FEATURING: Floyd Beard, Straw Berry, Tom Sharpe.

Three cowboys walk into the Pioneer Saloon. . . Which one has the best opening line? Floyd Beard, Straw Berry, and Tom Sharpe take the stage with poems from classic to "cowboy poultry."

From the 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

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PLAYLIST

"Cremation of Sam McGee" - Floyd Beard (poem by Robert Service)
"A Little Cowboy Poultry" - Straw Berry
"From Force to Feel" - Tom Sharpe
"Harley's Last Parade" - Floyd Beard
"Festus' Spurs" - Straw Berry
"Joker's Pay" - Tom Sharpe (poem by Rod McQueary)

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Floyd Beard
Kim, CO
Floyd Beard and wife, Valerie, ranch in the canyons near Kim, Colorado, where they run a cow-calf operation. A good day involves getting up before the sun is "pinking up the east," riding, working cattle, and settling down on the porch to watch the sunset. Floyd, who has a gift for putting words together that build a vivid picture, has been writing and rhyming for over 40 years. His third and newest album is titled Horse Tales and Cow Trails. Most of his original poetry is written about his observations while working on the ranch, interwoven with stories from the old-timers and a lifetime of living and studying the western lifestyle.

Straw Berry
Washita County, OK
California-born but Oklahoma-raised, "Straw" grew up as part of the third generation of Berrys to live and work on the Botchlett Ranch in Washita County. He had a career in the livestock feed and fertilizer industry while partnering with his father in a small cow-calf operation. Straw now keeps a couple of horses around for himself, his wife Penny, and their eight grandkids. He began writing and reciting cowboy poetry around the year 2000 and is a past performer at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering, and the Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering. He also speaks at local cowboy churches and civic groups. His two CDs are "Red Hill Reflections" and "Strawberry Preserved."

Tom Sharpe
Loma, CO
Born and raised in south central Colorado, Tom Sharpe grew up working in the family packing plant and feedlot. Riding colts and day labor kept him in spending money. Convinced from birth that one must be good with horses to be good with cows, he has spent his life studying horses and following cows. Tom has worked the beef industry vertically from top to bottom, including working cattle for hire in 10 states. For the last 20 years, he has been showing versatility ranch horses and sharing knowledge with kids in the 4-H program. Committed to making better horses and better kids, Tom continues to study at his trade. He and his wife, Ronna Lee, founded Colorado’s Grand Junction Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

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Filmed in front of a live audience at the Western Folklife Center’s G Three Bar Theater in Elko NV, on Feb. 2, 2023.

Made possible 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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