Cultured Cowgirl

Denley Norman of Lusk, Wyoming, a respected horseman and ranch hand, was killed on July 27 from injuries sustained in a horse accident. (Photo by Lisa Norman)

In my job I meet and interview a lot of horsemen–some part of popular horse culture and the arena, and others content staying in the brush, out of the public’s eye. Denley Norman fell somewhere in between, but more toward the latter category.

I first watched Denley compete on the Haythorn Land and Cattle Co. team at ranch rodeos sanctioned by the Working Ranch Cowboys Association about seven years ago. He was never the big hero or top hand on the team, but he was a dependable team player, consistently there to help get a job done efficiently. And he always had a smile and seemed to have fun in the process. You couldn’t help but cheer for him.

In 2006, I was assigned to write a story on Denley’s wife, Lisa, who is an artist and photographer and had just published a coffee-table book titled Haythorn Land & Cattle Co.: A Horseman’s Heritage. (You can see that article, “Chronicle of Cowboy Life,” in the March 2007 issue). I stayed two days with the Normans at their home on a section of Haythorn ground near Keystone, Nebraska. Their life was so wholesome, simple and pure, almost storybook in an old-fashioned sense. There were no televisions in the house. Denley and Lisa’s young daughters, Kate and Carly, played outside and did their little chores after school, as kids should. When Denley returned home from working cattle, the girls were happy to see him, running into his arms and asking when they could ride their horses next. Dinner was eaten at the table together, and the family spent the rest of the evening reading, singing and making music, working on arts and crafts, or just being together as a family. I remember feeling so content and creative from a lack of technological stimuli, and thinking how this lifestyle was a reflection of both Denley and Lisa’s upbringing and a testament to their strong faith and value in family.

After more than 14 years working on the Haythorn, the Normans moved to the 4-3 Ranch in Lusk, Wyoming, where Denley trained horses for the public and was starting his own cattle herd. On Thursday, July 27, Denley sustained fatal injuries in a ranching accident. He was sorting cattle in the pens with three other cowboys. While moving the cattle up an alley into the pens, his horse reared up, lost his balance and fell backward on Denley. One of the other cowboys, Darin Hanson, was an EMT and immediately administered CPR, but could not revive the fallen cowboy. Funeral services were held in the Lusk High School auditorium on July 30, and Denley was laid to rest in the local cemetery.

Denley is the subject of this painting by Oklahoma artist Mikel Donahue, called "Haythorn Hand." Mikel send me a copy of the painting a couple of years ago and it's always held a special place on my wall. Now it's even more important, knowing it's a depiction of Denley.

Raised on ranches in New Mexico, Denley became a cowboy like his father. Only 44 years old at the time of his death, he lived a full life as a son, brother, horseman, husband and father. Before landing at the Haythorn, he worked on the Bell Ranch in Oklahoma, and the Kendrick and Padlock ranches in Wyoming. He and Lisa met in Wyoming, married in 1991 and went to work for Buster Welch in Texas.

Denley was a soft-spoken, humble man, who always wore his shirts buttoned to the top and sometimes had his jeans cuffed on the bottom. He’d just as soon listen and observe than speak and show off. Horses were his livelihood, and he was a perpetual student of horsemanship, always working to refine his techniques and find better ways to create versatile, handy ranch horses. His quiet mannerisms and hours of study and observation didn’t go unnoticed on the ranch or in a ranch rodeo or Ranch Horse Association of America competition. He also enjoyed teaching his daughters to ride. He was compassionate, expressing concern for others, including myself when I went through a trying time last fall.

Respected by ranch hands throughout the West, Denley will be missed but never forgotten by those whose lives he touched. I remember the last time I spoke to Denley. He told me how difficult it was to make a living as a horseman, but it was really what he felt he was meant to do. I grieve for his family and the loss of a great horseman. But I take comfort in knowing that Denley rode away to greener pastures, quietly and peacefully, as any cowboy would want to do.

Condolences and memorials can be sent to Lisa Norman, 251B Greasewood Road, Lusk, WY 82225. A trust fund has been established for Kate and Carly through Wells Fargo Bank. For information on contributing to the fund or to leave a message for the family, visit denleynorman.blogspot.com.

