 6 It was the movie Clint Eastwood had to make, before the impassive persona he created through the Sergio Leone ﬁlms and his other signature character, Dirty Harry, became a typecasting trap. In his 1976 book The Filming of the West, movie historian Jon Tuska predicted that Eastwood’s career likely didn’t have staying power. That same year, The Outlaw Josey Wales introduced a new type of Eastwood character, still quiet, still deadly, but also compassionate and emotionally vulnerable. The title describes how society will judge Josey Wales — an outlaw only by circumstance — but when his quest is complete, he returns to being the farmer Josey Wales in a scene that offers hope for the future.

12 PHOTOGRAPHY: ALLSTAR PICTURE LIBRARY LTD./ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Destry Rides Again 1 9 3 9

19 50 The Gunfighter

“The fastest man with a gun who ever lived ... was a long, lean Texan named Ringo.” We’ve seen gunﬁghters as heroes and villains, lawmen and mercenaries. But Jimmie Ringo (Gregory Peck) is the gunﬁghter as celebrity; trapped by fame, a subject of gossip, scorn, and adulation, Ringo can’t order a drink in a bar without drawing attention. “He don’t look so tough to me,” sneers any number of envious punks. Famous last words.

Has there ever been a more unlikely romantic pairing than Jimmy Stewart’s laid-back, milk-drinking lawman Tom Destry and Marlene Dietrich as the bawdy singer with a German accent and the inexplicable name of Frenchy? Destry Rides Again packs memorable songs (Dietrich’s “See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have”) and memorable scenes (a ferocious catﬁght between Dietrich and Una Merkel) into 94 ﬂawless minutes. The movie would have been longer if certain lines had made it past the censors, such as when Dietrich wins a poker hand and drops the coins down her blouse, prompting a cowboy to quip, “There’s gold in them thar hills.”

Knowing Rio Bravo’s connection to High Noon affords insight into an interesting slice of Hollywood history, but it’s hardly a prerequisite to enjoy its rousing mix of action, comedy, romance, and music. Dean Martin and Angie Dickinson join old hands John Wayne and Walter Brennan, and if the casting of Ricky Nelson was a blatant attempt by Howard Hawks to boost the box office with teenage girls, at least the kid contributed a fine duet with Martin on the ballad “My Rifle, My Pony and Me.” And look on the bright side; it could have been Fabian.

Red River 1 9 4 8

Red River appeals to those moviegoers who don’t like westerns, but inevitably discover that, yes, John Wayne can act and, yes, movies about cowboys and cattle drives can be about more than cowboys and cattle drives. Allusions to Mutiny on the Bounty infuse the father-son conflict between Wayne and Montgomery Clift, and their climactic fistfight symbolizes their genuine “old Hollywood vs. young Hollywood” rivalry. The happy ending divided audiences, but the director, Howard Hawks, liked both characters too much to let either perish, and it’s hard to fault his decision.

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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Recent scholarship has favored Once Upon a Time in the West as Sergio Leone’s crowning work, but for those who can’t separate the Leone oeuvre from its most famous character, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is the ultimate spaghetti western. It has all the signature elements: dusty, desolate vistas; amoral characters such as Tuco (Eli Wallach) who are motivated only by proﬁt; a showdown in a circular arena, suggesting gladiators in a colosseum; an incomparable score whose whistling theme, by Ennio Morricone, is instantly recognizable; and Clint Eastwood as the serape-clad, cheroot-chomping Man with No Name.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Rance Stoddard (James Stewart) plays a pitifully meek attorney incapable of killing sadistic outlaw Liberty Valance. But that’s what history has recorded because “when the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” Lee Marvin gives us a wonderful villain for the ages, and John Wayne impersonators picked up a staple for their act in the Duke’s demeaning references to Stewart’s character as “Pilgrim.”

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Once Upon a Time in the West 1 9 6 9

Henry Fonda never struck us as the badass type, but in Sergio Leone’s operatic follow-up to his Dollars trilogy, Fonda plays one of the most abhorrent hired guns ever. It’s disturbing, like watching Mister Rogers give a kid a wedgie. Forty minutes of cuts killed the original American release, but the ﬁlm was ﬁnally restored to its full grandeur in 1984.

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

107

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

“So here they are, the dog-faced soldiers, the regulars, the 50-cents-aday professionals, riding the outposts of the nation.” The middle entry in John Ford’s Cavalry trilogy had his stock company at their most sentimental and featured Oscar-winning photography of Monument Valley in Technicolor. The Duke, whose inherent air of authority worked to his favor when he played older characters, found one of his most indelible roles as retiring ofﬁcer Nathan Brittles.

20 The Hired Hand 1 9 7 1 Two years after the smash success of Easy Rider, Peter Fonda used his newly developed muscle to direct and star in this unconventional western, by turns lyrical and brutal, about two saddle tramps (Fonda and the great Warren Oates) whose friendship is tested when one attempts a reconciliation with the wife (Verna Bloom) he abandoned years earlier.

21 Unforgiven 1 9 9 2

In order to bring life to this project, Clint Eastwood traded on his status as the genre’s last bankable star to get a western made in a youth-driven market, then crafted a darkly poetic character study that found more to condemn than to celebrate in our western myth.

22 Open Range 2 0 0 3

As grizzled cattle-drivers who ride into danger while resting their herd near a small frontier town, Kevin Costner (who also directed) and Robert Duvall are a match made in western movie lovers’ heaven. 108

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23 Tombstone 24 True Grit 25 The Virginian 26 Winchester ’73 27 Blazing Saddles 28 Fort Apache 29 Angel and the Badman 30 The Shootist 1 9 7 6

Though it’s impossible to disconnect fact from ﬁction when E.W. Hostetler (Jimmy Stewart) tells John Bernard Books (John Wayne), “You’ve got cancer” (Wayne succumbed to the disease in 1979), no movie star essayed a better ﬁnal bow.

1993

Tombstone’s unpretentious, balls-out gusto reminded us that a great western didn’t have to unfold on the grand scale of Lonesome Dove or Dances With Wolves.

1969

The Duke ﬁnally walked off with an Oscar as the irascible Marshal Rooster Cogburn. John Wayne called Rooster’s recollections of his life to costar Kim Darby “the best scene I ever did.”

1929

It had been ﬁlmed twice before Gary Cooper played the title role in the ﬁrst “talking” feature-length western. It’s Cooper’s Virginian we remember, for his star-making turn and the mustache-twirling of the villainous Walter Huston.

1950

Winchester ’73, the story of “the gun that won the West,” follows Jimmy Stewart as he traces the provenance of his stolen riﬂe through a series of unsavory owners, all of whom are brought down by frontier karma.

1974

Mel Brooks’ rude, crude masterpiece contained enough laugh-outloud moments for 10 movies, from the infamous campﬁre scene to Madeline Kahn’s show-stopping send-up of Marlene Dietrich.

1948

John Ford’s Fort Apache inaugurated the landmark Cavalry trilogy with a sobering reminder that sometimes the good guys don’t win.

1947

Quirt Evans (John Wayne), on the vengeance trail, must choose between killing the man who murdered his father and settling down with a sweet farm girl played by Gail Russell, the hottest Quaker babe in movies.

PHOTOGRAPHY: PARAMOUNT PICTURES/RONALD GRANT ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

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Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid 1 9 7 3 Sam Peckinpah’s cult-fave revisionist western showcases potent performances by James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson in the title roles, an exceptionally strong supporting cast (Slim Pickens, R.G. Armstrong, etc.), and co-star Bob Dylan’s affecting song “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.”

One-Eyed Jacks 1 9 6 1

This ﬁlm never stood a chance back in 1961, when its star and director, Marlon Brando, spent three years fussing over every camera angle and line reading. Today, the back story forgotten, we treasure this deceit-ﬁlled saga of two old partners in crime, one revenge-obsessed but still capable of redemption, the other hiding a savage nature behind a sheriff ’s badge.

33 34

The Great Train Robbery 1903 This reenactment of a heist by the ever-popular Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch only a few years earlier signiﬁes the true beginning of the western.

The Naked Spur 1 9 5 3

Jimmy Stewart plays a bounty hunter who, when told his captive is innocent, replies, “It’s him they’re payin’ the reward on.” Another intense psychological drama from Stewart and Anthony Mann.

35 Blood on the Moon

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36 Geronimo: An American Legend

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Moody and very dark, more ﬁlm noir than horse opera, with Robert Mitchum as a long-haired drifter caught between warring ranchers and homesteaders. Mitchum, a shifty character in any setting, plays moral relativism so well that even when he does the right thing, you still don’t trust him.

Best of the many ﬁlm biographies of the famed Apache leader, with a star-making performance from Wes Studi as Geronimo.

37 The Big Trail 1 9 3 0

The Big Trail still deserves to be seen, not just for Duke’s early-career work but for its remarkable wide-screen panoramas and near cinéma vérité action scenes, including a river crossing in a ﬁerce storm that almost drowned the cast.

38 A Fistful of Dollars 1 9 6 4

Henry Fonda, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson passed on the chance to play a nameless drifter in a Western reworking of the Japanese ﬁlm Yojimbo. Director Sergio Leone settled for TV actor Clint Eastwood, who cashed a $15,000 paycheck for the movie that made him an international star. COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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The Professionals

A personal favorite of C&I reader favorite Anson Mount, writer-director Richard Brooks’ hardy action-adventure has Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, and Woody Strode well cast as uniquely talented mercenaries hired to retrieve the kidnapped wife (Claudia Cardinale) of a wealthy rancher (Ralph Bellamy).

40 Appaloosa 2 0 0 8

We’re still hoping for a sequel to this uncommonly satisfying old-fashioned western, directed by and starring Ed Harris, about Virgil Cole (Harris) and Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen), veteran peacekeepers hired to establish law and order in a Wild West town controlled by renegade rancher Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons).

