Missing the Wild
So we have recently found the choices for big cinema entertainment wanting, and we have finally put our finger on the problem. The movies tend to parade leading men across the screen who obviously spend a good portion of their time in the gym, not necessarily bad. But we are bothered by the fact that only a small handful of the real leaders could manage a ride on a horse. They simply wouldn’t look right astride one of the glorious equines of the Hollywood 40s and 50s and we can’t even imagine most of them being able to get on the horse without major injury. Cowboy movies, the real westerns that put the country west of the Mississippi on the map, needed men to be rugged, not fit necessarily, but tough, and since the horse has been removed as one of Hollywood’s main characters, that element of grit, of rock solid, take no prisoners, don’t make me pull my six shooter persona has faded to black. There have been a few westerns in the past decade that have proven that there are a few of those boys left, but too few to our liking. Somehow being able to download the secrets of the defense department before the guy in the suit walks into the room just doesn’t give off the same aura as a man who can control his horse with the reigns in his teeth, riding at the speed of locomotion, while he wields both of his guns with the accuracy of a sharpshooter. Imagine.
Cowboy Love
We have often wondered what it is about the legendary American cowboy that is so appealing to the world of 2011. They were people covered with calluses and basically held together by dirt, they rarely had money, many of them drank too much, they smelled of sweat both human and equine, they thought of spitting as a conventional past time and guns were their favorite accessory, and yet we love them and sometimes wish we were one of them. It is something about their grit, their willingness to keep going when the herd has run amuck, their quiet way of owning the room, their “not afraid of hard work, get it done” attitude that we think of as American fable. We want them to win, to get the girl, to love their horse, to kill the bad guy – and we want to believe that they do it all with the best of intentions and a heart of gold, because they belong to the roots of who we are. They are fully American and totally bigger than life and that makes them the center of our dreams and the thing we love to believe in. Just a bunch of guys who wrestled cows and rode the range and we can’t get enough of them.
Practically Fabulous
The cowboy hat, though in large part, a fashion statement was originally developed and designed with the working cowboy, or ranch hand in mind. When the west was being settled there were any number of hat designs in use, bowlers being the most popular. The first cowboy has as we know it today was designed and manufactured in 1865 by John Batterson Stetson. He called his hat “Boss of the Plains” and it became the identifying accessory for the man of the American west. It had a wide brim, front and back to 
protect the eyes and the neck from sun and rain. They were made with four inch crowns to provide insulation from both heat and cold, they were light weight and waterproof. The hats were known for their rugged durability, standing up to any kind of punishment and they came to be a status symbol, an investment as it were to the working cow hand, and a fashion standard for men in the east. Early on the name Stetson became synonymous with the cowboy hat but even after the surge of the west its fame grew. In 1912 the battleship USS Maine was raised from Havana Harbor where it had sunk in 1898. A Stetson hat was recovered from the wreckage and after it was cleaned of debris, mud, and plant growth it proved to be undamaged and still waterproof.
Drink Your Milk
Realize that you are smarter than you think, braver than you realize and full of the wisdom of a hundred years. You will do great things because the greatness the world is looking for resides in you, and when the day comes that your remarkable nature is required to deliver, you will shine brighter than the star you wished on last night. Cowgirls are made of a combination of adorable and brilliant, making you an unstoppable force.
Kick Up Your Heels
So do you have your boots for the Rodeo yet? You know it’s this Saturday. Seriously girls! Get your feet in gear and get over to Pine Country Feed, where there are boots just right for your cowgirl feet. And while you’re at it, grab a hat for your adorable cowgirl head. Seriously!
Rodeo Ready
Time to get your style on for the Evergreen Rodeo – the weekend when we’re all cowboys and cowgirls, and the more put together the better. You may want to start with a belt, something studded with silver or blinged with rhinestones, which of course will have a greater impact when accompanied by the right pair of Cowgirl Tuff jeans, and you may as well top it off with one of the designer shirts that Pine Country Feed is famous for. Did we mention that Pine Country Feed is the Cowgirl Capital of the world, because they really get that being comfortable and looking your best should go hand in hand, the perfect pairing of relaxed living and eye catching flair? The Board Walk is waiting for your sassy approach, so pull it all together with the perfect hat, wide brimmed, leather banded, feathered set off with a pounded silver emblem, Pine Country has it all. That’s why you and PC are meant for each other. All you with just the right amount of wild, the best of the west!
