COWBOY FAST DRAW
The Outdoor Channel’s Shooting USA program is scheduled to broadcast The Fastest Gun Alive T
ournament – The World Championship of Cowboy Fast Draw, which is held in Fallon, NV in early October each year.
The sport of Cowboy Fast Draw is run by the Cowboy Fast Draw Association, based in Fernley, NV. Its unique format using special wax bullet ammunition allows CFDA events to be held at almost any location and the organization has over 50 affiliated chapters across the USA and several other countries.
Shooting USA can be seen on the Outdoor Channel three times on February 8th at noon, 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Central Time.
To get more information about the organization go to: http://www.cowboyfastdraw.com/
BEN TRAYWICK
Came down to Tombst
one yesterday and will be leaving mid-morning today. In reference to an earlier entry, so far I’ve been able to dodge all the bullets. I’m confident I’ll survive.
We spend yesterday afternoon and had dinner with our good friends Ben and Mary Traywick. Ben is Tombstone’s historian emeritus. Mary cooked us an unbelievable Mexican dinner. She’s written a book about her cooking called Fiery Foods of Tombstone.
Speaking of writing books, Ben has written 37 books with 25 of those about Tombstone. He’s also written over 1200 magazine and newspaper articles.
The interesting thing about his writing is he doesn’t know how to type and doesn’t have a computer. He writes everything out long hand and Mary types it up…Incidentally; he’s finishing two more books. This 85 year old is talking about writing a half dozen more books.
Incidentally, if you would like to check out some of his books go to: http://chronicleoftheoldwest.com/merchandise.shtml
WESTERN MUSIC EVENT
Yesterday we attended a western music concert put on by the Arizona Chapter of the Western M
usic Association. It was held at Old Tucson Studios in Tucson, AZ.
Old Tucson is where a number of John Wayne movies were filmed as well as the TV High Chaparral.
We listened to some great performances, including our good friends Jim and Jeanne Martin who are shown performing here.
Incidentally this is the first picture I’ve taken with my new iPhone.
HIGH NOON AMERICANA SHOW
Went to the High Noon Western Americana Show in Phoenix. The highlight was renewing old acquaintances.
Exhibitors at the show have virtually anything a person could want from antique guns to trade blankets.
They always have an auction on Saturday evening. The highlight of this year’s show was Pancho Villa’s silver threaded saddle…Which, incidentally, was his last saddle.
The saddle was scheduled to bring a price between $150,000 and $250,000.
We had been asked over to friends for dinner. So, we were unable to attend. But, if it was like other recent Western Memorabilia auctions, it made or surpassed this price.
LEBANON RODEO
This week’s Chronicle of the Old West Weekly Radio Show features an interesting conversation with Joh
nny Hotshot.
What makes the conversation interesting? Johnny puts on cowboy events in Lebanon…Not Lebanon, Ohio or Missouri, but the country of Lebanon in the Middle East.
To see pictures and get more information go to: http://www.elrancholebanon.com/category.jhtm?cid=39
Incidentally, if you’re not getting the Chronicle of the Old West Weekly Radio Show in your area, give us information on your local talk or country music station and we’ll see if we can change that sad situation.
GREAT COWBOY EVENT
There’s a great cowboy music and poetry event coming up February 3 – 5. It’s the Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gat
hering in Sierra Vista, located in southeastern Arizona.
This year they’re celebrating the Centennial Anniversary of Arizona’s statehood with an outstanding lineup.
One of the headline performers is Bill Barwick, Western Music Associations Male Performer of the Year.
Bill is also joining us on our Following the Legends Cruise to Alaska July 28 to August 4.
The link to the Cochise Cowboy event is: http://www.cowboypoets.com/Site/Home.html.
The link to the Following the Legends Cruise is: http://chronicleoftheoldwest.com/2012-cruise.shtml
CAN YOUR FAVORITE COWBOY ACTOR RIDE A HORSE?
I saw a western
movie over the weekend. As someone who’s put in many a mile horseback, I think it’s funny watching some of those “reel” cowboys ride a horse. It’s not so bad that someone who’s never ridden wouldn’t pick up on it. But someone with any level of skill can recognize a novice from an expert.
