The Cowboy Up Podcast

Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch. Grass-fed cattle. Cutting-edge land conservation. Award-winning historical novel trilogoy. All good things, and all connected to the energy, passion and creativity of David M. Jessup. Give a listen as Russell and Alan chat with David about his many accomplishments on the front range of the beautiful, bold Rocky Mountains.

Although Lynn Downey was raised around cowboys and horses, she never inherited the horse gene. Instead, she got the love-of-western-history gene. Russell and Alan chat with Lynn about her career curating and archiving for museums and businesses and writing award-winning books about dude ranching, Levi Strauss & Co, Sonoma, CA, Wickenburg, AZ and more!

Over the past decade, Tucson has become a literary hub. The Old Pueblo is now home to the Tucson Festival of Books, the 3rd largest book festival in the country. Hundreds of talented writers, including National Book Award finalists and Pulitzer Prize winners, live in Tucson and the surrounding southern Arizona area. Lynn Wiese Sneyd, author, literary consultant to the Tucson book fest, and all-aro...

On October 26, 1881, a gunfight between a group of lawmen and outlaw cowboys occurred at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, AZ. It lasted all of 30 seconds. The infamous shootout has been the basis for books, movies, and TV shows. And yet, controversy remains over what really happened. Bestselling author Tom Clavin, whose newest book is "Tombstone: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendetta Ride...

Tucson native Loop Rawlins is one of the most versatile western performers in the world today. His act of trick roping, whip cracking and fancy gun spinning thrilled audiences in Vegas  and national sports stadiums, at corporate and private events, and even on America's Got Talent. Meet this fascinating talent who is keeping the spirit of the West alive.

He's an illustrator, an author, a storyteller extraordinaire. He's written a book about Wyatt Earp and three books about Billy the Kid. He grew up in Kingman, AZ along Route 66 and currently is the owner and editor of True West Magazine. There is only one Bob Boze Bell , and it's time you meet him.

Russell and Alan chat with two gun experts and historians. From the pioneer days through the Civil War into the 20th century, the evolution of guns is fascinating. This episode is sure to leave you with a new appreciation of the guns used in western movies. (Can you name the gun featured in Silverado, True Grit, Dances with Wolves, Legends of the Fall, and How the West was Won?)

Turn the calendar. Open the gate. And say hello to 2021! Russell and Alan review the challenges of the past year and also challenges they've faced in the past. What does it take to get through tough times, as well as prepare for a ride into new pastures, hopefully greener ones? Sometimes cowboys know best.

Lisa Diersen, Founder and Executive Director of the EQUUS Film & Arts Festival , and associate Julianne Neal make a virtual tour stop at the ranch to speak with Alan and Russell. Every horse has a story, and it's the mission at the EQUUS Film & Arts Fest to share those stories through film, art and literature. No matter what your interest is in horses—dressage, equine therapy, saving wild mustangs...

He's an author, songwriter, storyteller, performer, cowboy, college prof, and Arizona's own state historian. As the Arizona Historical Foundation's executive director says, "His homespun wit and unassuming demeanor often serve as a smokescreen to his incisive talents in the scholarly arena." You're in for a treat because you're about to meet Marshall Trimble .

'Tis the season to celebrate, even in these crazy, strange times. But how have holiday celebrations evolved over the decades? Culinary and western historian Sherry Monahan chats with Alan and Russell about what Christmas and other holidays looked like on the Victorian western frontier. Differences? Yes. But traditions remain!

Alan and Russell talk with guest Bill Markley , a western writer and history buff, whose experience with Hollywood's silver screen began where Alan's left off. And to think, it all happened in South Dakota. Can you guess the topic? Tune in to find out!

Few westerners know hats better then master hatter Jimmy Harrison, fondly known as Jimmy "the hat man." He's been shaping and cutting down hats since he was young and in rodeo with his buddies. Eventually, he became the owner of Double H Custom Hat Company in Darby, MT and Wickenburg, AZ, where he creates and manufacturers hats for customers worldwide. Jimmy joins Russell and Alan to share the sec...

Russell and Alan chat with historian and author Chris Enss. Some of the most famous names in history, not to mention film and pop culture, populate her 40+ books. Her newest book is "No Place for a Woman: The Struggle for Suffrage in the Wild West." Learn more about Chris at www.chrisenss.com . 

In 1907 in the small town of Winterset, Iowa, Marion Robert Morrison was born. As an adult, he would change his name to John Wayne. A Hollywood legend, Wayne remains an integral part of western film and culture. Russell and Alan chat with Brian Downes, the executive director of the John Wayne Birthplace and Museum . Tune in to their conversation now! As The Duke would say, "We're burning daylight....

On a ranch, the unexpected is just part of life. You might say it's the expected. From quirky individuals who move in as neighbors to horse wrecks and pickup wrecks, the unanticipated flavors ranch life with the kick of a habanero pepper flavoring hot sauce. Russell and Alan share stories that they'll never forget, and neither will you!  

Roger Naylor, an award-winning travel writer, avid hiker, and road trip junkie, joins Russell and Alan. Roger has been exploring and delighting in the Grand Canyon since he moved from Ohio to attend Northern Arizona University four decades ago. His scope of knowledge wows the two lifelong Arizonans. Check out Roger's new book " Arizona's Scenic Roads and Hikes: Unforgetable Journeys in the Grand C...

Russell and Alan enjoy learning from one another and sharing stories. One question remains. Should Alan's blue-ribbon beef jerky be renamed?

Wild horses tend to be a shy bunch, but for photographer Jan Drake, they are beautiful and fascinating subjects. Jan joins Alan and Lynn Wiese Sneyd to talk about her experiences out on the range both as photographer and as a volunteer for the Intermountain Wild Horse and Burros program and Wild Horses of America Foundation. Jan's new book is " Wild Horses of the West ," a coffee table collection...

Dude ranching has been part of the western experience since the turn of the 20th century. Many of today's dude ranches have stayed in the family for generations. Russell and Alan chat with Bryce Albright who, like Russell, grew up in a dude ranching family and is now the executive director of the Dude Ranchers' Association in Cody, WY.

Ever have a mentor who impacted your life, a person who you'll remember forever? Russell and Alan reflect on their mentors and offer up some inspiration and lessons to help us get through these crazy times. They also talk about being mentors and paying it forward. If you have a mentoring story you'd like to share, email us at thecowboyuppodcast@gmail.com and we'll get it posted on our social media...

Ross Knox learned about life from the saddle. A wrangler, mule packer, leather braider, and renown cowboy poet, Knox offers up some western adventures, along with a few inspiring poems. And it's not everyone who has a song written about them, but Knox lays claim to that one, too!  

Deborah Plum, co-founder of Base Camp for Veterans, Inc ., and Jeff Cook, wild mustang trainer at Dream Horse AZ , join Russell and Alan to talk about the unique program being offered to veterans and their families. At the center of the program: wild mustangs, those four-legged creatures capable of helping us grow and transform.

Alan shares more stories about his sister, Sandra Day O'Connor, the woman who started Stanford at age 16, graduated from law school at 22, found her way to the Arizona legislature and eventually to Washington, D.C. A most timely conversation. 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the constitutional right to vote. Many women opened doors and paved...

Ranch life is not the easiest. One thing it does, however, is build character. Alan reflects on how being raised on a cattle ranch in the hard-scrabble, high desert of Arizona influenced his sister, Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman nominated and confirmed to the United States Supreme Court.