41 Wind River 2 0 1 7

43 Duel in the Sun 1 9 4 6

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral 1 9 5 7

47 El Dorado 1 9 6 7

Writer-director Taylor Sheridan’s excellent contemporary western is at its very best during scenes shared by Jeremy Renner as a game tracker pressed into service to help solve a murder near a Native American reservation, and Gil Birmingham as the anguished father of the victim.

City Slickers 1 9 9 1

A trio of Big Apple buddies (Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, and Bruno Kirby) join Jack Palance’s cattle drive, and discover the one secret of life. Palance won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and a calf named Norman became the most beloved bovine since Ferdinand. 110

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Gone With the Wind, westernstyle. Gregory Peck and Jennifer Jones steam up the Arizona desert in jawdropping Technicolor.

Will Penny 1 9 6 8

A noble cowboy at twilight, beautifully photographed by Lucien Ballard and played by Charlton Heston in one of his most understated performances.

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3:10 to Yuma

A companion piece to High Noon, with a more charismatic villain. Someone has to watch captured outlaw Glenn Ford until the 3:10 train, but nobody wants the job except a desperate farmer (Van Heﬂin), who needs the $200 reward to feed his family.

Burt Lancaster plays Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas plays Doc Holliday, and that’s pretty much all you need to know.

El Dorado seemed an exercise in going through the motions — the second in a trilogy of Howard Hawks westerns (between Rio Bravo and Rio Lobo), all starring John Wayne, in which the stories were more or less interchangeable. But Wayne, Robert Mitchum, and James Caan play the familiar material with a wink to each other and to the audience that is irresistible.

48 True Grit 2 0 1 0

Not so much a remake of the 1969 John Wayne classic as an equally entertaining but more faithful adaption of Charles Portis’ 1968 novel, written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen (Fargo), with Jeff Bridges offering his own impressive take on grizzled lawman Rooster Cogburn.

49 Rio Grande 1 9 5 0

The ﬁnal entry in John Ford’s majestic Cavalry trilogy, and the ﬁrst teaming of John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, a match made in movie heaven.

50 Support Your Local Sheriff 1 9 6 9

No one played the reluctant hero better than James Garner, whose easygoing charm ﬁt perfectly in this delightful comedy.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ALLSTAR PICTURE LIBRARY LTD./ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

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51 19 73

McLintock! 1 9 6 3

Copyright complications and a variety of other legal cockleburs kept this comedy featuring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara out of circulation on video for decades, but thankfully we can watch it now.

High Plains Drifter

Cowboy 1 9 5 8

A Chicago hotel clerk bails a cowboy out of debt, in exchange for a job on his next cattle drive. Terriﬁc Eastmeets-West discord, personiﬁed by Jack Lemmon and Glenn Ford.

This was Clint Eastwood’s ﬁrst western as both star and director, and it brought new meaning to the phrase “paint the town red.”

54 Lone Star 55

For a Few Dollars More 1 9 6 5

Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name meets Lee Van Cleef, Man with No Facial Expression. Violence ensues.

1996

Writer-director John Sayles’ engrossing contemporary drama focuses on the investigation of a South Texas lawman (Chris Cooper) into the unsolved murder of a brutal sheriff (Kris Kristofferson) — who may have been killed by the lawman’s deceased father (Matthew McConaughey), long considered to be a local hero. COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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Oklahoma! 1 9 5 5

As long as the wind still comes sweeping down the plain, we’ll never grow tired of spending time with Curly and Laurey and Ado Annie, and listening to “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning.”

57 Quigley Down Under 1 9 9 0

58 Ride the High Country 1 9 6 2

Two western icons, Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott, get back in the saddle for career-capping performances in Sam Peckinpah’s poetic tribute to a disappearing way of life.

59 The Sons of Katie Elder 1 9 6 5

In The Sons of Katie Elder, John Wayne and Dean Martin reprise their Rio Bravo chemistry as four brothers track down their father’s killer, with no help from local lawmen. 112

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Silverado 1 9 8 5

An ambitious attempt to revive the oldschool western by writer Lawrence Kasdan, who manages to simultaneously salute and send up every cliché of the genre.

61 3 Godfathers 1 9 4 8 Three Cowboys Find a Baby: John Ford’s take on the oft-ﬁlmed story is sentimental in the right way and gave John Wayne a chance to stretch his familiar screen persona.

62 Lonely Are the Brave 1 9 6 2

The passing of the Old West was indelibly captured in one unforgettable image when fugitive cowboy Kirk Douglas tries to cross a superhighway on horseback.

63 Little Big Man 1 9 7 0

Hell or High Water 2 0 1 6

65 Django 1 9 6 6

66 Comes a Horseman 1 9 7 8

Superb Gordon Willis photography elevates this post-World War II spin on the old story of independent ranchers under siege from big business.

67 Giant 1 9 5 6

Director George Stevens won the Oscar for Giant’s amazing visuals, including the iconic image of James Dean, cowboy hat low over his forehead, reclining behind the wheel of a vintage roadster.

68 The Plainsman

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Cecil B. DeMille’s frontier epic about Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane surrounds Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur with 2,500 Sioux and Cheyenne extras. Note the dramatic Star Wars-style credits.

Hang ’Em High 1 9 6 8

Clint Eastwood’s ﬁrst ﬁlm after the Dollars trilogy has him playing an innocent rancher condemned for murder. Lively attempt at cooking Leone’s spaghetti recipe stateside.

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ack in the days of Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, and Jesse James, Morgan Silver Dollars jingled in pockets, saddlebags, and strongboxes across the Wild West. Favored by dastardly desperadoes, no-nonsense lawmen, and hard-scrabble pioneers, these 90% silver “Cartwheels” became known as the “Coins of the Old West.” Morgans were first struck in 1878 from the West’s vast silver bonanza of the Comstock Lode. In Old West lore, it was also notable as the year when Doc Holliday and lawman Wyatt Earp’s friendship began. Now you can reach for a piece of America’s Wild West legend with The Wild West Morgan Silver Dollar Collection from The Bradford Exchange Mint. Rich in history and silver, each genuine coin was minted in the same year as an iconic Wild West event, such as the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Billy the Kid’s final showdown, sharpshooter Annie Oakley’s premiere performance, and more. Hand-selected by experts, each genuine 90% silver coin — including some over 140 years old — could have filled the pockets of a true Wild West legend and still survive today. Each arrives within a special tamper-proof holder highlighting a specific year and a different historical Wild West event.

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The Bradford Exchange Mint is not affiliated with the U.S. Government or U.S. Mint.

Annie Get Your Gun 1 9 5 0

71 72 The Man From News of

73 The Mark

The Man From Snowy River captured the mythic spirit of the West as well as any homegrown product has, perhaps because it was based on a revered Australian legend. Critics shrugged; audiences fell in love.

There have been many ﬁne movie and TV Zorros — from Tyrone Power to Guy Williams to Antonio Banderas — but none has been more enthusiastically acrobatic and exuberantly heroic than silent-movie superstar Douglas Fairbanks as the masked swashbuckler.

Snowy River 1 9 8 2 the World 2 0 2 0

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It may be too soon to rank this acclaimed drama starring Tom Hanks as a traveling Old West news reader saddled with responsibility for a young white girl (Helena Zengel) captured and raised by Kiowa. But we suspect it will appear even higher on subsequent lists.

of Zorro 1 9 2 0

PHOTOGRAPHY: RONALD GRANT ARCHIVE /ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Often overlooked among the great MGM musicals, Annie Get Your Gun has an extraordinary Irving Berlin score, brassy Betty Hutton as Annie Oakley, and more dancing cowboys than Gilley’s in its heyday.

74 Alias Jesse James 75 The Tin Star 76 Cheyenne Autumn 77 The Alamo 78 Two Mules for Sister Sara 79 Union Pacific 80 Hombre 81 The Grey Fox 82 Dodge City 1 9 3 9

What’s the best barroom brawl in the history of western movies? It has to be the donnybrook in Dodge City, starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, and one condemned saloon.

1959

Bob Hope runs into outlaw trouble and is rescued by a historic assemblage of Hollywood cowboys, including Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Gary Cooper, Hugh O’Brian as Wyatt Earp, James Arness as Matt Dillon, and Fess Parker as Davy Crockett.

1957

A sheriff turned disillusioned bounty hunter (Henry Fonda) tutors an inexperienced lawman (Anthony Perkins) in this intense Anthony Mann classic.

1964

After portraying Indians as shooting gallery ducks for 25 years, director John Ford switched sides in his ﬁnal western. Moving, heartfelt, and long overdue, even if the Cheyenne chiefs are played by Ricardo Montalban and Gilbert Roland.

1960

John Wayne plays Davy Crockett. Spurned in its time, the ﬁlm now gets better with every viewing.

1970

The moral of this story is never pick up a hitchhiking nun. The oddcouple teaming of Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine really clicks.

1939

Typically bold Cecil B. DeMille blend of history and ﬁction, with Barbara Stanwyck in one of her best tough-girl roles.

1967

Elmore Leonard’s story of a white man raised by Apaches pulls no punches in its condemnation of frontier racism.

1982

Stuntman turned actor Richard Farnsworth waited 40 years for a lead role, and then became an overnight sensation as an aging train robber.

Jesse James 1 9 3 9

Pure hokum as a biography of the famed outlaw, but grand entertainment starring Tyrone Power as Jesse and Henry Fonda as his brother Frank.

84 Arizona 1 9 4 0

Female leads are a rarity in westerns, so it’s a treat to see the talented Jean Arthur pulling off a rootin’-tootin’ shoot-’emup with only a modicum of support from William Holden.

85 Cat Ballou 1 9 6 5

Jane Fonda plays the title role, a schoolteacher turned bandit, but Lee Marvin steals the ﬁlm in an Oscarwinning dual role, capped by the funniest rendition of “Happy Birthday” in movie history.

