Cowboy Crossroads

Rancher and westerner Benny Romero talks about growing up in northern New Mexico, managing ranches in California and Nevada, serving on agricultural boards, and the values of the ranching lifestyle. Don't miss the story and song about Benny from Brenn Hill.    Learn more about Benny Romero's Ranch Barns & Terrace at www.bridgeportranch.com       Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges...

Ranch wife, cowboy poetry reciter, and the matriarch of the historic Hunewill Ranch talks about growing up in a Navy family, marrying into the Hunewill family, the history of the ranch, guest ranching, and her love for poetry.    Learn more about the Hunewill Ranch at www.hunewillranch.com   Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Support the podcast and beocme a patron at www.p...

Cowboy conservationist, photographer, and packer Kent Reeves joins the show to talk about photographing cowboy poets, his decades long work in rangeland conservation, and the 30th anniversary of his landmark book with Anne Heath Widmark  Between Earth and Sky: Poets of the Cowboy West.    Learn more about Kent Reeves at www.kentreeves.com   Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com...

Horseman and poet Tom Sharpe talks about his background in the livestock industry, the similarities between working with horses and writing poetry, and the life and work of classic cowboy poet Henry Herbert Knibbs.    Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Support the podcast and become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads  

Recorded live at the 2025 Ranch Verse,  Joel Nelson returns to Cowboy Crossroads to share stories from his earliest memories of livestock and being horseback. Joel reflects on his time working at the 06 Ranch , the influence of Ray Hunt , horsemanship, and poetry.    This episode was recorded live and sponsored by the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock . Learn more at www.ranchingheritag...

Old-time cowboy and fiddler JM Cates was born in 1936. This interview was recorded on August 22nd, just 8 days before his 89th birthday and a little over a month before he passed away on October 2nd. On this episode, JM talks about learning how to work from his father, his early cowboyin' jobs, playing music on ranches and at the Western Cowpunchers Association, and shares cowboy stories and wisdo...

Cowboy artist Bruce Greene talks about his beginnings as an artist, becoming a member of the Cowboy Artists of America, his artistic influences, his artistic process, and the working cowboy having a oneness with his environment.     Photo by Ben Christensen.    This episode was sponsored by the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas. Learn more at www.ranchingheritage.org   Learn more...

Old-time cowboy singer Skip Gorman talks about his journey into American folk music, attending the Newport Folk Festival as a kid, discovering cowboy music on 78 RPM records, the Celtic roots of cowboy music, the influence of Jimmie Rogers, the music of Jimmie Driftwood, his friendship with Yodeling Slim Clark, the difference between Bluegrass and Cowboy songs, and plays an old-time Texas fiddle t...

South Dakota poet and ranch wife Yvonne Hollenbeck talks about her fiddle playing father, making quilts, her friendship with Elizabeth Ebert and offers some parting words upon her retirement from the national cowboy poetry stage.     This episode was sponosred by Flint Custom Hats. Learn more at www.flinthat.com     Learn more about Yvonne Hollenbeck at www.yvonnehollenbeck.com     Learn more abou...

Cowboy, author, and videographer J.B. Zielke, AKA the Lost Cowboy, tells stories about cowboyin' in Australia, Argentina, Sweden, South Africa, Mexico, and Mongolia.   Learn more about J.B. Zielke at www.thelostcowboy.com/   Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads      

Cowboy poet and rancher Bill Lowman talks about growing up ranching in North Dakota, where his cowboy poetry comes from, the very first Elko gathering, being mistaken for Claude Dallas by the FBI, founding the Dakota Cowboy Poetry Gathering, and shares the poem that got him invited to Elko.     Learn more about Bill Lowman at www.lowmanslodge.com   Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhed...

Fourth generation rancher Craig Haythorn talks about the history of Haythorn Land & Cattle Company, the influence of his father and grandfather, the Nebraska Sandhills, feeding with a team of horses, pulling out the wagon, changes in ranching, and his love for his family.     This episode was sponsored by National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas. Learn more at www.ranchingheritage.org  ...

