The Cowboy Up Podcast

It’s a challenging life, cowboying and relying on the range for your living. And if you saddle up regularly in the rodeo circuit, you have one heck of a challenging and busy life. Just ask the Wright family. That's exactly what Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Branch did when he was assigned to write a story about them. Cowboys? Rodeos? Branch, who grew up in the West, was all in. In fact, he turned the New York Times story into a book about the Wrights called the “The Last Cowboys.” He chats with our podcast cowboys about the Wrights, the future of cowboying, and what life is like on the rodeo circuit. Branch also shares a few additional true stories from his newest bestseller, “Sidecountry: Tales of Death and Life from the Back Road of Sports.” Concluding this episode is Bethany Zill’s version of “Cowboy’s Sweetheart.” Bethany hails from Tucson, AZ, where she also is a videographer and documentarian.

It was 1864, and Northern Plains Indians were not pleased with settlers migrating from east to west along the Oregon, Bozeman and Overland Trails. Thus began a series of attacks and robberies on unsuspecting emigrants winding their way along the Platte River. Shots rang out and arrows whizzed as miners, doctors, farmers, families, and war widows rallied their covered wagons together. As historian journalist Janelle Molony relates in her new book “Emigrant Tales of the Platte River Raids,” some of those involved had familiar names – Brown, Boone, Earp, Kelly, Larimer, Ringo, Rousseau and more. She joins Russell an Alan to share some of the eyewitness testimonies of nearly 70 survivors, presented in one accord for the first time in literary history. And western singer-songwriter Jim Jones shares his song “Rockin’ Chair” from his new album “Storyteller – Tales from the West.”

How cool would it be to build your perfect horse down to their DNA? Can it even be done? Christa Lafayette has an answer to that question. The founder and CEO of Etalon Equine Genetics, Christa knows that breeding horses is not only an art but a science -- one that lets breeders, as well as all horse lovers, see horses in a new way. Genetic testing can identify potential health risks and prevent disease. It can optimize coat color and performance abilities. Christa joins Russell and Alan to delve into the cutting-edge genetic technologies that go beyond the standard DNA panels required by breed associations, technologies that are revolutionizing the equine industry. Thank you, Cynthia Keefe, for your musical inspiration at the end of this podcast with the song “Dreaming of Paris,” co-written with Walter Salas and Bonnie Hunt while rafting down the Green River in Utah.

In this episode, historian and author John Langellier saddles up to the ranch to speak with Russell and Alan about the Buffalo Soldiers, the African American soldiers who served from 1866 into the 20th century. From their origins in the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments to their invaluable contributions settling the frontier, John highlights their struggles, triumphs and enduring legacy. A few attended West Point. Others helped develop our national parks. Still others served in foreign countries. Many are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Give a listen as cowboys and historian uncover the narratives of these courageous soldiers who paved the way for diversity and equality in the United State military. And be sure to check out John Langellier's new book "More Work than Glory."

Believe it or not, polo was first played in Persia, perhaps as early as 6 B.C. or as late as 1 A.D. Originally a training game for the king’s calvary, polo morphed into a game with four riders per side rather than 100 riders per side! The first polo game in the U.S. took place in 1876 in New York. The following year the Westchester Polo Club was formed. Now, polo is played around the country, including the Southwest. Our guests today both play the game. Diego Florez, DVM, a large and small veterinarian located in Scottsdale, AZ, is founder and developer of the Arizona Polo Club, also located in Scottsdale with an outdoor field in Casa Grande. Steven True was on Cornell University’s polo team and now plays in Arizona. Diego and Steven speak with the cowboys about the equestrian game that is becoming increasingly popular and is played by men and women, boys and girls of all ages and riding ability. Thank you, Greg Hager, for sharing your musical inspiration at the end of this podcast.

At age 14, Kathy Zuckerman discovered the surfer culture in Malibu, CA. Soon, this wave-catching teen had earned the nickname “Gidget.” The Hollywood versions of Gidget, played by such stars as Sandra Dee, Sally Field, and Karen Valentine, were loosely based on Zuckerman’s life. But how did that happen? And what brought her to the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona years later? The real Gidget chats with Russell about how it all went down.