-Jennifer Denison

On a dead-end street on the east side of downtown Colorado Springs, a modest clapboard building is nestled against the railroad tracks. Most passersby wouldn’t notice this nondescript structure, built in 1887 as a warehouse for the Santa Fe Railroad. But local cowboy music fans know its significance.

Since 1996, the building has housed Scott O’Malley and Associates and Western Jubilee Recording Co., the agency and record company that represents Western entertainers, such as Cowboy Celtic, Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell, Rich O’Brien, Sons & Brothers and Sons of the San Joaquin. Whenever a cowboy act rolls into town, whether it’s for a visit or to record a new album, it’s likely O’Malley will book them for a “secret” show at the recording company. Only those on the exclusive mailing list receive postcards about the concerts, and tickets sell as fast as biscuits are eaten around a chuckwagon.

The sound booth and concert hall is a big warehouse room that’s been converted into a small, old-time theater. Corrugated tin lines some of the walls and exposed insulation blankets the ceiling. One hundred or so old theater seats and church pews sit in view of a small stage covered in mismatched Persian-looking rugs and stand-up microphones. A variety of vintage instruments and a collection of quirky Western memorabilia decorate every inch of wall space. Colorful crazy quilts serve as the stage backdrop and enhance the acoustics.

I attended my first concert at “the Warehouse” in 2002 upon recommendation from my co-workers at Western Horseman, and have since seen each of the entertainers mentioned above, plus John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ian Tyson and most recently Michael Martin Murphey.

Murphey sings with the passion that has captivated audiences for five decades.

Murphey’s performance was being recorded for a live album tentatively called Lone Cowboy II. Cloaked in a frock coat over a vest and red shirt, and wearing a tasteful tan cowboy hat edged in chocolate brown and a gold wild rag neatly tied in a square knot around his neck, Murphey stepped onto the stage with a confident, cowboy presence. Strapping on his guitar, he explained he’d chosen 12 ballads to sing, as though we were all sitting by a campfire.

The last time I’d seen “Murph” perform was in the early 1990s at Westfest at Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado. I forgot how much his story-like lyrics and crystal-clear voice paint vivid pictures of horses, cattle and the freedom of the open range in my mind. He also has a unique way of picking a guitar so it sounds like a flowing creek, the wind blowing through the trees and other acts of nature.

As I listened to his smooth melodies and message-filled songs, I was reminded of another Colorado singer, John Denver. Next thing I knew, Murphey was singing “Boy from the Country,” a song he wrote and that was recorded by Denver. The words reminded me of today’s ranchers, the real environmentalists and stewards of the land.

He tried to tell us we should love the land//We turned our heads and laughed//And we did not understand//Sometimes I think that boy from the country//Is the only one who sees//Because the boy from the country//Doesn’t want to see the forest from the trees.

However, my favorite Murphey songs are those about horses. A longtime horse owner and promoter of stock horses, Murphey sings and writes songs only a horse owner can appreciate. “The Running Blood,” “Quarter Horse Rider,” “Run for the Roses,” “Ponies” and, of course, his blazing 1975 hit “Wildfire” are just some of the horse-related songs from his 1997 album The Horse Legends. He sang a new song that tackled the issue of horse slaughter and related kill pens to human faith, sin and redemption. He cowrote the gospel tune with his wife, Karen, and had an interesting story to tell about the song’s evolution.

Murphey's gentle voice, friendly smile and ranch-relevant lyrics have earned him a loyal fan base.

Murphey had attended a horse sale with his three daughters. The girls had looked through all the pens and found a palomino mare they wanted to buy. Murphey is known for expressing his opinions on land use and conservation, but at this performance he shared his views on horse slaughter with members of the audience, many of whom didn’t own horses. He explained how the different pens are set up for horses at sales and the palomino mare could have landed in the kill pen. He also touched on the overpopulation of horses and how without slaughter houses in the United States many of these horses are being transported across the border to Canada and Mexico where there aren’t regulations for the humane processing of animals. With so many celebrities promoting radical, animal-rights groups and policies, it’s nice to see one rooted with realistic views of the West and livestock.

Murphey’s story has a happy ending. When the horse was brought into the sale ring, Murphey bought it for “a song,” or little money. On the way home, the mare tore up his trailer and wasn’t receptive to being handled. But one day, his youngest daughter, Morgan, who was 9 years old at the time, held out her hand and was able to touch the horse’s face. That started a lasting bond between the girl and the horse. Murphey said that today the horse is one of the best in his family’s string.