Cowboy and fashion photographer Scott Slusher talks about photographing working cowboys, authenticity, staying out of the way, and being in the right place at the right time.    Learn more about Scott Slusher at www.scottslusherphotography.com     Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads

Arizona cowboy and writer Ed Ashurst tells stories of working with old-time cowboys Whistle Mills and Bill Howell and talks about his experiences on legendary Arizona outfits including the O RO Ranch, the Babbitt Ranch, and the Diamond A Ranch. Recorded onstage in front of a live audience at the 2nd Annual Ranch Verse.     This episode was sponsored by the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubb...

Cowboy artist Teal Blake talks about his father Buckeye Blake, his western art influences, becoming a member of the Cowboy Artists of America, his artistic process, and his love for the West.     Learn more about Teal Blake at www.tealblake.com   Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Become a patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads  

Third generation New Mexico rancher and author Carl Lane Johnson talks about his family's ranching history, his cowboy idol, breaking colts, treating screwworms, changes in the ranching industry and explains the difference between a cowboy, cowman, cattleman, and rancher.     This episode was sponosred by the National Ranching Hertiage Center. Learn more at www.ranchingheritage.org   Learn more ab...

Wylie Gustafson of Wylie & The Wild West talks about the beginning of his musical career, the cowboy folk music of his father, the story of the Yahoo yodel, cutting horses, writing songs with Paul Zarzyski, and the workingman quality of cowboy poetry.      Learn more about Wylie Gustafson at www.wyliewebsite.com     Learn more about Cowboy Crossrods at www.andyhedges.com     Become a patron at www...

Cowboy and horseman Martin Black talks about his family's deep ranching roots, being in cow camp with his brother at eight years old, ranching changes in the Great Basin, the disappearance of the wagon, and the horsemanship philosophy of his mentors Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance, and Tom Marvel.    Learn more about Martin Black at www.martinblack.net   Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges...

Bluegrass legend Peter Rowan talks about his lifelong fascination with the West, amateur historians, and making the album High Lonesome Cowboy with Don Edwards.        Learn more about Peter Rowan at  www.peter-rowan.com       This episode was sponsored by B2 Trading Company. Learn more about them at  www.b2tradingcompany.com       Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at  www.andyhedges.com       Be...

Waddie Mitchell returns to Cowboy Crossroads to celebrate 100 episodes of the podcast. Waddie talks about making phone calls to Kris Kristofferson and S. Omar Barker, classic cowboy poetry, his recording career, and his favorite original poems.     This interview was recorded onstage in front of a live audience at the Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Alpine, Texas. Learn more about the Lone St...

Legendary western photographer Barbara Van Cleve talks about growing up at the end of the horse age, her family's Lazy K Bar Ranch, her father Spike Van Cleve, her collaborations with rodeo poet Paul Zarzyski, and her love for horses, ranching, and photography.    Learn more about Barbara Van Cleve at www.barbaravancleve.com     This episode was co-sponsored by the National Ranching Heritage Cente...

Old-time musician Rex Rideout discusses the life and times of the first cowboy song collector Jack Thorp. Rex discusses the events that led to Thorp's search for cowboy songs, Thorp's book of Songs of the Cowboys, the story of Little Joe the Wrangler, and Thorp's banjo.   Find out more about Rex at  http://www.timetravelmusic.com   Find out more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Beco...

Ninety-one year-old legendary working cowboy Boots O'Neal talks about his early cowboyin' experiences on the JA Ranch, starting colts with his brother Wes, horse wrecks, and tells stories from a lifetime spent punchin' cows on the most iconic ranches in Texas. Recorded in front of a live audience at the 2023 Ranch Verse event at the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas.        This...

Oklahoma cowboy poet, rancher, and former bull rider Jay Snider talks about his ranching and rodeo family, the influence of his grandfather, memories from his rodeo career, and the camaraderie of the trail driving era that continues through rodeo and cowboy poetry.   Find out more agout Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Become a patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads  

94-year-old rancher and Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee Clarence Lanka talks about growing up on a ranch in Western Nebraska, riding his horse to a one room school, roping, good horses, and his faith in God.      Find out more about Cowboy Crossroads at  www.andyhedges.com     Become a patron at  www.patreon.com/cowboycrossorads