watch: MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS-WILLIE NELSON
*disclaimer: video not my own. downloaded from Youtube.
***
Cowboys have often been depicted in writings, books, movies, songs. It was a lonely life for the cattlemen who spent months at a time on wide, open ranges, driving their herds of cattle. But, their profession played a prominent part of the early beef industry in the United States. They herded the cattle safely from one location to the next, making frequent, short stops, so the cattle could graze and then rest at night, preventing long treks that caused the cattle to lose weight.
Hollywood developed a fascination with the cowboy culture. John Wayne, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Clint Eastwood, among others, built successful careers depicting the western/cowboy ways of life, and rodeos as well, have been subjects of many films. 
artist: Frederic Remington
artist: C.M. Russell
Other noteworthy artists:Virgil C. Stevens: http://www.notevena.com/
George Catlin: http://www.georgecatlin.org/
Greg Singley:http://www.gregsingley.com/gallery.html
artist: Bill Chappell: http://www.billchappellart.com
artist: Frank McCarthy: http://www.frankmccarthy.com/***
***CHECK OUT: PHOTOGRAPHER - EDWARD CURTIS - SLIDE SHOW; NATIVE AMERICAN***
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COWBOY/WESTERN GATHERIN'S
(California - all over the place) 2011:
Feb.6–March 7
Masters of the American West Fine Arts Exhibition and Sale
Los Angeles, CA
323-667-2000
autrynationalcenter.org
*
March 29
Oakdale Testicle Festival, Oakdale, Ca
209-847-5163
oakdalecowboymuseum.org
*
March 12–14
Palm Springs West Fest
Palm Springs, Calif.
800-664-5617
palmspringswestfest.com
*
April 22–25
Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival
Santa Clarita, Calif.
661-286-4021
cowboyfestival.org
*
May 25–30
Bishop Mule Days
Bishop, Calif.
760-872-4263
muledays.org
*
Sept. 3-6
Gold Rush Days
Sacramento, Calif.
916-808-7777
Sacramentogoldrushdays.com
*
Sept. 25-26
Barstow Rodeo Stampede
Barstow, Calif.
760-596-2065
barstowrodeo.com
*
Nov. 6–7 and 13–14
Harvest Fair
San Bernardino, Calif.
(909) 384-5426
harvestfair.net
*
Monterey Cowboy Poetry & Music Festival
Monterey, CA
http://www.montereycowboy.org/
NEVADA- 2011
March 3–7
Ranch Hand Rodeo and Ranch, Rope, and Performance Horse Sale
Winnemucca, Nev.
775-623-2220
ranchrodeonv.com
*
May 28–30
Mule Races, Show, and Draft Horse Challenge
Winnemucca, Nev.
775-623-5071
winnemucca.com
*
June 17–26
Reno Rodeo
Reno, Nev.
775-329-3877
renorodeo.com
*
Dec. 2–5
Single-Action Shooting Society Convention and Wild West Christmas
Las Vegas, NV
877-411-7277
sassnet.com
*
Dec 2-11
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo
Las Vegas,NV
702-260-8605
nfrexperience.com
ARIZONA
2011 Wild West Days celebrate "Tombstone"
April 2, 2011
Tucson, AZ
http://www.oldtucson.com/
*
Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering
Prescott, AZ
http://www.azcowboypoets.org/
*
Cowboy Christmas Poets Gathering
Historic Wickenburg, AZ
http://www.wickenburgchamber.com/
*
Mesa Old West Days
Mesa, AZ
http://www.mesaoldwestdays.com/
*
UTAH-2011
Heber City Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Buckaroo Fair
Heber City, UT
http://www.hebercitycowboypoetry.com/
*
Western Stars Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Moab, UT
www.moabwesternstars.com/westernstars
*
Western Legends Roundup
Kanab, UT]
www.westernlegendsroundup.com
*
***
COWBOY/WESTERN GATHERIN'S-CALIFORNIA 2010:
artist: Bev Doolittle****
