Ross tries to answer the question, "is a dog really man's best friend?" Ross Knox recites "Man's Best Friend" during the "Leppies + Other Mavericks" show at the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

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.

"Man's Best Friend"

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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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