86 Cimarron 1 9 3 1

The ﬁrst western to win the Oscar for Best Picture stars Richard Dix and Irene Dunne as Easterners heading west. Dated, but a vital step in the maturation of the genre.

87 Last Train from Gun Hill 1 9 5 9

Kirk Douglas re-teamed with Gunﬁght at the O.K. Corral director John Sturges for this lean and mean western about a gunﬁghter-turned-marshal on the trail of men — one of them the son of an old friend (Anthony Quinn) — who raped and killed his Indian wife. COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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19 88 93 66 A Big Hand Jeremiah for the Little Lady Johnson

Breezy comedy with a terriﬁc twist ending, with Henry Fonda and Joanne Woodward as a farm couple who risk their life savings in a high-stakes poker game.

89 Barbarosa 1 9 8 2

A laid-back outlaw (Willie Nelson) befriends a farm boy on the lam (Gary Busey) in this amiable, wellphotographed character study.

90 Trail of Robin Hood 1 9 5 0

A holiday classic. Roy Rogers saves Jack Holt’s Christmas tree business with help from an all-star posse of western heroes, including Rex Allen, Allan “Rocky” Lane, and Ray “Crash” Corrigan.

91 Man Without A Star 1 9 5 5

19 72

Robert Redford added another signiﬁcant notch to his list of signature roles with his authoritative performance in the title role of Sydney Pollack’s rugged western inspired by the real-life exploits of a legendary mountain man.

94 Tumbleweeds 1 9 2 5 A landmark silent ﬁlm starring the screen’s ﬁrst cowboy hero, William S. Hart. The thrilling land rush scene remains a cinematic tour de force.

95 How the West Was Won 1 9 6 2

Gargantuan screen epic chronicling three generations of a pioneer family. Long but engrossing, with a dozen top stars and one of Alfred Newman’s best scores.

96 Warlock 1 9 5 9

Ranch hand Kirk Douglas matches wills with a savvy cattle baroness (Jeanne Crain) while trying to keep the fences away from his corner of the frontier.

19 58

The provocative undercurrents in this tale of a hired gunslinger (Henry Fonda) and his faithful companion (Anthony Quinn) will keep the Freudians busy for hours.

97 92 The Big Country Junior Bonner Lots of westerns have “Big” in their title. Why this one isn’t more celebrated is a “big” mystery, though it gains new converts with every airing on Turner Classic Movies. 116

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19 72

“Bloody Sam” Peckinpah proves he could make a good PG movie with this thoughtful look at rodeo life, with Steve McQueen as an aging bull rider.

98 The Phantom Empire 1 9 3 5

Gene Autry battles torch-wielding robots! How much fun going to the movies used to be, when serials like this off-the-wall sci-ﬁ western played before the feature.

99 The Hateful Eight

20 15

Quentin Tarantino’s shrewdly suspenseful and swaggeringly entertaining drama has Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Bruce Dern, and other notables well cast as strangers — or are they really strangers? — trapped by a snowstorm in a remote stagecoach stopover.

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T R A V E L

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R G D U R O R & P R &

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY JOHN FIELDER, COURTESY VISIT COLORADO SPRINGS/GAYLON WAMPLER

HEN I MOVED FROM CROWDED AND

congested West Los Angeles to the small artist community of Manitou Springs at the foot of Pikes Peak in Colorado, it marked a big lifestyle change. It meant not just a return to the equestrian life but the opportunity to really live — to come alive, as the state slogan goes. My parents had bought me my first horse at the age of 10, when we were living in Hidden Hills, now home to the Kardashian clan, and I have owned and ridden horses ever since those days in the Santa Monica Mountains. But riding a horse in Colorado was unlike anything I’d experienced in California. Soon after arriving — horseless — in Colorado in 1997, my friend and sometime-client for publicity projects William Devane, who had gifted me with an Arabian horse more than two decades earlier in L.A., decided that my husband and I needed horses in Colorado as well. Much to my delight, Devane, who is not just a famed actor but also an equine enthusiast and polo aficionado, bestowed on me two beautiful retired thoroughbred polo ponies. Emmy Lou and Adrian made the trek from his polo farm near Palm Springs to Manitou Springs, where their new home was a riding stables and boarding facility that backed onto the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. I vividly remember my first horseback ride through the Garden of the Gods astride my newly acquired Emmy. Both of us were scared to death as we ventured for the first time into this enchanted world of red-rock beauty. Initially hundreds of acres officially bequeathed in 1909 by the family of Charles Perkins, who had previously let the public play on his private land, GOG, as locals lovingly refer to it, has grown to 1,367 acres over the many decades. In its wild expanse live dozens of species of birds, rattlesnakes, and all sorts of mammals, including bobcats and elk. I once witnessed a doe giving birth there. Perhaps polo horses were not the perfect fit to traverse the rocky terrain of the Garden, and I have long since traded in the technical challenges of riding there for the more serene horseback experiences

in beautiful Bear Creek Regional Park on Little Man, my gentle quarter horse. The horses and terrain might have changed over the years, but coming to life in Colorado has for me always meant a deepening love affair with riding. Much of what I love about my adopted state I have experienced atop a horse. In fact, riding in Colorado inspired me to write the book People We Know, Horses They Love with Jill Rappaport. One of my favorite stories in the book is of Robert Wagner and Jill St. John, who were then living in both Aspen and Los Angeles with their horses, but now call the exclusive mountain community their full-time home. The diversity of experiences in the saddle is just one of the many multifaceted things about the Centennial State that attracted me. There are five main regions here: the Great Plains, the Southern Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Plateau, the Wyoming Basin, and the Middle Rocky Mountains. The state’s 100,000-plus square miles boast alpine mountains, high plains, deep canyons, and even deserts with towering sand dunes. It is the home of Pikes Peak and the Continental Divide, the Mesa Verde of Ancestral Puebloans and the Mile High City of modern urbanites. It has rivers named for their colors: White, Blue, Green, Colorado (the Spanish word for “colored red”); their size (Grande); and their sound (Roaring Fork). Many of those place names resound in history and sport. The Green River famously carried John Wesley Powell and his men on expeditions in 1869 and 1871. The clear waters of the powerful and fast-flowing Roaring Fork deliver legendary fly-fishing and whitewater rafting. Rivers, mountains, plains, forests, deserts — the everchanging adventure-beckoning landscape has urged me to live in the outdoors as much as possible. From glimmering gold aspens in the fall to white-blanketed peaks in the winter, Colorado’s gorgeous scenery has been my companion along trails where I’ve witnessed, among other marvels, bighorn sheep muscling up mountainsides, solitary coyotes ranging their territory, and a mother bear and her two cubs peering down from a tree trunk not 10 feet above me.

OPPOSITE PAGE: (top) Fourteeners, sunrise, Windom and Sunlight Peaks, by John Fielder; (bottom) Garden of the Gods.

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Independence — hence the nickname the Centennial State. Some of the old mining towns faded into ghost-town obscurity, and their weathered remains dot the countryside to this day. Others survived and thrived as ski resorts, mountain towns, adventure destinations, and festival meccas. Durango, Breckenridge, and Silverton all began their lives as mining centers. Towns that grew to support the railroads that penetrated the rugged Rockies to reach the rich mining areas have also transformed. Salida sprang up in 1880 after the Denver and Rio Grande (D&RG) reached the area; it would become one of the most important railroad towns in the state. Now billed as the “Heart of the Rockies,” it was a division point with engine-repair facilities, two roundhouses, and a huge threerail yard for making up trains and transferring loads from narrow gauge to standard-gauge rolling stock. By 1900, the mining boom was over and Salida’s transformation to a tourist destination was already underway. There were at least two passenger trains daily from Denver to Grand Junction via Salida and many more freights. An outfit called Around the Circle tours advertised trips from Salida west to Durango and back around over Cumbres to Alamosa over LaVeta and back to Denver; its logo proclaimed “Scenic Line of the World.”

ABOVE: (top) Mounts Harvard, Columbia, Yale, by John Fielder; (bottom) Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, by John Fielder.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY JOHN FIELDER

With 58 mountain peaks exceeding 14,000 feet (known as 14ers), more than any other state, it’s a mecca for lovers of the outdoors, who revel in the rugged beauty, the wildlife, and the active lifestyle. One of my best adventures took me four hours from home to another geothermally active spot, Steamboat Springs, in the Yampa Valley. About 20 miles out of town I was immersed in pampered cowboy cool at the luxurious Middle Creek Ranch, dining on locally raised beef and homemade elk sausage and helping the ranch manager “cake” the resident herd of 48 bison. There’s nothing like a few days on a working spread to remind a Coloradan of the state’s long history of ranching. But it was rumors of gold, not open ranchland, that changed the face of the place, surging the population of the region with untold numbers of westwardbound fortune seekers. And it was mining that became the state’s most important industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries (it remains a significant force in the state today). The Pike’s Peak Gold Rush kicked off in July 1858 and sent people stampeding; the changes that came with them remade the region politically, socially, and economically and in February 1861 led to the creation of Colorado Territory. The influx culminated in statehood in 1876, 100 years after the signing of the Declaration of