Ride ‘em
It may be the gold in the buckle for the competing cowboys but for the rest of us it’s the turkey legs and funnel cakes, the seats so close you can feel the spray of the dirt as the bull races by, it’s a night in June with the lights on the arena and the clowns in the barrels, the flags flying and the crowd cheering, hoping that eight second buzzer will ring before our cowboy loses his grip. The Evergreen Rodeo, which is rodeo up close and personal is a celebration of the American spirit, an evening to see something that most of us never come close to, a parade of horses in their finest regalia, and royalty in satin and sequence, and we love it. Bring on the bulls and the broncs and the thrill of the Wild West. It’s the rodeo and we love it!
Cowgirls on Parade
The Evergreen Rodeo is around the corner, Father’s Day weekend as a matter of fact, and part of the fun is showing up in the right garb. Don’t look like a cowgirl wannabe, in jeans that are too blue and too plain, and a polo shirt. Pine Country has the jeans you need with just the right amount of bling and the perfect fit, and a studded t-shirt that will give you the look. There is a good chance that you will need a jacket, though it be June, the evenings can be cool, and if you’re going to wear a jacket it better be made of denim, and it better look like it has been to more than one round up. And don’t forget your head – yes you’ll want a hat – it’s the best part, and you’ll look like you were born to the life. You’ll need boots but don’t panic, we’ve got boots. Gorgeous boots that you’ll want to wear to the bull riding, the dance afterwards and the party after that. Finally, don’t go to the rodeo without your jewelry – bracelets, pendants and chains, earrings and even a snappy watch. When the cowboys ride into town they’ll need something to think about while they’re being thrown from the back of a horse, and it may as well be you.
Cowboy Culture
So you’re wondering why in a world where speed and riches are everything I would choose to be a cowboy. Why would I choose to work until I’m blistered and bruised and covered with dirt, and what is it about me that makes me think it’s okay to wear jeans for my work clothes and jeans for my church clothes and jeans when I take my best girl to dinner. You wanna know why a guy like me, with a Masters Degree in Business, would spend long nights in the barn during calving season, and longer days in the winter getting hay to the herd on the upper forty, and why I would rather shake hands with a man whose palms are worn by the reins of a horse than one who has a cell phone attached to his ear. You can’t figure what makes someone like me tear up when I see a soldier salute the flag and why I think of a summer afternoon on the porch as paradise, why I wouldn’t think of leaving the house without my hat. The answer is a simple one, but it’s the only explanation I can think of. Truth is … I was born this way.
Cowboy Love
We have often wondered what it is about the legendary American cowboy that is so appealing to the world of 2011. They were people covered with calluses and basically held together by dirt, they rarely had money, many of them drank too much, they smelled of sweat both human and equine, they thought of spitting as a conventional past time and guns were their favorite accessory, and yet we love them and sometimes wish we were one of them. It is something about their grit, their willingness to keep going when the herd has run amuck, their quiet way of owning the room, their “not afraid of hard work, get it done” attitude that we think of as American fable. We want them to win, to get the girl, to love their horse, to kill the bad guy – and we want to believe that they do it all with the best of intentions and a heart of gold, because they belong to the roots of who we are. They are fully American and totally bigger than life and that makes them the center of our dreams and the thing we love to believe in. Just a bunch of guys who wrestled cows and rode the range and we can’t get enough of them.
Wonder
Run little horse like a leaf on the wind; let the rhythm of your hooves in the grass and the dancing of your mane in the breeze carry you to the home of your ancestors. Be alive with the joy of new birth and independence and the sheer lightness of your gait. There is nothing to hold you as you find your legs and expand your spirit, for you belong to the brilliant sun and the comforting earth. Make your step sure as you stretch your young legs and taste the first wandering days of knowing, of becoming the noble being that lies in your destiny. Let the lilac blooms sweeten your sense of this brave new adventure called life, and run little, remarkable creature, colt of pure blood, for you are the hope of summer, the faith that the world is good.
Bulldogging Baby
Baby Doll Combs, owned by steer wrestler and Rodeo Champion Willard Combs is thought to be the best Steer Wrestling horse, or “bulldogger” that ever road the circuit. During her seven peak years of rodeo competition from 1953 to when she died in 1960 she earned over $400,000 in prize money, which in today’s dollars would amount to around $2,965,000. In 1957 Willard Combs won the Championship Steer Wrestling title on Baby Doll, and that year, the cowboys who took second, third, fourth and fifth in the standings were also riding Baby Doll. Famous Rodeo Cowboy, 
Bill Linderman said that Baby Doll knew bulldogging better than some of the cowboys who were riding her. When she died at a Kansas Rodeo in 1960 from a ruptured spleen, Willard Combs had her shipped back to his ranch in Oklahoma to be buried. Standing at the graveside, when she was laid to rest were many of the cowboys who had ridden her. Baby Doll was inducted into the PRCA Hall of Fame in 1979 with their very first class of inductees and is remembered as one of the greatest Rodeo horses of all times.
