41st Gathering Featured Artists
Enjoy this collection of performances by the invited performers for the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, January 26 - 31, 2026.
Artwork - Headin' Out (2025), acrylic by Clara Smith.
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Freedom In Your Bridle Reins
Clancy shares the experience and freedom of rounding up cows on horseback. Clancy Ballard sings "Freedom In Your Bridle Reins."
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Clancy Ballard
Kanab, UTClancy Ballard grew up ranching in southern Utah, where he developed a great love for the cowboy lifestyle. He finds joy in ...
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Lazarus
R.P. recounts a difficult calving by a wild heifer. R.P. Smith performs "Lazarus" during the "Bellyaches + Heartbreaks" show at the 40th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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R.P. Smith
Broken Bow, NE
R.P. Smith is the fourth generation of his family to have the privilege to care f... -
Worthy of the Name
Sterling reflects on the responsibility needed to be a cowboy. Sterling Drake sings "Worthy of the Name" during the "Be the Poem, Be the Song" show at the 40th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Sterling Drake
Philipsburg, MT
Songwriter Sterling Drake’s journey has taken him fro... -
Buckaroo
Jeff addresses the changes through the life of a buckaroo. Jeff Carson recites "Buckaroo."
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Jeff Carson
Heber City, UT
Jeff Carson is a renowned cowboy poet from Heber City, Utah, known for his humorous and heartfelt verse that captures the essence of his western way of life. F... -
Sunrise Side of the Sierra
Richard celebrates the beauty of the desert. Richard Elloyan sings "Sunrise Side of the Sierra" during the "Nevada on My Mind" show at the 40th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Richard Elloyan
Virginia City, NV
Singer, songwriter, and poet Richard Elloyan grew up in the histor... -
Air to Earth
Maria Lisa beautifully illustrates "...an alchemy of air to earth." Maria Lisa Eastman reads her poem "Air to Earth" during the 2024 "Ranch Family Show" at the 39th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Maria Lisa Eastman
Sonoita, AZ
Maria Lisa Eastman and her husband Skip recentl... -
Work (Girl)
Jessie flexes her rhythmic muscles with a work song that waits for no man. Jessie Veeder performs "Work (Girl)" during the "Better Part of Living" show at the 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Jessie Veeder
Watford City, ND
Jessie Veeder writes and sings about the badland... -
Why Here, Then Gone?
George mulls over mediations and musings brought up by abandoned homesteads. George Wallace recites "Why Here, Then Gone?" featured during the 37th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering "Rodear Year."
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George Wallace
Fort Collins, CO
George Wallace has farmed and ranched north of For... -
Bubba and the Goat
A story from Dave about his brother, a football helmet and a goat. Dave Stamey performs "Bubba and the Goat" during the "Humor + Horror" show at the 39th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Dave Stamey has been a cowboy, a mule packer, and a dude wrangler. Now, he is one of the m...
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The Brutal Boss
Dick laments working for this gol danged ranch boss. Dick Warwick recites "The Brutal Boss" from his barn.
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Dick Warwick
Oakesdale, WA
Dick Warwick lives with his wife Sue on the old home place amid the rolling hills of the Palouse country of eastern Washington state. Together, ... -
Indigo
Trinity asked her son if there was a song she should sing in Elko. He picked this lively tune. Trinity Seely sings "Indigo" during the 2024 "Ranch Family Show" at the 39th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Trinity Seely
Ojai, CA
Trinity Seely's life has taken her to many diffe... -
Equilibrium, in Memory of Eric Levi Big Leggins
M.L. shares a memorial poem of grief. M.L. Smoker performs "Equilibrium, in Memory of Eric Levi Big Leggins" during the "Living Nations, Living Words" show at the 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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M.L. Smoker
Helena, MT
M.L. Smoker, a member of the Assiniboine and Sioux Nat... -
Just Cowboyin'
Matt gives us a peek into one day in the life of a cowboy. Matt Robertson sings "Just Cowboyin'" during the Ranch Family Show at the 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Matt Robertson
Wittmann, AZ
Raised in Wyoming, Matt Robertson grew up on the back of a horse, starting col... -
Tractor Stompin'
Dakota shares his dislike for "ridin' the rust off a tractor." Dakota Robinson recites "Tractor Stompin'."
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Dakota Robinson
Round Top, TX
Working on ranches from Texas to Kansas, Wyoming to New Mexico, and back again, Dakota Robinson has experienced firsthand the many challenges... -
The Battle of the Breadbasket
Jake describes an incident with a wad of chew. Jake Riley recites "The Battle of the Breadbasket" during the "Bellyaches + Heartaches" show at the 40th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Jake Riley
Riverdale, NE
Jake Riley grew up, for the most part, in the upper Arkansas Valley... -
Come Along Daisy
Brigid + Johnny, an amazingly talented sibling duo, share a tune they co-wrote. Brigid + Johnny Reedy perform "Come Along Daisy" during "The New Wave" show for the 2022 Wild Ride.
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Brigid + Johnny Reedy
Dillon, MT
Brigid Reedy first entertained Elko crowds by yodeling at the Pi... -
Sunburned Men on Tired Horses
Terry shares a poem that illustrates one day in the life of a cowboy. Terry Nash recites "Sunburned Men on Tired Horses" by Darrell Arnold during the "Paying Tribute" show at the 39th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Terry Nash
Loma, CO
Western Colorado beef producer Terry Nas... -
The Butterfly
Darrell recounts a "true" story of his experience with a rattlesnake and a butterfly. Darrell Holden performs "The Butterfly" during the "Talking it All in Stride" show at the 39th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Darrell Holden is a proud fifth-generation rancher who raises c...
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The Big Man (Veritas Atrox)
Lara tells the history of a Spaniard who brought settlers into New Mexico via Mexico. Lara Manzanares performs "The Big Man (Veritas Atrox)" during the "Both Feet on the Ground" show at the 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Lara Manzanares
Tierra Amarilla, NM
Lara Manzanare... -
Windy Bill
Katie recites the lyrics from a cowboy song that some say started out as a poem. It was collected by N. Howard "Jack" Thorp from John Collier, Cornudas Mountain, New Mexico in July 1899. Katie McCall-Owen performs "Windy Bill" during the "Highlights of the Open Mic" show at the 39th National Cowb...
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La Julia
Lone Piñon, shares a light-hearted, old-fashioned satirical Northern New Mexican song (polka). "La Julia" was passed down through generations and the elders always laugh at this song.
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Lone Piñon
Santa Fe & Albuquerque, NM
Lone Piñon is a New Mexican string band, or orquesta tí... -
Sons of the Pioneers Musical Legacy
The Sons of the Pioneers will take the stage at the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, NV. January 26 - 31, 2026.
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Sons of the Pioneers
Oakland, CA; Branson, MO; Beaumont & Marshall TX; Seattle, WA
The legendary Sons of the Pioneers are famous the world over for thei... -
Dog Tired
Annie shares a lesson about getting an early start. Annie Mackenzie recites "Dog Tired" during the "Big Skies" show at the 2022 Wild Ride.
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Annie Mackenzie
Jordan Valley, OR
While known as the family rambler, Annie Mackenzie has her roots planted firmly at the fourth-generation ... -
Better Days
Jimmy shares how the things we love and can't replace are a testament to living. Jimmy Cantwell sings "Better Days."
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Jimmy Cantwell
Cañon City, CO
Jimmy Cantwell is a second-generation horseman who’s turned a life full of experience into song. From his time as a soldier to ridi...