DRA stands for the Dude Ranch Association which not only preserves the great Dude Ranch and guest ranch businesses in this country, but also topreserve the Western tradition and the cowboy experience ... We sometimes say with a smile it may take the western way of life to preserve Western civilization! So today join the gentlemen Cowboys as they visit with Colleen Hudson as she tells us the story of the Dude Ranch Foundation and how they seek to do to help the young men and women who want to carry on both the business and tradition of this great way of life.

One of my friends has said that deep down almost everybody wants to be a bit of a cowboy. And there are people who are seeking what could be called an adventure, and an adventure is where you're going to do something new and you're not quite sure just what's going to happen to you. Well it is some of those brave hearts and brave souls who in the early days of the settlement of the west made it possible for those from the east to come out and have a western experience, that was new sometimes even life-changing but also safe and sound. One of those places was the historic Eaton ranch now under the big sky of Wild Wyoming! And finishing up with a lamenting song by Carol Markstrom that asks the question that sometimes plagues our spirits and souls.

Acclaimed New York Times award-winning author C.J. Box always delivers a mixture of suspense, the outdoors, and family relationships that are the heart of the Joe Pickett series. And so he does again in THREE-INCH TEETH, the 24novel in the Joe Pickett series. In this newest page-turner, Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett faces two different kinds of rampaging beasts—one animal, one human. C. J. chats with Russell and Alan about what inspired this new story about a rogue grizzly bear and an ex-prisoner. Then, Shannon Baker returns to the podcast to introduce her recently released Kate Fox mystery, BULL’s EYE, once again set in the Sand Hills of Nebraska. When a top bull breeder is mauled to death at a rodeo, Kate quickly realizes that this so-called accident hides a much darker truth. How deep is the corruption? Who will be left standing? Shannon fills Russell and Alan in on what it was like to research and write about a rodeo and what Kate Fox will be up to next. This week’s song, written and performed by Micki Fuhrman, is “You Oughta See Wyoming.” C. J. Box, Shannon Baker, and Micki Fuhrman will all be featured at the Tucson Festival of Books on March 9-10 at the University of Arizona. You can learn more about them in previous episodes of the Cowboy Up Podcast.

Historian and South Dakotan Bill Markley may not live in the city of Deadwood, but he makes it a point to visit a several times a year. It's a town with a remarkable history. Now inhabited by just over 1,000 residents, Deadwood’s population soared to upward of 25,000 during the height of the Black Hills Gold Rush era. Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, and Wild Bill Hickok are among some of the renown Old West characters who tread the city's muddy and crowded streets. In this episode, Markely takes a deep dive into some of Deadwood’s fascinating history, which he also writes about in his book “Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody: Plainsmen of the Legendary West” and his novel “Deadwood Dead Men.” A special thank you to western singer-songwriter Greg Hager for sharing his song “Eights and Aces,” a story based on the infamous Dead Man’s Hand card game.

When journalist Mike Stark learned that giant short-faced bears stalked North America thousands of years ago, he decided to do a deep dive into this enigmatic creature. From the La Brea Tar Pits of Los Angeles to a cornfield in Iowa, the plains of Texas, and even to the far ends of the Artic, Stark retraced the tracks of this beast that on hind legs towered more than ten feet and eventually became extinct. When Stark learned that a ferry shipwrecked in Yellowstone Lake in the winter of 1906, he went into research mode and dug into another fascinating story. Now the Creative Director at the Center for Biological Diversity in Tucson, Mike Stark joins Russell and Alan to talk about his explorations and his books “Chasing the Ghost Bear,” “Wrecked in Yellowstone,” and his new novel “The Derelict Light.” A special thank you to western singer-songwriter Jim Jones for sharing his song, “The Queen is Dead," a story about a bear.

Ranches can be dangerous places. Unpredictable livestock. Complex machinery. Extreme weather. None of that deterred David McCumber from dedicating a year of his life as a ranch hand up in Montana, even though he had never worked on a ranch. Those twelve months ended up being filled with adventures, lessons and more, enough to fill a book and get it published. Now the managing editor of the Arizona Daily Star newspaper, David joins Russell and Alan to talk about the year he spent in cowboy boots and hat, a journey he relates in his memoir “The Cowboy Way: Seasons of a Montana Ranch.”