Duke
Take a guy who had an odd way of talking and an even odder way of walking, who couldn’t finish college because a body surfing injury made him lose his athletic scholarship, whose application to the Naval Academy was rejected, whose first real job paid him $105 per week, and whose given name at birth was Marion, and what do you get? You get one of the top three most popular film stars of all time, and the only one to make the list every year since the poll started. John Wayne, who was too tall and broad to really fit into the Hollywood scene, but ended up with lead roles in 142 films, and is now thought of as a legend for his work on the screen, didn’t start out with aspirations of stardom. The celebrity came to him after nine years of bit parts, one in which he played a corpse, and hours mentoring with stunt men about riding horses and straddling fences and taking a fall in a gunfight, and his “don’t mess with me” attitude when he refused to work with a major film maker because he didn’t like the way “the guy had treated him when he was nobody”. His stardom came from the way he owned the screen, the fact that he looked like he was born on a horse, the distinctive intonation in his voice that he didn’t even try to change, and the fact that in all but one of his roles he played a rough talking, heavy drinking, fight at the drop of a hat, good guy. He brought us bigger than life characters and better than life stories and he did it without being “discovered”. He just stayed with it until the screen was ready for John Wayne, and that took a few years.
No Price for a Friend
Roy Rogers, one of the best loved cowboys ever was only half of a box office hit duo that was first introduced in a movie called “Under Western Stars”. The other half was Roy’s Golden Palomino, Trigger. Trigger first starred in the movies as Maid Marian’s trusty steed in “The Adventures of Robin Hood”, but when Roy was signed to make his first big screen appearance the first order of business was to get a horse. Several horses were brought from local ranches, but when Rogers rode Trigger, then named Golden Cloud, he fell in love. Rogers changed his name to Trigger for the horse’s quick responsive nature, and Trigger became as big a Western hero, known for his majestic rearing stance, as any cowboy ever hoped to be. During his career Trigger spent much of his spare time visiting people sick in the hospital, where he would walk up the stairs with the grace of a ballerina, or calmly ride the elevator as though it was his customary means of travel. As their stardom grew, Roy Rogers wisely purchased Trigger so that he would never be paired with any other cowboy. The price was a huge, for that time, $2500 and Rogers, a low paid contract actor had to make payments to finally own Trigger outright. Throughout his life Roy often said that the money he paid for Trigger was the best $2500 he ever spent.
A Stitch in Time
In 1873, immigrants David Jacobs and Levi Strauss, combined their talents and resources and came up with a new phenomenon, called Waist Overhalls, more commonly known as jeans. From this first creation of denim thread and metal rivets, the single most popular clothing item in the history the world has taken shape, and variations are endless. Brilliant because of their durability and style, practical because they last forever and get the job done, jeans are synonymous with hard work and high fashion all at the same time. 
When women finally started wearing “trousers” in the forties and then “slacks” in the fifties, a proper pair of women’s jeans weren’t far behind. Cowgirl Tuff Jeans have taken the jean world by storm, doing their well-fitting best to make women’s legs look longer, behinds firmer, and all with a sense of wild west chic. Pine Country Feed has the good sense to carry a product that goes so far in making women’s fashion about comfort, style and ease of care. Proud to carry the Cowgirl Tuff brand, Pine Country is the place you’ll find a treasure around every corner.
Connection
“Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire. It is a grand passion.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Agnes
“Agnes Darling, if such should be we never meet again, while firing my last shot, I will gently breathe the name of my wife – Agnes – and with wishes even for my enemies I will make the plunge and try to swim to the other shore.” Wild Bill Hickok
Come the White Horse
Say the word thunder and an image of skies flashing and clouds crashing come to mind, but around here, in Bronco Country, say the word Thunder and an eleven year old white Arabian, and the mascot for the Denver Broncos comes into view. It is only natural that Denver would name their team the Broncos, which refers to “bronco busting,” which is when a cowboy deliberately seats himself on the back of horse that does not in any way want him there. The goal is to stay on the horse for eight seconds, not a long time, unless you’re being tossed in the air by a twelve hundred pound animal that is literally frantic to land you in the next county. This image works both for Colorado and the Broncos because we are all about taking chances, thundering hooves, muscled chests and flaring nostrils, and when we think of Thunder we think of the white, sleek Arabian that races out of the portal on a Sunday afternoon to the roaring crowds of Invesco Field. Thunder represents that undying belief that lives in the heart of every Bronco fan, that regardless of last week’s outcome, we are winners and we will again be on top, because that is what we do in Colorado. We change the plan, get creative, believe like a bunch of kids, plant both feet firmly on the ground, work it like we mean it, knowing that tomorrow is another day and we’ll be there, ready to win, and happy to shout about it. Saddle up, Thunder, we are ready to ride!