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY STEPHEN G. WEAVER

Turn-of-the-century tourists to Salida would have found several hotels and boarding houses, an opera house where traveling theater groups regularly played, and a well-established red-light district. Today, tourists find a picturesque art and adventure destination smack-dab on the Arkansas River — a shopper’s and paddler’s paradise with a riverside promenade for walking, a canyon for whitewater rafting, a tramway for scenic gondola rides, and a historic downtown for exploring. With 136 preserved buildings dating from 1883 to 1910, Salida boasts Colorado’s largest national historic district, now housing everything from art galleries and antiques shops to distilleries and specialty stores. For all the wealth beneath the surface that propelled the state’s growth, Colorado’s allure lies above ground. The nickname Colorful Colorado — its “purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain” described by Katharine Lee Bates when she wrote “America the Beautiful” about a view from Pikes Peak during a trip to Colorado Springs in 1893 — might well have also been inspired by dozens of lakes stocked with rainbow trout and the changing colors of the seasons. Among the many colorful glories to behold here: aspen glow and alpenglow. As much as it’s known for its outdoor attractions, Colorado has a great indoor scene, too. Sophistication abounds in the state’s Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning eateries. Home to some of the best restaurants in the West, it’s a true foodie destination, and you could be happily sated even if you never ventured beyond Denver’s famed food halls. The Buckhorn Exchange in Denver’s oldest neighborhood might be the state’s most historic (serving Western fare since 1893), but The Fort in Morrison, outside Denver, is certainly one of its most storied. Opened in 1963, it’s known equally for its Old West-themed menu (featuring beef, game, and range-raised buffalo) and its imposing adobe building (based on the 1833 fur trading post Bent’s Old Fort). There’s no shortage of old-timey saloons here, either. The oldest, the Buffalo Rose Saloon in Golden, got its start as a watering hole in 1859 during the gold era. For a good story along with a stiff drink, head up (literally: elevation 10,151) to Leadville and the Silver Dollar Saloon; established in 1879, it was once favored by Doc Holliday. There are plenty of celebrity haunts, too. One of my favorites is just blocks away from where I live. Older than the state itself, Manitou Springs’ The Cliff House at Pikes Peak was originally built in 1873 in true Victorian style, and over its almost 150 years, it has catered to the likes of Clark Gable and Buffalo Bill Cody, who have suites named for them (the Buffalo Bill boasts a tepee-style turret). Many contemporary celebrities visit the state, and many also either call Colorado home or have second homes here. One of Colorado’s most famous transplants was Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. He loved the state so much (and happened to need something easier for headlining marquees) that he took

Aspen Splendor, Gunnison National Forest, Colorado, by Stephen G. Weaver.

its capital as his surname. It was Deutschendorf — known the world over as John Denver — who in 1972 wrote “Rocky Mountain High.” The story goes that he was camping with wife Annie and friends around the tree line at 10,000 feet or so when he was inspired to pen the now-famous lyrics. After Denver’s death, Colorado adopted “Rocky Mountain High” as its second official song. Denver adopted the state as his permanent home, living out his adult life in Aspen. There, in the heart of town next to the Roaring Fork River, you can find the John Denver Sanctuary and walk its scenic grounds amid perennial flowers and gray boulders engraved with his lyrics; in the summer, you can see performances by the local theater company and year-round generally do what one of the inscriptions encourages: “Earth, Water, Mountain, Sky / Pause, Reflect, Enjoy.” C&I favorites Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn own properties in upscale Aspen. When Russell starred in Quentin Tarantino’s western The Hateful Eight, he couldn’t have been happier that it was filmed in Telluride, just a threehour drive from his ranch. With all it’s got going for it, it’s no wonder that in 2019, USA Today declared Colorado the second best state in the country to live in. I talked to some of my favorite notable Coloradans to find out what they love about the state. COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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ROBERT WAGNER His friends call him RJ. Robert Wagner has enjoyed an acting career spanning some 70 years. Early on, Wagner appeared in the 1954 western Broken Lance with Spencer Tracy and went on to make a name for himself on the big and small screens, including in the series Hart to Hart, most recently appearing as Anthony DiNozzo’s father on NCIS for nine years. He’s been married for 31 years to wife and fellow actor Jill St. John; the couple have lived in Aspen for decades. What drew him to Colorado and Aspen Well, obviously, Jill. But I first came to Colorado after the war in the late 1940s and more specifically to Aspen in 1949. I have always loved horses, wildlife, rivers, and streams. When I came here to go skiing with two French Canadian ski instructors who stayed on here and made Aspen their home, Aspen was a much smaller and different place. A perfect day in Aspen When I wake up I realize that I am one of the most fortunate men in the world. First I look over at Jill and then out across the Elk Mountains. Frequently I’ll see elk, fox, and deer and feel so lucky to literally live in a forest. As Jill says, “There are only so many front-row seats,” and we are fortunate to have one.

JILL ST. JOHN She heated up the big screen as Tiffany Case opposite Sean Connery’s James Bond in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever and went 124

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on to a decades-long film and television career, including appearing as herself in Robert Altman’s Hollywood satirical comedy The Player. Why she moved to Aspen I came here in December 1959 with the man that I married several months later. I flew to Denver and drove to Aspen during a snowstorm. I woke up early and walked out to view this then-small Victorian town full of empty lots and dogs running around, and soon had a little place outside of town. I was living in London making movies but many years later was able to purchase 5½ acres with a beautiful view and that was it! I made my permanent move to Aspen in 1972. What she likes about Colorado snow country I really feel that being immersed in nature like this prolongs your life, and my goal was to be the oldest woman on the ski lift. But a bad skiing accident has unfortunately squashed that dream. But in Colorado you can also bike, hike, fish, and just look at nature around you, as well as experiencing all the culture that the area has to offer. Funny little story “Good cuisine has always been a large part of Aspen,” St. John says. “Acquolina has wonderful authentic Italian food and is decorated with blown-up photos of Italian movie stars. One day the owner said, ‘I’d love to put RJ’s picture up, but he’d have to be with an Italian.’” [Wagner interrupting] “So I brought in a photo of Sophia Loren and me.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY JOHN FIELDER

Wilson Peak, by John Fielder.

RICH “GOOSE” GOSSAGE Baseball Hall of Fame phenom and star relief pitcher for the New York Yankees Goose Gossage grew up in Colorado Springs, where he and his wife, Corna, have lived almost all of their lives. In his prime, his pitches flew at more than 100 miles an hour. After pitching in three World Series, he retired from the game but remains active in youth sports in his hometown, where the Rick “Goose” Gossage Youth Sports Complex accommodates baseball, softball, skateboarding, BMX, hiking, and biking. His favorite time of year in Colorado I love all the seasons, especially the fall. Summers are so short here, you blink and you miss them. The changing of the leaves is the most beautiful time, especially when the aspen turn from green to yellow then gold, and the oak brush turns from yellow to a very deep copper. It’s such a fabulous time, but the only bad thing about it is that winter is coming! Why he stays I spent four years in San Diego playing for the Padres, but we always knew we would move back to Colorado. My family didn’t have two nickels to rub together when I was growing up — I was the youngest of eight kids. But living in the beautiful and rugged Colorado mountains gave me a sense of place. My father lived like a mountain man. When I was a boy, the outside was my playground, and now hiking and fishing are truly in my DNA. Favorite restaurant I love Bonny & Read in downtown Colorado Springs, especially the oysters; before COVID, my wife and I would eat there a couple of times a week. Good seafood is hard to get here in Colorado and Bonny & Read has the best in the area. We also like The Famous Steak House for great steaks and Jake & Telly’s Greek Taverna for Greek food. COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY JOHN FIELDER

JOHN FIELDER

About his new book, Weld County I spent four years exploring the Great Plains of Eastern Colorado for publication this September of an extraordinary book about Colorado’s third largest county, Weld. It includes 175 images of farms and ranches; the Poudre, Platte, and St. Vrain rivers; the grasslands and Pawnee Buttes; old towns and buildings; and wildlife galore — even then-and-now photographs of historical Weld County. Weld’s de facto official historian, Peggy Ford Waldo, has written text to connect the dots from the county’s creation in 1861 to what has become Colorado’s fastest growing major county, yet still a place defined by its remoteness. Why he stays I remember standing in Rocky Mountain National Park with my middle school science class looking at beauty. Although I’ve traveled around the world, when I come back — no matter what wonders I have seen — I always say, “I like Colorado better.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY STEPHEN G. WEAVER

STEPHEN WEAVER Stephen Weaver was formally educated as a geologist and continues to work as a geology instructor, but he’s also a photographer who shoots award-winning images of the natural world. He’s a member of the Ranchlands group of artists, which meets every year at visually inspiring places like Zapata Ranch and Chico Basin Ranch to create pieces for a fall art show. What brought him to Colorado Geology actually brought me to Colorado initially. I attended the Colorado School of Mines, where I received my PhD; then I moved to Wisconsin, where I taught for several years. And then I moved back to Colorado to teach geology at Colorado College. I love both working with students in the lab as well as photographing the vast outdoor areas of the state. A perfect day in the Centennial State For me, it is an hour before sunrise and an hour after sunset, when I am out in either the prairies or mountains and have scoped out an area for a beautiful photographic scene. I may go to Lost Lake in the Crested Butte area, where I can capture the clouds above the horizon that are reflected in the lake. A perfect day is when I can extract art from nature that tells the viewer a story about the environment. As both an artist and a scientist, I try to understand the science of geology in nature, as well as being an artist capturing what is beautiful.

LEAH DAVIS WITHEROW The curator of history at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, Leah Davis Witherow was selected as a “Woman of Influence” in 2018 by Colorado Springs Business Journal. Little-known secrets about the Front Range A place that has real meaning for me and seems like such a great getaway is Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site, a livinghistory museum. When you are on the grounds, nestled in the southeastern end of the Garden of the Gods, you feel

Crestone Peaks and Sand Dunes, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado, by Stephen G. Weaver.

a world away from Colorado Springs. Facing west, all you see are foothills, mountains, and blue skies above. It almost feels like a step back in time. One of the things that I really appreciate is that the interpreters present inclusive history. There is an American Indian interpretive area, the blacksmith shop, the historic Rock Ledge house, and the 1900 Orchard House — hundreds of years of continuous history in one location. It literally takes your breath away. Favorite season I absolutely love spring and everything that it represents. I love to walk through the new grass, start to work in my garden, and feel the sun on my face. Spring gives me a sense of hope, renewal, and positivity, and we have months and months before winter arrives again.