One rainy morning, Karen was gazing at the drenched horse outside. She turned to Murphey, tears streaming down her face like rain on the window panes, and handed him a napkin with the words that became the muse for the song.

The couple currently lives in Beulah, Colorado, where they raise horses and cattle. Murphey performs at Fir Amphitheater, a solar-powered, environmentally friendly facility in southern Colorado. His gig is part of the Rio Grande Scenic Railway train ride from Alamosa to La Veta. Murphey also will be the featured entertainer at Western Horseman’s 75th Anniversary Celebration and Ride this July in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information, see the link on the Western Horseman homepage.

~Jennifer

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans are once again headlining events.

I wasn’t raised during the heyday of the silver-screen cowboy like many of our baby boomer readers. However, my parents and grandparents exposed me to many an evening of watching The Roy Rogers Show, Annie Oakley, The Lone Ranger, Bonanza and Gunsmoke reruns, and old spaghetti Westerns. I can quote Tom Mix, John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, Michael Landon, James Arness and others with the best Western boomer. I also enjoy hearing stories of my grandfather playing high school sports with Leonard Sly in southern Ohio, before Leonard became the iconic American cowboy hero Roy Rogers.

Even though Roy and Dale Evans weren’t as influential in my decision to live in the West, ride horses and be a cowgirl as they were to my parents and grandparents, I was saddened last fall when I received notice that the Roy Rogers Museum in Branson, Missouri, was closing after 42 years of operation. Steady decline in visitors was one of the factors that led the Rogers family to close the doors on their family heritage.

I never had an opportunity to tour the museum, which made it all the more important that I attend Brian Lebel’s 21st Annual Old West Show & Auction in Denver, Colorado, this past June. The Rogers family consigned 127 items to the auction, including Roy’s personal firearms and hunting gear, and his 1964, bright yellow, Lincoln Continental Convertible.

As a purveyor and promoter of cowboy culture, I feel obligated to immerse myself in Western heritage, and Roy and Dale were a very important part of shaping a generation’s perceptions of the West. Seeing their personal memorabilia confirmed in my mind that Roy and Dale were a classy couple and had impeccable taste in gear.

This wax figure of Roy Rogers, dressed in his personal clothing, sold for $6,000. Roy's 1964 Lincoln convertible sold for $17,000.

The highlight of the auction was watching one of Roy’s holsters and belt rigs, and matching gold-plated Crockett spurs sell for $90,000 and $16,000, respectively. The lavishly tooled, gold-trimmed Buscadero gun rig was made by Nudie’s of North Hollywood for Roy in 1948 and came with two Colt single action revolvers. The gold-plated spurs were Crockett’s popular Pattern 1368 and had 2.5-inch, 20-point gold rowels and Nudie spur straps made to match the holsters and gun belt.

Three weeks after Lebel’s auction, High Noon Western Americana partnered with Christie’s to auction off the remaining museum memorabilia in New York City. An emotional, history-making event, the auction placed Roy’s silver parade saddles, sports memorabilia, costumes, furniture, vehicles and the most famous movie horse, Trigger.

Roy bought Trigger in 1938, and the golden palomino was his partner until the horse died in 1965. I’m sure by now you’ve heard that the stuffed, rearing mount sold for $266,500 to RFD-TV. Another high-selling item was the silver-dollar encrusted and longhorn-adorned Bonneville convertible that Roy and Dale used in special appearances, which brought $254,500.

I doubt the television and film industries will ever see another iconic cowboy couple like Roy and Dale, which is unfortunate for members of Generation X like me and those generations that follow mine. However, I’m someone who looks for the silver lining in every story. Although the closing of the museum and the auctioning of its contents were emotional to the Rogers family and fans, I don’t see the events as the end of the trail, but rather a new trail that will allow collectors and other museums to display the items and share the silver-screen stars’ legacy for those of us who didn’t grow up with our own cowboy and cowgirl heros.

In the words of Roy and Dale, “Happy trails to you, until we meet again.”

~Jennifer

The Silver State Stampede is the oldest rodeo in Nevada.

