FEATURING: Mike Beck, Daron Little, Shadd Piehl, Forrest VanTuyl.

Explore the connection between people and horses in poetry and song. Three singer songwriters and a poet share their love, frustrations, and work experiences with horses.

Hosted by Annie Hatch.

From the 35th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

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PLAYLIST

"Sonnet - Sweetheart of the Rodeo" - Shadd Piehl
"This Old Horse" - Daron Little (words + music by Michael Brummet + Daron Little)
"Horseback Man" - Daron Little
"Something About a Horse" - Daron Little
"The Best Color on a Horse" - Shadd Piehl
"Dark to Dark" - Forrest VanTuyl
"Hannah Maria" - Forrest VanTuyl
"Ain't Been Tamed Yet" - Forrest VanTuyl
"Riding My Father's Horses" - Shadd Piehl
"Knute" - Shadd Piehl
"Poncho" - Mike Beck
"Don't Hurt My Heart" - Mike Beck
"Twenty Bucks a Gallon" - Mike Beck

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Mike Beck
Manhattan, MT
Mike Beck is a professional musician and working cowboy whose songs reflect his experiences in California, Oregon, Montana, and Nevada. Born and raised in Monterey County, California, he was a student of legendary horseman Bill Dorrance and now travels extensively in the United States and Europe, making music and conducting horsemanship clinics. Known for his guitar wizardry and acclaimed western songwriting, Mike’s mellow sound combines real cowboy experience with a unique blend of western, rock and Americana styles. Mike’s seventh album, Alta California, features original and cover songs paying tribute to the sounds he grew up listening to in California.

Daron Little
Saratoga, WY
Daron Little cowboys on the TA Ranch north of Saratoga, Wyoming, where he lives and writes about the cowboy life. He is married and has three daughters, which takes up quite a bit of time and energy. His music is best described as Western Americana and occasionally will delve into traditonal cowboy music. He hopes that folks will identify with the realness of his music and leave a performance thinking, "I never thought of cowboy music like that!"

Shadd Piehl
Mandan, ND
A fourth-generation North Dakotan and third-generation rodeo cowboy, Shadd Piehl grew up near the Mouse River south of Minot, North Dakota. In 2004, he was named an associate poet laureate by North Dakota State Poet Laureate Larry Woiwode. His poems have appeared in the anthologies "Between Earth and Sky: Contemporary Cowboy Poets," "Maverick Western Verse," "Brushstrokes and Balladeers." and the magazines "Aluminum Canoe," "Pemmican," "Red Weather" and "Dry Crik Review," among others. He has published a chapbook of poetry "Towards Horses" with Aluminum Canoe. Currently an Academic Dean for Rasmussen College, Shadd lives in Mandan North Dakota with his wife Marnie and sons Owen, Wyatt and Ryder.

Forrest VanTuyl
Enterprise, OR
Forrest VanTuyl songwriting and wandering addiction will all sorts of jobs, from tugboat deckhand in Seattle, to sheep dairyman in the Alps, lawn mower in New Mexico, to potato harvester operator in Nebraska, but when he got on a horse in Oregon's Wallowa Mountains, he never left. Forrest has been packing, starting colts and riding there for the last four years.His most recent album, "Ol ' Yonder," is a collection of original and traditional songs inspired by riding down a mountain in the dark, the camp cook's jokes, and the joys of riding a good horse in good country. When he's not on horseback, Forrest is playing shows on the West Coast, and trying to explain where Wallowa County is without explaining how to get there.

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Filmed in front of a live audience at the Elko Convention Center’s Laurena Moren Theater in Elko, NV, on Feb. 1, 2019.

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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