FEATURING: R.W. Hampton, Ross Knox, Terry Nash.

They’re obstinate. They’re wily. They think they know better, and they don’t follow the rules. And no, we’re not talking about this show’s lineup. They are the strays of our lives—the characters who test our skills and patience, and occasionally even get the best of us. And yet there is no denying ranch life would be a lot less interesting without them. Musician R.W. Hampton, reciter
Ross Knox, and poet Terry Nash come together for a (hopefully) charitable examination of whether leppies and mavericks—animal and otherwise—might just be here to challenge us to become better (cow) people.

Hosted by Will Jordan.

From the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

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PLAYLIST

"The One That I Never Could Ride" - R.W. Hampton
"A Cowman's Lot" - Terry Nash (poem by Terry Nash + Mike Moutoux)
"Charles Goodnight's Dream" - Ross Knox (poem by Joel Nelson)
"Cimarron" - R.W. Hampton
"Promise" - Terry Nash
"The Old Night Hawk" - Ross Knox (poem by Bruce Kiskaddon)
"Who?" - R. W. Hampton
"Ridin'" - Terry Nash (poem by Badger Clark)
"Man's Best Friend" - Ross Knox
"Wild Bunch" - R.W. Hampton
"Ol' 336" - Terry Nash
"Bear Hunter's Bold" - Ross Knox (poem by S. Omar Barker)
"How Great Thou Art" - R.W. Hampton (from Swedish poem by Carl Boberg, English words + music by Stuart K. Hine)

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

R.W. Hampton
Amarillo, TX / Miami, NM
R.W. Hampton was born to be a cowboy. Growing up in Texas, he worked on ranches across the American West. From New Mexico to Nevada, Oregon, Wyoming, and Texas, he started colts, shod horses, and drove cows all while writing songs inspired by the life he was living. What started as bunkhouse entertainment grew into a full-time music and film career, performing at places like the Grand Ole Opry and starring in films such as "Wild Horses" and "The Tracker." He and his wife Lisa split their time between their Texas and New Mexico ranches when they are not on tour.

Ross Knox
Skull Valley, AZ
Ross Knox first aspired to be a cowboy as a little boy watching his father work their ranch in central Oregon. At 16, he quit school and moved
to Nevada to buckaroo, where he began writing poetry to occupy his time alone. He has worked packing in supplies for trail and fire crews at the
Grand Canyon and Saguaro National Parks, and has led pack trips in Yosemite. Ross is currently living a cowboy’s “retirement,” training horses
and working lots of cows. Known for reciting the classics, Ross also writes originals and has more than 100 poems committed to memory.

Terry Nash
Loma, CO
Western Colorado beef producer and acclaimed poet Terry Nash knows how to draw you into his poetry. His tales are of the West not seen from the highway or from the rodeo bleachers. Terry lives the life he writes about, and he’s a master at showing it to you. He and his wife Kathy raise horses, hay, and beef, and spend as much of their time as possible on the mountain horseback. Along with writing and reciting his original cowboy poems, Terry brings classics to the stage and has recently written a couple songs. Note: Don’t ask him to sing!

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Filmed in front of a live audience at the Elko Convention Center’s Laurena Moren Theater on Jan. 30, 2026.

Made possible by Baymont by Wyndham Elko 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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