1-30 IAT Cowboy Poets

Jeans, boots and cowboy hats were the order of the day in Elko, Nevada this week since the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering arrived in town. This year the 6-day festival will see performances from more than 50 poets and musicians including such renowned folks as author, radio personality and cowboy poet Baxter Black and beloved western music band Riders in the Sky. The fun goes way beyond the rhymin' and singin'; there'll be dances and workshops, art exhibits, ranch tours, western films, open mic events, storytelling and of course plenty of food.Knowing that this week was the official meeting of the cowboy poets Association down in Elko Nevada, I think, I thought I'd try and come up with a little poem that echoes how I feel about the men and women who ranch our fabulous state.

Idaho cowboys are the best In the land

They ride, they rope, they calve and they brand

It's a life which is tough, demanding and draining

You work in the heat, and while snowing and raining

No job is too hard when it comes to your spread

You're a cowboy, your mission's to raise every head

and bring it to market as beef on the hoof

giving the world absolute proof

Beef's the best protein man can provide

And Idaho cowboys are the nation's pride