KODY LOSTROH Colorado native and a former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding, Kody Lostroh was the 2009 Professional Bull Riders World Champion and consecutive 10-time qualifier for the PBR World Finals. He lives with his wife, Candace, in the small town of Alt. Why he lives in Colorado I’ve lived here all my life and know and love everything about the state — good people and good country. There is so much to do and experience here. We’ve lived in the area for eight years, and here at the ranch we raise bucking bulls, and 60 to 80 head of cattle, as well as several horses. In the winter I’m a hunter’s guide. His favorite season Well, we can experience all of the seasons in one day here, but I really like early spring in Colorado. The weather starts to get nice and the fields are starting to green up.

CANDACE LOSTROH Married to professional bull rider Kody Lostroh, Candace Lostroh is a former competitive barrel racer. What makes Colorado so special The state’s got everything! The four seasons, tons of different COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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Montana Dreamwear . . . . . . 30 Montana Rustic Accents . . . . . 5 Nathalie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Old Gringo . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV4 Old Gringo - Dickson . . . . . . 18 Olde Wood Limited . . . . . . . 141 Olva Stewart Pharo . . . . . . 150 Pearls by Shari . . . . . . . 10 - 11 Reads Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Resistol 1927 . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Robert Sexton . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Rocki Gorman . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Runyon’s Fine Furniture . . . . 35 Sam Shepard Lawless Media . . . . . . . . . . 135 Samsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 San Agustin Trading Co. . . . . 75 Sand Creek Post & Beam . . 143 Santa Fe Goldworks . . . . . . . 99 Sorrel Sky Gallery . . . . . 15, 65 Southern Herd Signs . . . . . 150 Superior Concrete Products . . 69 Sylvia Medina Jewelry . . . . 150 Taylor’s & Company . . . . . . . 20 Tecovas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Telluride Real Estate Corp. . . 17 Texas Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 The Arrangement . . . . . . . . . 14 The Best Hat Store . . . . . . . . 91 The Bradford Exchange Country Beauty Gemstone Ring . . . . . . . . . . 49 The Bradford Exchange Duke Tribute. . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 The Bradford Exchange Wild West Coins . . . . . . . . . 113 The Harvey Team . . . . . . . . . 92 The Original Windmill Ceiling Fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 The Russell - C.M. Russell Museum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 The Wells Group Real Estate . . 129 Three Sisters Tavern & Grill. . 133 Tim Cox Fine Art . . . . . . . . . 149 Tim Joyner Art . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Toh-Atin Gallery . . . . . . . . . 119 Topaz Spirit Jewelry . . . . . . 150 TPG Ranch Properties Brian Ripley . . . . . . . . . . . . CV3 Vogt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 W. Michael Gear Dissolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Wayne Simanovich. . . . . . . 145 Western Mountain Real Estate. . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Western Trading Post . . . . . . 24 Wyoming Home . . . . . . . . . 150 Yeti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

landscapes, and especially lots of huge mountains to climb. I also really appreciate the variety of great people who still enjoy experiencing the diverse agriculture and wildlife, hunting, and just being outdoors, and pray we can always keep it that way.

BOYD SMITH Colorado newcomer Boyd Smith is the curator at the newly opened U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, having joined the team in June 2020. Smith is also a fine artist and previously served as curator at the Black Cultural Center at Purdue University. What drew him to Colorado My partner received a fellowship from Colorado College, so I started to search for either a curator or creative-director position and soon landed the job at the museum. I already had several military friends who lived here. I must say that the landscape alone is so beautiful and constantly changing, and I’m looking forward to really exploring the area. What makes the place so special I’m looking forward to once again hiking up the Manitou Incline [a 2,000-foot gain in elevation from start to finish] and climbing to the top of Pikes Peak, America’s Mountain. The area really physically challenges me. After a day of climbing, I might hit the Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. or Boxing Brothers Cider House in downtown Colorado Springs.

JACKSON CLARK II Jackson Clark Sr. began trading Navajo rugs in Durango in 1957. Jackson Clark II now owns the gallery his father founded all those years ago, and today, Toh-Atin Gallery has one of the finest selections in the country. Although the majority of the gallery’s weavings come from New Mexico, one of the weavers Clark II works closely with is Denver-based Navajo artist Lynda Teller Pete, whom he considers one of the best in the world. Challenges of living in a mountain town You have to have a bit more intention to live here. We frequently have to shovel snow and put up with the cold, but I love every fall when I pull out the chainsaw and cut up enough wood to burn in my fireplace all winter long, along with getting my skis out to sharpen and wax for the breathtaking slopes. As a tourist town, we get to expose visitors to such beauty as Chimney Rock National Monument and Mesa Verde National Park, along with exhilarating mountain roads. My grandfather came to Colorado to die but ended up running a Navajo trading post until he was 96. What keeps him in Durango I was fortunate to be born here and am the fourth generation to call the area home. Of course, growing up here there were times that I yearned for more excitement. But when I wake up and look at the beautiful San Juan Mountains, my heart beats faster and I’m thankful to live here. This place has everything I need.

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Story and Photos by Matt Crossman

RIPPING A SLIVER OF GRANITE, I PULLED MYSELF UP TO

the right of a chin of rock jutting out from Boulder Canyon 30 feet off the ground. I plastered myself to the rock face, unclipped the carabiner, swung my left foot around the chin and planted it. On what, frankly, I have no idea, but I put weight on it, and it held. I bear-hugged the rock as I swung my body over. Next thing I knew my chin was pressed against the rock chin as I plotted my next move. The fact that in a couple of hours of climbing I was already comfortable enough to do that was a testament to my teachers, Mo Beck, one of National Geographic’s 2019 Adventurers of the Year, and her climbing partner, Justin Berger. I looked up. I had maybe 30 more feet to go on this pitch called Lightning Strike in an area known as Cascade Crag, just outside Boulder, Colorado. An hour earlier I would have seen nothing but flat rock and said, “No way can I climb that.” But having already completed three pitches and watching Beck and Berger do the same, I saw a path. Each “step” along the way shone as if lit by neon arrows. Right hand here, left hand there, right foot stretch over to that knob, etc. A few minutes later, I slapped the top. I caught my breath for a minute up there, and as I rappelled down I paused again. To my right and left, climbers worked their way up and down the rock face. As I floated there, I had a curious thought: I wonder what my wife and two daughters are doing right this second.

The author (right) and Dustin Dyer, co-owner of Kent Mountain Adventure Center, conquer Twin Sisters Mountain. COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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More Ways To Thrill And Chill In Colorado Thrill: Mountain biking down the slopes at Winter Park. The rental company at the base of the mountain provides plenty of protective gear. The way I ride, I need every last bit of it. Chill: We rode the gondola to the top of Winter Park then took a guided hike to Fantasy Meadow. Lunch at the Lodge at Sunspot offered panoramic views of the Fraser Valley. Thrill: On Trail Ridge Road — which climbs almost 3,500 white-knuckling feet from 8,720 feet at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center to a peak of 12,183 feet back down to 8,715 at the Grand Lake entrance — we saw dozens of moose, elk, and deer. Chill: The picnic dinner we had at Chautauqua Park in Boulder was a breathtaking introduction to the Flatirons. — M.C.

I’ve taken many people on assignment with me — my brother, a bunch of friends, my wife, one kid at a time, both of my girls (13 and 10) together. But I’ve never taken our whole family of four … until now, in a weeklong trip to Colorado that I called “He Thrills, They Chill.” Today, thrilling meant rock climbing in Boulder for me and chilling meant jam making at Three Leaf Farm in Lafayette for them. I was definitely thrilling with Beck and Berger. Were they chilling with Three Leaf Farm co-owner Sara Martinelli? I hoped so. An hour later, Beck, Berger, and I arrived in downtown Boulder for lunch. As we walked to a Mexican restaurant, just by coincidence, so did my wife and kids. “Hey!” I hollered as they approached. I was still high on adrenaline and eager to tell them all about my adventure. Before I could say a word, my daughters launched into a description of theirs. “We made jam and saw animals and petted dogs and held ducks and goats and the puppy was so cute I wanted to steal it. …” They took a breath, so I jumped in and said I climbed four pitches three of them were really steep and I didn’t fall or die or anything. Then we went inside and had an outstanding lunch. Also: The strawberry and lemon jam they made at Three Leaf Farms was delicious. Father and daughter test their climbing mettle on the via ferrata and a climbing wall.

