Yvonne recounts a "romantic" dinner with her rancher husband. Yvonne Hollenbeck recites "Dining Out" during the "Back in Elko Town" show at the 38th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Yvonne Hollenbeck
Clearfield, SD
Yvonne Hollenbeck is a South Dakota cattleman’s wife who write...

DW shares this funny saga of Ol' Flukie, who had a taste for "oysters." DW Groethe recites "The Night Ol' Flukie Foundered" during the "Laugh Kills Lonesome" show at the 35th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

DW Groethe
Bainville, MT
DW Groethe is the son of a son of pioneers....

Jake recounts a story travelling with with two kids and playing Mr. Mom. Jake Riley recites "Natural Remedy" during the "Family, Friends + Community" show at the 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Jake Riley
Riverdale, NE
Jake Riley grew up, for the most part, in the Upper ...

Yvonne shares her surprise at how everyone but her has changed at her class reunion. Yvonne Hollenbeck performs "The Class Reunion" during "The Real Deal" show from "The Wild Ride" 2022.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Yvonne Hollenbeck
Clearfield, SD
Yvonne Hollenbeck is a South Dakota cattleman’s wife, who w...

Waddie explains why sometimes you just can't win. Waddie Mitchell performs "Bet at the Bar" during "The Real Deal" show from "The Wild Ride" 2022.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Waddie Mitchell
Twin Bridges, NV

Waddie Mitchell was immersed in the cowboy way of entertaining as a boy on the Nevada ranches whe...

Yvonne Hollenbeck performs "Rebel Rouser" during the "I Just Wanna Be a Comic Cowboy" show at the 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. She takes us on a humorous vacation(?) riding a Yamaha motorcycle on the way to Sturgis. She paints colorful images of a cowboy turned biker and his wife.

ABOU...

Sunny deadpans a yarn about trying to come out on top a booger of a deal. Sunny Hancock performs "The Horse Trade" at the 5th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Sunny Hancock was born and reared on a ranch outside of Williams, Arizona. He was either in or close to the cow busine...

Chris is a mule man. He finds a good pace with a mule tale (and an appreciative mule woman). Chris Isaacs performs his poem "Mutual Respect" during the "Cowboy Stew" show at the 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Chris Isaacs
Eagar, AZ
Chris Isaacs is an award-winning poet...

Jake tells one of those first-person sidesplitters that’s only funny after the fact. In fact, it’s “almost entirely true”—happened to him in Farmington, New Mexico, in 2000. Jake Riley performs his poem "Sheep Camp" during the "Better Part of Living" show at the 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gather...

Baxter puts forth his notorious piece on plants' rights. Baxter Black performs "The Vegetarian's Nightmare (or A Dissertation on Plants' Rights)" during the first evening "concert" at the first Cowboy Poetry Gathering in 1985 (in 2000, the event was renamed the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering by...

Rodney attributes the rise of syndicated daytime drama to the original spectacle–critters. Rodney Nelson performs "TV Talk Shows" during the "That Seventies Show" show at the 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Rodney Nelson
Almont, ND
Rodney Nelson and his wife, Teri, li...

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, ...

Waddie tells a cautionary tale about underestimating an everyday garment. Waddie Mitchell recites "The Bra" by Bill Hirschi during the "Laugh Kills Lonesome" show at the 35th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Waddie Mitchell
Twin Bridges, NV
Waddie Mitchell was immersed in the...

Carol tells of the dodgy, deathly situation where Bronco Harry tangles with Satan’s incarnation. Carol Heuchan recites "Bronco Harry's Last Ride" by Jack Drake during "That Seventies Show" at the 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Carol Heuchan
Cooranbong, NSW, Australia
...

R.P. composes himself amidst the fracas as family foreman. Family togetherness, ranch style. R.P. performs "June" during the "I Just Wanna Be a Comic Cowboy" show at the 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

R.P. Smith
Broken Bow, NE
R.P. Smith is a fourth-generation rancher...

Rodney tells a terrifying tale of the time Ol' Dean ran out of snuff during a storm. Rodney Nelson performs "Not Enough Snuff" during the "Bull-Slingers, Braggarts, & Blowhards" show at the 35th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Rodney Nelson
Almont, ND
Rodney Nelson and his wi...

Yvonne says she saw some things at a Senior Pro Rodeo in Burwell, Nebraska. Yvonne shares her "Old Folks Rodeo" during the "I Just Wanna Be a Comic Cowboy" show at the 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Yvonne Hollenbeck
Clearfield, SD
Yvonne Hollenbeck is a South Dakota c...

Wally ponders the big questions with serious cowboy philosophy in one of his most well-known poems. Wallace McRae performs his "Reincarnation" during the "Montana Poets" session at the first Cowboy Poetry Gathering in 1985 (in 2000, the event was renamed the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering by an...

Gary regales our audience with a tale of tomcat trouble in the barnyard. Gary McMahan performs "Tomcats" during the "Laugh Kills Lonesome" show at the 35th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Gary McMahan
Bellvue, CO
Gary McMahan has made his living during the last 40 years on a ...