The Western Folklife Center’s Third Annual Ranch Dog Week happened the first week of September on our Instagram. The photos and videos everyone sent us of their canine coworkers were so impressive, we have to share them here, too! Without further ado, here is a recap of this year’s pack.

This month, mystery asker Thinking of Lasca poses an introspective question to the cowboy poets: ”Freedom is felt at various points in each of our lives. Whether it is the first time riding a horse, driving a vehicle, taking a trip, or getting lost, the sense of freedom (and navigating the consequences) seems to stay with us indefinitely. Could you comment on the discovery or loss of a cherished freedom that you have felt?”

For a little over 25 years, Cleo Hansen has been the cornerstone of the Western Folklife Center. As Office Manager and jack-of-all-trades, she’s what keeps the WFC running day to day. If you’ve been an artist, staff, or volunteer at the Gathering, you no doubt have been embraced (literally and figuratively) by Cleo. In this Q&A, we talk to Cleo about her quarter of a century at the Western Folklife Center and what keeps her connected to our mission.

Some things are easier to say in a song or a poem than they are in conversation. Music and poetry give shape to what lives in the heart and soul, helping us put words to what might otherwise remain unsaid and helping us connect to one another. This month, our cowboy poets share the poems that speak most deeply to them as they answer this question posed by Heart & Soul, “What is the one poem that bares your soul? The one that says something you might not otherwise know how to say?”

For almost 11 years, Marianne Molland was the Programs Administrator for the Western Folklife Center. She left last January for a new job as a 911 dispatcher, but she came back a few months later to take on the role of Membership Director & Development Manager. In this Q&A, we talk to Marianne about her change in jobs, in roles, and what brought her back to the Folklife Center family.

Sometimes writing a cowboy poem comes “like it was delivered via a magic carpet,” but other times the writing drags on and on for months or years. This month, the cowboy poets talk about the time it takes them to write poems as they answer this question posed by The Deadline Drifter, “What was the quickest poem you ever wrote? Which one took the longest, and how long did it take to finish?”

Rodeo season is in full swing. And while not every cowboy poet rodeos, the feats that take place in arenas across time and space have inspired this bunch of cowboy poets to reminisce on their various rodeo experiences. Whether in the announcer’s booth, in the grandstands, or on a bull, the cowboy poets have stories to tell in rhyme and meter as they answer this month’s question, “Have you ever rodeoed? If so, did the experience inspire a poem? (Or, do you have a favorite rodeo poem?)”

After more than a decade of welcoming members, supporting the Gathering, and helping steward the mission of the Western Folklife Center, Development Manager & Membership Director Carolyn Trainor is retiring. Read more about Carolyn’s deep commitment to the stories and communities of the American West, and the kindness and care she brought to every part of her work.

Jordan Wright helped shape the last three Gatherings through food, friendship, and thoughtful creativity. A beloved member of the Elko community, Jordan brought people together everywhere he went, leaving behind laughter, connection, and a lasting mark on all of us.

Even if the lines of a memorized poem begin to fade, the feeling of the poem persists. This month, we ask the cowboy poets a question posed by a nurturer of storytelling and rhyme, Mother Goose, “What was the first poem you committed to memory, cowboy or otherwise, and why has it stayed with you?”

The first markers of spring are meaningful when you work close to the land. This month, as we inch closer to greener pastures and longer days, the cowboy poets share spring-inspired poems as varied as the season itself as they answer this question, “What’s a spring moment on the ranch that has stayed with you long enough to become a poem?”

From beloved horses to ornery cows, this month the cowboy poet columnists reflect on the memorable animals in their lives that inspired a poem.

“I've traveled all over the world and met many amazing people, but this cowboy community certainly holds its own,” writes renowned painter William Matthews as he recounts how attending the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in 1986 changed the course of his career.

“[The Gathering] continues to teach me that there are many ways you can be a member of the western community, and contribute to its future,” writes musician Lilly Platts as she reflects on how songs, poems, and art help foster western culture, appreciation, and community.

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering went on the road to Las Vegas for the last few days of the NFR. We had four days of an amazing gift show, three days filled with poetry and music, nightly NFR watch parties, and so much more. What happens in Vegas, we want to share!

We’re heading back to Las Vegas this December for the National Finals Rodeo, and you’re invited to join us at the Ahern Hotel, Dec. 10–13, for National Cowboy Poetry Gathering on the Road!

Morgan Buckert turned a childhood admiration of handmade cowboy boots into a career as a custom cowboy bootmaker. Morgan consciously weaves traditional bootmaking with her deep knowledge of the people and places of the West. In this Q&A, we talk with Morgan about her experience making boots and connecting with other makers at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

In this month's Ask a Cowboy Poet column, the cowboy poets talk about a person who is part of their Cow Town State of Mind community alongside their family and crew. And, we want you to answer the question too!

“You can express, you can carve whatever you want,” says acclaimed saddlemaker Pedro Pedrini in his Q&A with the Western Folklife Center. Pedro came to Elko from France in the 1970s to study saddlemaking. Now, five decades later, Pedro has his own saddle shop in Spring Creek, Nevada, and works with his son Tony. Pedro and Tony will be co-teaching a leather carving workshop at the 41st Gathering.

“Sharing poems and songs about those aspects of our agrarian lives that were personal and deeply felt did a lot to humanize us,” writes Gail Steiger as he reflects on what cowboy poetry means and the connections it opens up.