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HAD AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE FOR CALLING THIS

trip, “He Thrills, They Chill.” I wanted my girls to see my thrills and yearn for some of their own. Nothing crazy, of course. I merely hoped that at some point they would walk right up to the edge of their comfort zones, get a little scared, maybe even a lot scared, and then take one more step. And for that we were in the right place. Whatever their comfort level for adventure — whatever anybody’s comfort level — Colorado has something for it. I learned that, more than anywhere else, in Estes Park, where my wife and the girls chilled at YMCA of the Rockies. There they met Wade Jagim for a morning event called Creek Stompin’. Their task was to determine the presence, if any, of pollution. They walked together to a creek, where a duck watched as they gathered samples of water. They tested the water for acid first, and the results were good. As they waited for results from an oxygen test, they lifted rocks and scraped the macroinvertebrates off of them and into the sections of an ice cube tray. Jagim pulled out an identification chart, which listed pictures of bugs and categorized them according to their pollution tolerance. In one of the trays they found a nymph that is intolerant of pollution, so between that and the two other tests, they concluded the creek was healthy. As they chilled studying small things, I thrilled studying a

big thing —Twin Sisters Mountain. For hours, my face was right up against it, thanks to Kent Mountain Adventure Center. Co-owner Dustin Dyer — an experienced climber, traveler, and mountain biker — says the company’s operating principle is to ask themselves “What would I want to do on vacation?” and then craft experiences accordingly. In this case, the answer, “tackle an impossible route up a mountain,” required building a via ferrata. Translated from Italian as iron path, a via ferrata is a climbing route fitted with a series of steel cables and hand- and footholds that turn ascending a mountain into a cross between hiking and rock climbing. Though vie ferrate date to the 18th century, people tend to associate them with World War I, when Italian soldiers built them so they could get across the mountains rather than going around. They have been popular in Europe for decades, and in the last few years, they have caught on in the United States. As we climbed 600 vertical feet to the top of Deville Rocks, Dyer told stories of chasing adventure all over the world. He has been struck by lightning twice and caught in avalanches twice. After an avalanche killed his best friend, Rick Gaukel, Dyer thought his life needed more chilling and less thrilling. At the funeral, he told Gaukel’s mom that. “She said, ‘You can make good decisions. You can mitigate the risk. But you can’t stay home.’” So he hasn’t. As we walked down the mountain, we talked

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A panoramic view at Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the most visited in the national park system.

about the life-enriching difference between mitigating risk and completely avoiding it. It was time to introduce my girls to that idea.

F IT’S ACTIVE AND ENDS IN ING, YOU CAN DO IT

in Grand County. Located 67 miles from Denver by the calculations of visitgrandcounty.com, Grand County covers 1,870 square miles and has just over 15,000 full-time residents, all of whom appeared to have gathered at Grand Lake on a glorious Friday morning. The lake teemed with kayaks, canoes, jet skis, pontoon boats, speedboats, pedal boats, paddleboards, swimmers, and more. The four of us rented two tandem kayaks from Mountain Paddlers. With life jackets buckled snugly across our chests, we pushed off into the water, and I thought back to the first (and only other) time my wife and I rented a tandem kayak. “I call them divorce boats,” said the man we rented them from in Bermuda. We laughed at that … and an hour later, as I paddled, I wondered when Emily was going to steer us away from shore. At that exact moment, she wondered when I was going to stop paddling so we wouldn’t hit shore. When we hit it, we both asked the other what just happened. There were no such miscommunications on Grand Lake, which is surprising, considering the distractions. Everywhere we looked, beauty. It was like kayaking at the bottom of a striped bowl. Thick evergreens formed the top stripe. Below that stood a ring of cabins, one of which was ours at Grand Lake Lodge, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020. Along the shore were vacation homes I couldn’t pay off in five lifetimes. My older daughter and I weaved our way across the lake, stopping only to exult in the view and allow powerboats to pass. My wife and our younger daughter followed behind us, though eventually we lost them on the crowded lake. We found them on shore an hour later and explored downtown Grand Lake together. If nothing else, the girls were learning to chase culinary adventure: At lunch at Sagebrush BBQ & Grill, we split a plate of Rocky Mountain oysters. 134

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E WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING IN AN

Airstream at River Run RV Resort in Grandby, and I flashed back to my childhood trailer camping in Michigan. We never had an Airstream, but I remember my dad admiring them, and he reiterated his fondness when I told him we’d be staying in one. As the sun cooked off the morning mist, I plopped two standup paddleboards into the pond at the center of the resort, attached the straps to the girls’ ankles, pushed them toward the center of the water, and wondered what would happen next. I stayed on shore because a) based on my previous experience on standup paddleboards, I knew I would fall (and often), and b) the water was too cold for that. For me, at least. They are old enough to decide if it’s too cold to go swimming. And they’ve never heard of such a thing. They floated around for a few minutes, getting used to the boards and trying to screw up the courage to stand up. I moved up and down the shore trying to figure out which mountain to get in the background of the pictures I would take of them. I snapped out of my mountain photo reverie when one of them, then the other, called to me. “Should I try it?” they asked. “Of course,” I said, simultaneously hoping and doubting that they would. Soon they were both standing and paddling. They never fell, the little showoffs.

SURE SIGN THAT A DAY IS GOING TO BE GOOD IS

if I have to sign a waiver. It was way harder to sign waivers for my girls. But I scribbled my name at the Fraser Valley Sport Complex, about five minutes from the town of Winter Park, for an aerial excursion with Winter Park Adventure Quest, and hoped for the best. The ropes-course apparatus looked like a jungle gym as imagined by the set designer for Lord of the Rings. Wires and rope bridges and planks ringed the two-story structure. My hands clammy, I sipped water, as I always do when I’m nervous. As I tightened the older one’s harness, my hand slipped, and I

bashed her in the face. For a second I thought I broke her glasses. Better safe than sorry. A mom and three boys joined us as we tackled a variety of obstacles to get around the ropes course. And by “we tackled,” I mean “they tackled.” I am, I discovered, terrible at ropes course. I mostly watched. Imagine two wooden swings adjacent to each other, each 3 inches wide and 8 feet long, and you have to shimmy sideways across them while suspended 15 feet above the ground. You’re buckled in by carabiners, of course, but the only thing you have to hold on to is a rope hanging in the center of each one. I made it halfway across before realizing I had no idea what I was doing. I shuffled back from whence I had come. My younger daughter started, stopped, got scared, took one more step then another, and soon enough completed the whole thing. A few minutes later, the older one froze at the start of an obstacle. Imagine still being 15 feet up, and now you’re facing a series of ropes shaped like giant U’s hanging overhead. To get across, you step from one to the next. That was a big hell-to-the-no for me. She stood on one end of the obstacle; I stood on the other. She asked me how to do it. I offered my best guess but did not try myself, the very definition of Do as I say, not as I do. For a minute, two, three, she couldn’t move. She wanted to give up. I thought she was going to, but she didn’t. After instruction from the guide, she not only tried, she finished. Then she climbed down off of the ropes course and scaled the adjacent rock wall before I could even get down to watch her. Full to bursting — with pride, not lunch, naturally — I wanted to take my helmet off and spike it like a football. But the girls hate it when I overreact (which I never do), so I played it cool. I just stood there on the ropes course platform, chilling. COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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P H O T O

E S S A Y

The Art Of

Robert Osborn A F T E R PHO T O GR A PH I NG A ROU N D T H E WOR LD, H E T R A I N E D H I S LE N S ON T H E A M E R ICA N W E S T A N D H I S LI F E A N D A RT C H A NGE D FOR E V E R .

Images and text by Robert Osborn

ARAVAGGIO, BACH, ANSEL ADAMS,

Barb Gunness, Wolf Ridge Lamb Co., Pray, Montana 2011.

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When a viewer looks at one of my cowboy pictures, I want them to see every bit of all of that — and more. Critical to the image I am making is the look in the cowboys’ eyes. Their eyes must tell their story. Their demeanor, clothing, and everything else in the picture, including the lighting, must add to or support that story. But it is their eyes that must tell the story — the story being partly narrative, mostly soul. In 1866, Nelson Story drove the first herd of cattle into Montana, longhorns up from Texas, and founded the Story Ranch in Emigrant. In 2015 I met and photographed Robert Story, Nelson’s great-great-grandson. He lives on the historic ranch Nelson founded more than 150 years ago. I photographed Rob again in 2021 with Nelson’s original 12-gauge doublebarreled shotgun slung over his shoulder. When Rob’s in town he often stops in my gallery. History walking around. I’m convinced that my abiding passion for photography can be traced back to a Kodak Brownie box camera and developing kit my mother gave me for Christmas when I was 10 years old. And I’m pretty sure my affinity for cowboys is the result of my same 10-year-old self loving those old Roy Rogers movies

I saw at Saturday matinees at the Cairo Theatre in South Los Angeles. I learned my morals and ethics from Roy Rogers. When I first began photographing cowboys it was because of their weathered faces, the look in their eyes, their iconic hats and clothing — they made great subjects. These pictures became a substantial body of work, and seven years later, after four or five major exhibits, they were published as an art photography book, The Cowboys of Central Montana: 50 Portraits. Within only a day or two of the book’s being finished and shipped to the publisher, Chris Douglas, a top-notch Western fashion photographer (Stetson, Filson, Resistol), came into my gallery and asked how the book was going. When I told him it was finished, he asked what I planned to do now. I said I didn’t have the foggiest notion. He said he could introduce me to a couple of Indians that I might photograph. I said cool. And my life changed again. I began traveling to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, home of the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes. The reservation is located in the northeastern corner of Montana, well out onto the Northern Plains, about a seven-hour drive one way from my

(OPPOSITE PAGE) Harry Shakes the Spear Beauchamp, Assiniboine tribe, Oswego, Montana 2018. (ABOVE) Don Rattling Thunder La Roque, Assiniboine Sun Dancer, Wolf Point, Montana 2016. COWB OYS & I ND I ANS

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home in Livingston. I made that trip about once a month for nearly five years. At first, I found it difficult to convince Native people to be photographed. Then I met Don Rattling Thunder La Roque. Don is Assiniboine, and he is a sun dancer. Among the Plains Indians, sun dancers are highly respected. Photographing a sacred sun dance is not permitted. But Don and I did three portrait sessions and became friends. Journeying deep into another culture is not an easy thing. Don made it possible for me. He introduced me to traditional Native people I could photograph. He was my guide, teacher, and facilitator. He made sure I didn’t do anything stupid or disrespectful. He watched my back in touchy situations — and there were a few of those. We went to sweat lodges and powwows and Native ceremonies. Most of the time I was the only white person there. I came to realize that traditional Native people walk in two worlds — this modern world and the cultural world of their ancestors. To me, the veil separating the two worlds is least substantial in the hot, smoky, crowded pitch-black darkness of a sweat lodge, with a medicine man drumming and singing in an ancient language, communicating with spirits, praying for healing and offering thanks. (ABOVE) Robert Story, Story Ranch, Emigrant, Montana 2021. (LEFT) Jim Larkin, Locke Creek Ranch, Mission Creek, Montana 2016.

