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.com     Become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads 

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.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads    

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   Support the podcast and become a patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads 

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.ranchingheritage.org.   Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com.   Support the podcast and become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads.

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 wisdom from a lifetime of experience.    This episode was sponsored by Flint Custom Hats. Check them out online at www.flinthat.com   Thank you to my friends at the Western Cowpunchers Association for arranging this interview. Check them out online at www.westerncowpunchers.com    Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads   

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 about Bruce Greene at www.brucegreeneart.com   Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads  

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 tune with host Andy Hedges.    Learn more about Skip Gorman at www.skipgorman.com   Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads

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 about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads  

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.andyhedges.com   Become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads  

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    Learn more about Craig Haythorn and Haythorn Land & Cattle Co. at www.haythorn.com   Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads  

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 Lubbock, Texas. Learn more at www.ranchingheritage.org   Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads

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 about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com     Become a patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads  

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.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads  

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.com   Become a patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads  

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       Become a patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads  

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 Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering at www.lonestarcowboypoetry.com    Learn more about Waddie Mitchell at www.waddiemitchell.com   Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com   Become a patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads