A cowboy on water skis? Jake explains why this may not have been a prudent choice. Jake Riley performs his "Waterskiing Poem" during the "Better Part of Living" 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 Arkansas Valley of the Colorado mountains and graduated from high school in Buena Vista. He began roping and rodeoing as a kid. Jake has always loved rhyming, publishing some of his first cowboy poetry for a high school project. Ever since, poetry has been one of his passions, but until recently he was mostly a closet poet. Much of Jake’s work involves firsthand ranch and rodeo experiences, often chronicling the contemporary "cowboy" who may not cowboy for a living but has ties to cowboy culture. For Jake, poetry is an overflow of life. His original poetry album, Western Errors, runs the gamut from cowboy wrecks to humor to philosophical observations and reflections on life.

"Waterskiing Poem"

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Filmed in front of a live audience at the Elko Convention Center’s Laurena Moren Theater in Elko, NV, on Jan. 31, 2020.

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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