You probably don’t think much about them, the roads that you take to the store or work. Or the freeway that you take on vacation across state lines or into national parks or onto a dude ranches. About 40 million miles of roads encircle the earth. We tend to take roads for granted. But is that case for all creatures? While roads certainly have benefits, they also cause problems especially for wildlife and vegetation. So much so that road ecology is now an area of study with experts who are seeking innovative solutions to mitigate and alter the havoc roads can cause. Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb traveled throughout the United States and around the world to investigate how roads have transformed our planet. He joins Russell and Alan to share some of his startling discoveries, which he relates in his new book “Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet.”

Without a doubt, Greg Hager’s western music is getting noticed. In 2019, MFG Records in Nashville signed him. His rural western roots run deep and are wellspring for his lyrics. Hager writes and composes everything that he sings, and his style is heavily influenced by other great 12-string guitar pickers and storytellers like John Denver, Roger Whittaker, Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Overstreet, Clint Black, and George Strait. Now with over ten albums to his name, he performs around the country, as well as overseas. Greg joins Alan and Russell to talk about what it's like to be a career musician.

When you think of film noir, you might think of “The Maltese Falcon,” starring Humphrey Bogart as the hard-boiled private detective Sam Spade. Or maybe “Sunset Boulevard,” starring Gloria Swanson as the aging, deranged silent-film star Norma Desmond. But there are also noir westerns. None is more celebrated than the 1948 "Blood on the Moon," starring Robert Mitchum. It’s a classic Western immersed in the film noir netherworld of double crosses, government corruption, shabby barrooms, gun-toting goons, and romantic betrayals. Documentarian, producer and film noir expert Alan K. Rode joins Russell and Alan to talk about the movie and his eponymous book, “Blood on the Moon.”

Mark Sublette is the founder and owner of Medicine Man Gallery. A formal Naval physician, Mark is an expert in western art, specializing in the art of Maynard Dixon. He hosts the "The Art Dealer Diaries Podcast," which features over 200 interviews with unique individuals who curate, collect, create, write, sell, and deal in Western and Native art. Mark’s involvement in the arts is all-encompassing. He buys, sells, researches, educates, and has established a foundation for the arts. Mark also is the author of the Charles Bloom Murder Mystery series. The photography featured in his novels is his other love. He joins Russell and Alan for a fascinating chat.

As a horse trainer and animal communicator, Anna Twinney has had the opportunity to work with wild horses. She also advocates for them. What does the future hold for wild horse herds across the West? Will herds continued to be gathered, dooming some horses to a life in feedlot prison? Will birth control be used to limit the growth of herds? Will there be enough forage for herds roaming drought-stricken lands? Does the Safe Act really protect horses? Anna answers these questions and more!

“Out with the old, in with the new.” Or so the saying goes. But sometimes “the old” is the best, especially when it comes to stories. Russell, Alan and Lynn reflect on the past year and the wonderful guests who we were honored to interview on the podcast. We also celebrate the life of Alan’s sister and one of our national treasures, Sandra Day O’Connor. And as you’ll hear, sometimes one reflection leads to another and then another and before you know it, cowboy storytelling is in full swing!

No, he didn’t! He sang it. Ginia Desmond knows the real story behind this beloved holiday song. She was there in sunny California when the idea hatched and the words were written. Ginia went on to write screenplays and produce movies and a whole lot more. Her award-winning indie film, “Lucky U Ranch,” is a charming coming-of-age story set in Arizona. (Available on Apple TV) And she has more films in the production chute. Ginia joins Russell and Alan for a fun, inspiring chat.

America’s signature dishes can be found coast to coast. Crab Louie. French-fried onions. Pecan pie. You can practically taste them. Maybe you’ve even made them. But what most of us don’t know is the history behind these epicurean delights. Culinary historian Sherry Monahan decided to investigate signature recipes, from breakfast and breads, to soups and salads, to sides and main dishes, and desserts, particularly those served at hotels and restaurants. Where did they come from? Why do they remain so popular? She answers these questions in her new book “Signature Dishes of America: Recipes and Culinary Treasures from Historic Hotels and Restaurants.” She joins the podcast to give us the inside scoop on how some of our country’s most famed dishes originated.