And speaking of horseback riding, we have a new affiliate. It’s master horseman, Jim Milton. Jim has a package that will improve any person’s riding skills. Even if you don’t have a horse, and only get on one once in a long while, this package can make you look better, and have more fun when you do ride. It will also help you recognize those movie actors who can and can’t ride. I’m getting one for myself and Sunny. Here’s their link: http://www.horse-ridinglessons.com/?hop=cboytocboy
THIS WEEK IN THE OLD WEST
How would you like to start each week off with an interesting story about the Old West? We have a “This Week In The Old West” feature where each Sunday morning you will receive a story via email about something that happened in the current week back in the Old West. And it’s FREE! Here’s just a part of this week’s story:
Today’s story is about a man who was a dentist. But he gave up his career to go out west and gain fame in a completely different profession. Do you think you know the person I’m talking about? You may be surprised.
Pearl Grey was born on January 31, 1872. He was a talented baseball player, and played for the University of Pennsylvania while getting a degree in dentistry. Pearl was scheduled to follow in his father’s footsteps as a dentist. Looking for some excitement, he played some semi-pro baseball. But that didn’t satisfy his need.
Incidentally, Pearl never liked his first name, which was thought by everyone to be a woman’s name. So he decided to change it to his mother’s maiden name, Zane.
Then we tell some of the accomplishments of Zane Grey. You can sign up by going to this link: http://chronicleoftheoldwest.com/this_week_in_the_old_west-signup-new.shtml
CONTINUING THE VAQUERO TRADITION
Our good friend Lee Anderson 
has just made the final arrangements on a contract with Moonlight Mesa Publications to publish his book Developing the Art of Equine Communication.
About four years ago Lee picked up an injured horse from the racetrack. Because of Lee’s training skills, this horse he named Concho has become more famous than Lee. They both perform throughout the Southwest in the traditional Vaquero style.
To see a sample of Lee and Concho’s skills go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd6qBns676c&feature=plcp&context=C3123dceUDOEgsToPDskLuNl8FoayqrVoBeer-cta4
28TH ANNUAL COWBOY GATHERING
The grandfather of all cowboy gathering events will be held at Elko, Nevada from January 30 to February 
4.
For the last 27 years cowboys, ranchers, rural and urban people have traveled to this small high desert community.
This year’s event will focus on the southwestern United States. To get more information visit www.westernfolklife.org.
Incidentally, one may ask why would they have this event during January in Nevada. This is because when they started the event this was the only time of the year when the weather was so bad that the cowboys could get time off to attend the event.
GEORGE ARMSTRONG CUSTER
Of all the Old West characters Wyatt Earp is probably the most controversial. There are those who think he was the Old West’s greatest lawman, and others who say he was a con man.
Not far behind him is George Armstrong Custer. There are those who feel he was a great military tactician, and others who believe he was a publicity hound.
Tonight the PBS history series AMERICAN EXPERIENCE will be airing a two hour special on Custer as a part of their month-long “Wild West” collection. You can catch it at 8/7 C on PBS
BILLY THE KID PHOTO
Last week I commented on the Billy the Kid PBS special and how the famous picture of Billy the Kid kept appearing on the screen over and over.
That’s because there are only two authentic photographs of Billy the Kid presently in existence. The most famous one is a two-by-three-inch ferrotype or tintype, taken by an unknown itinerant photographer outside Beaver Smith’s Saloon in Old Fort Sumner, around 1880…Because it portrays Billy as a very unattractive person, many have called it his visa picture.
Originally people didn’t realize that since it was a tintype, the image was actually reversed. So, everyone though Billy the Kid was left handed. This misconception even inspired the 1958 movie “The Left Handed Gun,” starring Paul Newman as Billy.
Finally firearms experts looked at the Kid’s Winchester and noticed its spring plate, where the cartridges are loaded, was on the left side. But Winchester produced firearms with spring plates only on the right side. So, later books and publications have the reversed image reversed, so it’s correct.
Recently this picture went on the auction block and a retired Wichita industrialist who collects everything from Wild West memorabilia to Picassos bought it for $2 million…Incidentally, it was thought it would go for about $300,000.
WELCOME TO COWBOY TO COWBOY
Why did we name our Old West blog “Cowboy to Cowboy”? At onetime everyone who’s intrigued with the Old West has wanted to be a cowboy… even the ladies. Unfortunately, for most of us the closest we’ve been able to come to being a real cowboy is to own horses, go on horse pack trips and do a little roping.
We regularly have people come up to us… mostly men… and say they were born 125 years to late. They should have lived in the Old West. Incidentally, I would like to go back to the late 1800’s just for a couple of days. I love my hot showers and flush toilets to much.
I truly believe the Old West is a time and place of the heart. And in the spirit of that belief whether you’re a working cowboy in Wyoming or a Los Angeles banker living in a high‑rise apartment, if you love the Old West and have the spirit of the cowboy, you’re a cowboy. And so, when you visit us, we’ll be communicating “Cowboy to Cowboy.”