Cowboy Smart
“Letting the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier ‘n putting it back in.” Cowboy Rules for Living
Love Thee a Horse
The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire. ~Sharon Ralls Lemon
It’s a “Cowboy Thing”
Image via Wikipedia
I was out to lunch with a friend yesterday and I couldn’t help but over hear the conversation in the next booth. A young girl, in her early twenties I would guess, was saying that she was going to go to the Stock Show this year to see her first rodeo. The woman with her seemed shocked that a Colorado native had never seen a rodeo before. The younger girl said that it has never been her “cup of tea”, she wasn’t into that cowboy hick stuff and she didn’t like dirt.
I have to admit that I giggled for a minute and then sat in wonder for a bit. I have grown up loving the Stock Show, dirt, and the cowboy thing. For me it’s a way of life but for some it’s a foreign culture. For those out there in the world who don’t understand the “Cowboy Thing” let me fill you in.
The “Cowboy Thing” is a culture. It’s a culture that’s proud, that’s tough, that’s strong. We have well-built values, powerful character, and an unbeatable will. We aren’t afraid of hard work, falling down, or of getting dirty. That’s all part of life and we’re okay with that. We take our hats off when the Stars and Stripes are lifted atop a flag pole and we understand that a home cooked meal is more than just dinner, it’s a way of life. Our Sunday best might be our newest pair of jeans and the boots without mud on them, our version of a Cadillac might be a 4×4 pick-up truck with hay in the back, and some of us might do our hair by putting in a cowboy hat. To you this might not be your “cup of tea” but remember this, we are United States patriots, we have worked hard for every dollar we ever made, we love our family, stand up for our friends, fight for our country, and understand the value of what it means to be free.
It’s okay if you don’t understand… it’s a “Cowboy Thing”.
Two Days!!! It’s Shock Show Time People!!
Image via Wikipedia
Just two days left until the NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW rolls into town. This event is one of the best Denver has to offer. Here is some great information about it!! We hope to see you there!!!!!!
History- See how the National Western Stock Show has changed over the years by browsing our timeline from 1899 to 2010. Here are some excerpts:
| 1906 | First show opened on Monday January 29 and ran for six days. Attendance was estimated at 15,000 and the Grand Champion steer sold for 33 cents a pound, 23 cents over the market price! |
| 1932 | The 25th National Western presented the first Rodeo in conjunction with the Livestock and Horse Show. |
| 1954 | The Westernaires made their first appearance at the Rodeo. |
| 1981 | The show increased to 12 days and included 21 Rodeo performances. A still-standing record of $301,000 was paid at auction for a Hereford bull. |
| 2006 | National Western celebrates its 100th anniversary! The show’s attendance reached 726,972 for the 16-day show and the grand champion steer sold for $75,000 or $58 per pound! |
Just a Little Taste- See what’s happening all week long! Here’s just a sample!
Children Free!!
January 8-14, 2011
Free Children’s Grounds Admission 1/8-1/14 with voucher from any Guaranty Bank and Trust. (restrictions apply)
Click here for locations
$15,000 Dodge RAM Invitational Freestyle Reining Sunday, January 9
Beautiful spins and powerful stops mingled with original costumes and musical themes make this one of the National Western Stock Show’s hottest tickets! For more info
PBR Denver Chute-Out Bull Riding, January 10-12!
90 of the world’s best bull riders compete for more than $50,000 by staying on top of 1800 lbs of muscle for 8 seconds
Buy tickets now!
PRCA Rodeos
See Dates/Times
Activities for Kids
Backstage with a Rodeo Clown, Stick Horse Rodeos, Square Dancers, Top Hogs, Pedal Tractor Races and more much! Click here for schedules
How to get there- The National Western Complex is located just east of I-25 on I-70 and is easily accessible by taking the Brighton Blvd. or Coliseum exits.
National Western Complex
4655 Humboldt St.
Denver, CO 80216
We found this information at: http://www.nationalwestern.com/