“So, what brings you to Salt Lake City,” the airport shuttle driver asked me while muscling my many bags and camera cases into the vehicle.

“Actually, I’m headed to Nevada for a weekend getaway,” I replied.

“Vegas and Reno both have airports. Why in the world would you fly here?” he wondered.

This is an all too familiar conversation I have with shuttle drivers each time I go to Nevada. It’s a logical assumption that I’m traveling to Vegas and Reno, as most Nevada-bound vacationers make those cities their destinations. But this cowgirl is not like most. The sagebrush-dotted high desert of northern Nevada calls my name.

When I told the shuttle driver I was headed to Elko, he furrowed his brows and said, “Why?”

I could tell he just didn’t get it and this conversation would go nowhere, so I replied, “Oh, just to attend a little rodeo,” and left it at that.

That little rodeo was the Silver State Stampede, held July 8-10, at the Elko County Fairgrounds. The oldest rodeo in Nevada, the Silver State Stampede was started by legendary bit and spur maker G.S. Garcia in 1913. The gear maker’s legacy continues at the rodeo, with winners of each event receiving a pair of ornate Garcia spurs.

I’d heard buzz about this rodeo for years, so I decided to pack my bags and take a little trip to see what it was all about. The event offered all the slice-of-life charm I appreciate from a small-town rodeo, and surprisingly attracted some of the top competitors in the PRCA. But the rodeo’s wild, Old West ways made it a real cowboy’s rodeo in my mind.

Since 2003, the Silver State Stampede has differentiated itself from other PRCA-sanctioned rodeos by adding ranch bronc riding to its lineup of events. The contest brings 20 working cowboys and buckaroos, mostly from Idaho, Oregon and Nevada, off the their remote ranches and into town to vie for a stash of cash and prizes. It also draws huge local crowds who know and respect these hands, and come primarily to see them compete. Unlike PRCA saddle-bronc riders, Old West bronc riders use their everyday working saddles and can hold on to a rope or nightlatch. That doesn’t give them much advantage though against stock contractor Wally Blossom’s rank, reservation-raised broncs.

Eli Burr won the ranch bronc riding. "I ride each bronc as an individual," he says. "I ususally don't remember one from the other."

This year, the Western States Ranch Rodeo Association (wsrra.org) sanctioned the Old West Bronc Riding. The WSRRA will hold its inaugural championship event this November in Winnemucca, Nevada. Cowboys have competed all year, trying to earn points to qualify for the finals, which I’m told is going to be a great event.

Western Horseman sponsored the bronze trophy at the Silver State Stampede for the Old West Bronc Riding, which is appropriately a cast of Frederic Remington’s sculpture Bronco Buster. The trophy will remain on permanent display at an undetermined venue in Elko, and each year the winner of the bronc riding will have his or her name added to it.

I proudly presented the trophy to this year’s winner, Eli Burr, a buckaroo on the Y-3 near Jackpot, Nevada. Burr, who also won the contest in 2003, scored 73 points in the first round and an 82 in the championship round. He took home a pair of Garcia spurs donated by J.M. Capriola Co., a trophy buckle from Skyline Silversmiths and more than $1,000. Pretty good money to supplement cowboy wages.

A friend described Burr to me as a “bedroll” cowboy, and it fits him to a tee. Raised in Victor, Idaho, he set out to buckaroo right out of high school, working on outfits in Nevada, Oregon and Utah. Moving from ranch to ranch was a way of life for many years, but now the 27-year-old cowboy says he’s reaching a point in his life where he’d like to stay put for a while. However, he added, he still likes to see different places.

“When I started out all I had was a single-cab pickup and a bedroll, so it was easy to pack up and go to the next place,” he says. “Now I have a crew-cab pickup, stock trailer and five horses, which makes it more of a hassle to move.”

I had the honor of presenting Eli Burr with a bronze sponsored by Western Horseman. The trophy will remain in Elko, and Burr's name will be added among the other bronc-riding winners.

His entire life, Burr aspired to be a working cowboy and bronc rider. He competed in saddle bronc riding in high school, but had limited success. Once he discovered ranch bronc riding, though, where he could ride in his ranch saddle, he was hooked. It’s hard for a working cowboy to leave his duties on the ranch, but Burr tries to hit as many ranch bronc riding competitions as he can. The contests have become popular in Idaho, Oregon, California and Nevada, so there are plenty of opportunities for ranch cowboys to meet for some friendly competition, showcase their skills and win some extra gear and money.