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WILSON FARM, FORT WORTH, TX | +/- 95 ACRES

889 MOBLEY ROAD, DALLAS COUNTY, TX | +/- 52 ACRES

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C O W B O Y

C O R N E R

IN THE BUNKHOUSE WITH RED STEAGALL The Official Cowboy Poet of Texas NAKAYA FESTER, DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF THE FUR TRADE IN CHADRON, NEBRASKA

One Empty Cot in the Bunkhouse He got his first job on the sixes That was forty some odd years ago He was the best we ever saw with the bad ones One hell of a hand with a rope I saw him just one time in service It was the day that the boss lady died You could tell by the way he handled people and horses He’d made his own deal with his God Now there’s one empty cot in the bunkhouse There’s a saddle that nobody rides One empty place at the table The remuda is five horses shy He hated to fence and dig post holes He would if he’s ask to of course Then he’d swear how there’s nothin in life that’s worth doin If it can’t be done from a horse Excerpted from the album Born to this Land

TV AND RADIO SCHEDULE: Episodes of Red’s travel show, Red Steagall Is Somewhere West of Wall Street, air Mondays at 8:30 p.m. Central on RFD-TV. Find out more about the TV program at watchrfdtv. com, and keep up with Red’s radio show, Cowboy Corner, at redsteagall.com/cowboy-corner.

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Red Steagall: What are some things you do in the summertime to continue the legacy of the fur trade? NaKaya Fester: The museum is open May 1 to November 1. The exhibits, we don’t usually change. We get a few new artifacts every year. The main things that we have are outside of the trading post, that’s why we’re here in Chadron. We also set up an 18-foot tepee and it’s furnished again with those artifacts that are original, just so people can see how they lived. And we have an heirloom garden. Those are seeds that Charles Hanson, one of the founders of the museum, got from George Will, who’s a famous horticulturist from North Dakota. And George had gotten those seeds originally from the tribes. We plant them. Red: Neat that you can do that. NaKaya: It’s a pretty big draw. ... We sell a lot of those seeds because people like to continue that also in their homes. Red: Are there any activities that you have to educate schoolchildren? NaKaya: The main thing we do is Fur Trade Days, the second weekend in July. It’s a big event in town, but we’ll have a presenter out here to help draw the crowds. I mean, we’ve had John Carson, the grandson of Kit Carson. We’ve had Ted Woody, a National Parks Interpreter from Montana. Red: The artifacts in the museum are all original artifacts. They’re actual archaeological artifacts? NaKaya: Archaeological, donated from collections, unique items that are found at auction … that kind of thing. But none of it is reproduced. Red: And this is the only museum of its kind in the country? NaKaya: Yes. There are several museums that cover the fur trade. They usually focus around the individual area. We’re the only one that covers the entire North American continent, 500 years of history. Red: There was a lot of trading that went on in this part of the world, which is evidenced by the Bordeaux trading cabin and the warehouse. What were they trading? Were they primarily beaver and buffalo? NaKaya: Beaver is a big part of this area. Indians didn’t like to track the beaver because you had to go up into the dams and get them out and do that, so it was largely buffalo. Red: The artifacts depict the things that the trapper used, the product that he got, and the Indian side … what they wanted from the trappers? NaKaya: Yeah. Or how they manipulated trapper items. Like, they’ll take a gun barrel and pound it down and make it into a scraper. So something that they traded for, but then made it work for their own use.

I N D I A N S

S H O W T I M E

F E AT U R E D E V E N T 50TH ANNIVERSARY RUIDOSO ART FESTIVAL First held in 1971, the Ruidoso Art Festival now features more than 100 award-winning artists from across the country, showcasing works from a variety of fine-art mediums including acrylics and oils, porcelain and pottery, metalwork, watercolor, photography, and more. Whether you’re a first-time buyer, serious collector, or just an art lover enjoying the scene, there are treasures to be discovered for everyone at this annual event. In addition to the usual artist showcase and silent auction, this year will also feature wine tastings from a handful of New Mexico wineries. Planned for July 30 – August 1, this signature festival’s half-century mark will be celebrated in style. ruidosonow.com/art-festival

C O W B O Y

I N D I A N S

The following events were still scheduled as of press time in late April. Please call or check organizers’ websites to confirm. JULY

AUGUST

Equest 40th Anniversary Gala Dallas, TX 6/5 equest.org/gala

Calgary Stampede Calgary, AB, Canada, 7/9-18 calgarystampede.com

Oregon Jamboree Sweet Home, OR, 7/30-8/1 oregonjamboree.com

Tesoro Cultural Center’s Indian Market & Powwow Morrison, CO, 6/5-6 tesoroculturalcenter.org

Sheridan WYO Rodeo Sheridan, WY, 7/12-17 sheridanwyorodeo.com

Great Southwestern Antique Show Albuquerque, NM, 8/7-8/8 gswevents.com

75th Annual Crooked River Roundup Prineville, OR, 7/14-17 crookedriverroundup.com

Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering Prescott, AZ, 8/12-14 azcowboypoets.org

College National Finals Rodeo Casper, WY, 6/13-19 cnfr.com Telluride Bluegrass Festival Telluride, CO, 6/17-20 bluegrass.com/telluride Battle of the Little Bighorn Reenactment Crow Agency, MT, 6/25-27 littlebighornreenactment.com Northern Cherokee National Annual Powwow & Cultural Gathering Clinton, MO, 6/25-27 powwows.com St. Paul Rodeo St. Paul, OR, 6/30-7/4 stpaulrodeo.com

Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Colorado Springs, CO, 7/14-17 pikespeakorbust.org

Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering Lewistown, MT, 8/12-8/15 montanacowboypoetrygathering.com

Cheyenne Frontier Days Cheyenne, WY, 7/23-8/1 cfdrodeo.com

Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association Annual Ranch Rodeo Guthrie, OK, 8/20-8/21 okcattlemen.org

Days of ’76 Rodeo Deadwood, SD, 7/27-31 daysof76.com

Santa Fe Indian Market Santa Fe, NM, 8/21-8/22 swaia.org

Chief Joseph Days Joseph, OR, 7/27-8/1 chiefjosephdays.com

Western Legends Heritage & Music Festival Kanab, UT, 8/27-8/28 westernlegendsroundup.com

Cowboys & Indians ® JULY 2021, VOL. 29, NO. 5 (ISSN 1069-8876) is published eight times per year (January, February/March, April, May/June, July, August/September, October, November/December) by USFRSC Inc., 12221 Merit Drive, Suite 1610, Dallas, TX 75251. Subscription in USA: $29.95. Other countries (to cover extra handling and postage): Canada $43.95, other foreign $49.95. Please provide payment in U.S. funds. Periodical postage paid at Dallas, Texas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Cowboys & Indians, PO Box 3000, Harlan, IA 51593-0019. Copyright © 2021 by USFRSC Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication, including the cover, may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, in whole or in part without the prior written consent of the copyright owner. Cowboys & Indians assumes no responsibility for loss or damage of unsolicited material. Contributing authors agree to indemnify and protect the publishers from claims or actions regarding plagiarism. Material to be returned should be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. We reserve the right to accept or reject, at our discretion, any advertisement. Cowboys & Indians is neither responsible for the statements of any advertiser nor the value or authenticity of items advertised within the publication. Cowboys & Indians ® is a registered trademark of USFRSC Inc. (US Trademark Reg. No. 2,540,455).

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PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY RUIDOSO VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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The “Glorious Freedom” of the American West is found on the back of a horse! Be among the ﬁrst to own this timeless work of art by ordering a print or pre-ordering your canvas today. Visit www.TimCox.com or call 505-632-8080.

THE CATTLEMAN

Catalena Hatters, located in Bryan, Texas, has created the ﬁnest felt hats in the industry for over 35 years. If you’re not able to stop in ﬁnd us at catalenahatters.com or give us a call at (979) 822-4423 for all your custom felt hat needs.

MARKETPL ACE

SYLVIA MEDINA JEWELRY

COWBOYS & DAISIES BOUTIQUE

COLORADO+JO

Handcrafted Rosary with Kingman Turquoise and Vintage Navajo Sterling beads. Unique Sonoran Mountain Turquoise and Sterling cabochon pendant surrounded by beautiful Sonoran Mountain rondelles. www.sylviamjewelry.com cell: 208-520-8353 sylvia@sylviamjewelry.com

Cowgirl Chic style clothing, accessories & home décor including Double D Ranch, Tasha Polizzi, Rockmount, Old Gringo, Scully, and our own inhouse designs. Cowboys & Daisies is where Mothers, Daughters, and Cowboys shop together! Visit us in Historic Downtown Salida, CO or online! www. CowboysandDaisiesColorado.com 719-539-3812

Curated Navajo Handmade Jewelry from some of the Most Collectible Navajo Silversmiths around. Featuring Harry Begay, Sunshine Reeves, Andy Cadman, Delbert Gordon, Aaron Toadlena, LaRose Ganadanegro, Matthew Charley & Arnold Blackgoat. Website: www.coloradojo.com, Email: colorado.jo.co@gmail.com, Instagram: colorado_jo_ (970) 317-9896

SOUTHERN HERD SIGNS

COYOTE’S GAME

OLVA STEWART PHARO

Give any space that classic old western style with our Limited Edition American Buffalo and Buffalo Lager signs now available. Please visit our website to order southernherdsigns.com or email us at sbrs@southernherdsigns.com

THIS IS HOW WYOMING LIVES!

