Rodney pokes fun at his poet pal Pat Richardson. Rodney Nelson performs "Bunkin' with Pat" during the "Laugh Kills Lonesome" show at the 35th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Rodney Nelson
Almont, ND
Rodney Nelson and his wife, Teri, live at Sims, North Dakota, population 2, a suburb of Almont. Despite advancing age and declining health, Rodney continues to make his living rodeoing, which has caused him to enjoy a low standard of living. His rodeo career has been in a steady decline for most of his life, going from riding saddle broncs to now competing in senior breakaway roping, which his daughter says is a girls’ event for old men. He finds it necessary to supplement his rodeo income by raising a few cattle, breaking a few horses, working as a brand inspector, writing a column “Up Sims Creek” for Farm and Ranch Guide, freeze-branding cattle around North Dakota in the coldest winter months, and entertaining banquet crowds with his brand of rural humor. He died in 2020.

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Filmed in front of a live audience at the Elko Convention Center's Laurena Moren Theater on Feb. 2, 2019.

Made possible by McMullen, McPhee & Company, LLC and by the multitude of staff, artists, volunteers, and community members working behind the scenes to make this show happen.

Brought to you by the Western Folklife Center, using story and cultural expression to connect the American West to the world.
www.westernfolklife.org

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