Besides the Old West Bronc Riding, the Silver State Stampede also has a team-branding competition, mutton busting for the kids, a trade show, and a live band and dance each night. At the conclusion of each round, the “Ring of Fear”  is held. Those brave (or crazy!) enough to enter, go into a pen where a bull is turned loose. Each contestant stands inside a flour circle and “battles” the bull till there’s only one person left standing in his or her circle. I’d never seen anything like this and was standing on my chair to rise above the crowd to see it. What a way to end an already action-packed rodeo!

The Silver State Stampede exceeded my expectations, and was a good reminder that in this age of pyrotechnics and stage-show rodeos, there’s still a bit of the real West left. I just have to go to Elko to find it.

~Jennifer

It isn’t often I leave the comfort of my quiet mountain home for the hustle and bustle of downtown Denver, Colorado. But an exhibit titled The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell: A Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture was all I needed to make the trek to the big city. I’ll blog about the exciting exhibit itself in a few weeks, when I have a chance to tour it again as part of the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo’s WinterWest series of art events. But now, on Christmas Eve, I’m reminded of Russell’s love of Christmas and how he created personalized greeting cards for his friends.

It was an annual tradition for the 19th-century artist to become reclusive prior to the holiday, as he created original drawings, paintings and small clay sculptures. The artist was fond of spirited subjects, such as jolly cowboys celebrating, galloping to the ranch house or exchanging gifts and toasting the merriment. He often included equally spirited women in the scenes, donning their finest festive garb, and families riding in horse-drawn sleighs. Most of his holiday scenes were wilder than Currier and Ives, but warm and inviting, nevertheless. The friendly scenes were contrasted by a cold, snowy Montana landscape, but they still put you in the holiday spirit.

What made Russell’s cards significant was that he not only created pictures with traditional artistic medias, but also with words. He personalized each card with an original holiday verse of sentiment. Some of his messages were funny, some were about adjusting to the 20th century and some were simply written from the heart. Receiving a card from Russell was prestigious, and some people even brought him gifts just so they could receive one of his coveted cards. Some of his cards are on display at the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana.

Pondering the historical value and appeal of Russell’s cards, especially this time of year, I’ve decided to start my own collection of Christmas cards, sent to me by contemporary Western artists I’ve worked with at Western Horseman. Just like Russell, many Western artists are carrying on the tradition of sending cards to friends, family and patrons. As I open each card, I feel fortunate to be among the names on their Christmas-card lists, and I’m reminded of the time I spent with each of them and of the lasting friendships my line of work fosters. One day I’ll frame these cards to share, but until then I hope you enjoy my sampling of this year’s sentiments.

Cowboy Artists of America member Bruce Greene took a Texas take on Santa’s sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. In true Charlie Russell tradition, Greene wrote a holiday poem inside his card.

The drawing on the card from Hamley & Co. in Pendleton, Oregon, is of a cowboy roping Santa. On the inside is a verse that reads: “The Hamley gang Is all a hopin’ That Christmas Day, You’ll be a ropin’ Yourself a lot O’ joy an’ cheer, An’ luck for all The comin’ year.”

Here’s a partial scan of Colorado artist Carrie Fell’s fold-out card featuring her watercolor “Winter Wonder.”

Bill Owen, CA, sent a graphic drawing titled “Affection” on his 2009 limited-edition card.

“Dancing with the Stars,” a dye on silk, graced Montana artist Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey’s card.

Oklahoma artist Harold “H” Holden is best known for his bronze monuments, but the artist shows his painterly style each year on his Christmas card and calendar. Shown here is the card he sent with the aptly named painting “December Morning.”

As I prepare to go home and celebrate a white Colorado Christmas, I’ll leave you with this verse from a Christmas card Russell wrote weeks before his death.

“Here’s hoping the worst end of your trail is behind you / That Dad Time be your friend from here to the end/And sickness nor sorrow don’t find you.”

¬-Jennifer Denison

By the way, here’s the link to the Russell’s exhibit at the Denver Art Museum: http://www.denverartmuseum.org/explore_a…