Bed, Bath, Kitchenware, Western Décor, Children’s, Jewelry, and More! Wyoming Home Store, Inc. 216 West Lincolnway Cheyenne WY 82001 Winter Hours: Mon. – Fri.: 10-6, Sat.: 10-5, Sun.: CLOSED: Summer: Mon. – Fri.: 9-6, Sat.: 9-5, Sun.: 12-5 877-754-8855, www.wyominghome.com

An on-line gallery of Native American beadwork: hat bands, rug necklaces, jewelry, lanyards, pouches. Sorry, no print catalog is available. For information call (800) 952-5214 or visit us at www.coyotesgame.com

“When Pigs Fly”, limited edition bronze, #3/10 now available. Made for these trying times. Olva specializes in portraits in pencil or bronze of horses, dogs, cats and their companions. Also unique trophies and many other items. See her website: www.olvastewartpharo.com 281-373-9304 • portraits@texhorseman.com

BOOT SCOOTIN’ DESIGNS

CUSTOM SOUTHWEST JEWELRY

Tired of those plain black and brown boot bags? Now you can carry your boots in southwest style. Website: www.etsy.com/shop/ BootScootinDesignsNM

Our one-of-a-kind custom jewelry is created in Arizona using antique pawn Native American pendants and beads, sterling silver, spiny oyster, turquoise, pearls, jasper, jade, coral, and more. Shop at topazspiritjewelry.com Follow us on Facebook @topazspiritjewelry

This exquisite full-round log home is located in a premier gated community on 35 private acres with Lake and Mountain views. A towering Great Room and river rock fireplace welcome you when you enter this 5,507 SF home from the covered front porch, along with hardwood floors with radiant infloor heat, a gourmet kitchen, main level Master Bedroom, and two full guest suites upstairs. Downstairs you will find an additonal guest suite, family room/office with rock gas lock fireplace, wet bar, and abundant storage. The property also boasts a 980 SF garage and paved driveway! If you are looking for the Colorado Rocky Mountain Log Home, look no further than this fine property. Offered at $1,975,000 by Juli Morelock, 970.946.2137. www.JuliMorelock.com

JULI MORELOCK, GALLES PROPERTIES

PAGOSA SPRINGS LOG HOME ON 35 ACRES Escape to this extraordinary 36-acre private paradise complete with a Tiny Home, large custom tiled Fire pit and a Gazebo with a hammock. All utilities including, Water, Septic System, underground Electric and driveway have been constructed, and a 30 AMP RV hook-up and sewer dump have been installed. Take in 360-degree unobstructed views of the San Juan and Chalk Mountains and varied terrain, including a nice combination of Ponderosa, Gamble Oak and Meadows, inhabited by abundant wildlife. This property must be seen to fully appreciate its rarity. In all my years of real estate, this is the best view of Banded Peaks and Navajo Peak that I have ever seen. Offered at $349,000 by Juli Morelock, 970.946.2137. www.JuliMorelock.com

JULI MORELOCK, GALLES PROPERTIES

36-ACRE RETREAT WITH TINY HOME & MAGNIFICENT VIEWS You Can Be A Yellowstone Cowboy Too! Come stay with Hubbard’s and live the life of a Montana Cowboy. Experience it all with daily cattle work, riding along the magniﬁcent mountain ranges looking over into Yellowstone Park, and packing salt then delivering it to high mountain pastures. After all that… meet your fellow cowboys in the bar for a drink to reminisce about the day, dine on beef wellington and tableside bananas foster, and then dive into your 600 thread count sheets to dream about it all over again. Every day will be an adventure that you will remember forever. Email today – nancy@hubbardsranch.com. hubbardsranch.com

HUBBARD’S 6 QUARTER CIRCLE RANCH

HUBBARD’S YELLOWSTONE LODGE – PARADISE VALLEY, MONTANA

Elk, Beef, Pork, and Lamb sourced directly from Colorado Ranches. Let us do all of your corporate gift-giving Featuring our Signature Black Pepper Smoked Elk loin Award-winning Sausages, Bacon, and Jerky. Meat bundles and Prime Meats Shop today at Kinikin.com 970-240-4329 kinikinllc@outlook.com COLORADO’S PREMIER MEAT SHOP ENJOY YOUR FAVORITE WESTERNS AND MORE, ABSOLUTELY FREE Classic Western Movies, Country Music Videos and….ALL FREE with no hidden costs. In depth Interviews of noted Country Music Personalities, Exclusive Shows such as “King Of The Cowboys Theater” & “Cheyenne Country”! Content is extensive & continuously updated. Search “Entertainment Television” on ROKU, AppleTV and AmazonFire and enjoy on any Smart Device and, All for Free! For more information, go to www.ETV.tv. ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION

ETV.tv

L I V E

Cowboys & Indians: A U S T Congratulations on the release of your first solo album, Andrew Farriss. I’m sure its rich countryflavored Americana sound came as a surprise to people who know you only as a member of the rock band INXS. Andrew Farriss: I love the fusion of different influences in music. I’ve always been like that. I think even with INXS — which I don’t want to talk about too much — but one of the things that the record labels used to say to us is, “Why do you guys keep changing your sound? You’ve had a hit on the radio, why don’t you just keep doing that same kind of music?” And I wouldn’t be rude to them, but I’d just sit down and think, “Because it’s boring to do that. And why not explore? Why not look at different things?” Like, one of my favorite albums of all time is Willie Nelson’s Teatro record, which was produced by Daniel Lanois. C&I: Which at the time seemed like such a radical change of pace for Willie, with its spare, atmospheric sound. Andrew: Yeah, and I love that record. In fact, I had a sort of an existentialist conversation with Ed Eckstine, who at the time was looking after the Motown label, and he said to me, “Hey, Andrew, what’s your favorite music at the moment?” I said, “Well, to be honest, I love the Teatro album by Willie Nelson.” And he goes, “What?” He couldn’t get his head around it. So I said, “Because I love the way that Willie had the guts to go outside his safety zone and just explore something.” C&I: Well, you’ve certainly explored an impressive variety of music for Andrew Farriss — everything from the rootsy grooves of “My Cajun Girl” to the funkiness of “Good Mama Bad” and the country-pop sound of “Come Midnight.” It must have frustrated you when you weren’t able to release the album as originally planned last year. Andrew: It did. I mean, I was moving like a train, really going. I was going to keep releasing videos like I did for “Good Mama Bad” and “Come Midnight,” and release songs off the LP — and then COVID hit. And it really hit hard everywhere, all around the world. And so the record label people said to me, “Andrew, we were thinking it probably is a good idea if you just stop pushing your album for a little while. And let’s just see where this thing is going, because everyone’s gone home to isolate.”

F R O M

C&I: But you kept busy by releasing a five-track EP titled Love Makes the World, which has your wonderfully uplifting song “All The Stars Are Mine.” Andrew: Yeah, I stopped for a while, and talked about it with my wife, Marlina. She could tell I was pretty upset because I’d worked for two or three years to get to that point to make all this stuff come alive. So I just started working on the farm. I thought, “This is all too hard. This business is just nuts, and now the world’s gone nuts.” And then as I was walking along one day, I started thinking about “All The Stars Are Mine” and the other tracks — other songs that I had written over the years, but never recorded. And I don’t know, call it intuition or something, but I started thinking about the lyrics of those particular songs, and then I realized they all had a common thread: They’re all talking about all we’ve got is each other. C&I: You’ve owned and operated a cattle ranch in your native Australia for several years now, right? Andrew: Actually, I own what we call a station, a farm. It’s about 4,000 acres, about four hours inland from the coast, and I’ve owned it for 28 years. I had a small hobby farm before that, because my mother got cancer. At that point in my life, I was doing really well with INXS and I had some money, so I bought that place so that mom and dad could live on the property with me, because she wasn’t well. But, anyway, it didn’t work out that way. I ended up with the property and at first I was — well, I didn’t really come from a farming background, so I freaked out a bit. But over the years it’s grown to be an incredibly important thing to me, actually. C&I: How many head do you have at the station? Andrew: At the moment, we’re carrying around about 430. Normally, we carry about 100 more cows than that, but that’s under capacity. It can normally hold about up to 600, but we tend to understock it, because you just don’t know with the variations in weather what’s going to happen to you. We’re coming out of like a three-year drought, the most severe drought in living memory, and it was scary. But things are looking better now.

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Visit facebook.com/ andrewfarrissmusic to hear the artist’s new tunes.

ILLUSTRATION: JONATHAN FEHR

Andrew Farriss

SU C CESS STORIES

Toponas, CO | 5,000+ ACRES Represented Seller $7,500,000

Olney Springs, CO | 3,000 ACRES Represented Buyer $6,160,000

Steamboat Springs, CO | 35 ACRES Represented Buyer $1,795,000

he Paoli Group – Ranch Properties is supported by Colorado Group Realty and fully benefits from all members of The Paoli Group team providing clients a broad array of expertise, attention to detail, and the utmost in professionalism. We have vast experience handling topics related to agricultural production, wildlife habitat, water rights, equine facilities, forestry management, and investment interests. Most importantly, we value the people woven within the fabric of these lands. The Paoli Group - Ranch Properties is led by Brian Ripley, who brings years of practical ranch management experience and a specialized, advanced educational background to the team.

Steamboat Springs, CO | 40 ACRES Represented Buyer $1,440,000

Yampa, CO | 1,046 ACRES Represented Seller $6,900,000

BRIAN RIPLEY Ranch & Rural Property Consultant The Paoli Group, Colorado Group Realty Direct: (970) 688.1464 | Office: 970.870.8800 Email: Brian@MyBrokers.com • • • •

12 years as General Manager of King Creek Ranch 4 years as Operations Manager of Lost Valley Ranch Owner/Operator of Ripley Livestock, LLC Master of Science in Beef Cattle Management Systems from Colorado State University

Clark, CO | 160 ACRES Represented Seller $1,360,000 For a full list of sales & listings, visit ThePaoliGroup.com/Ranches