Cowboys are celebrated as rugged individuals, hardworking and solitary, masters of their trade and equine experts. And while that’s all true, the real art of the cowboy is hidden in the details, in the behind-the-scenes, day-to-day, crafty inner-workings of cowboy life. And guess what? Colorado knows the rules:
Click here for Cowboy Images (Photos Courtesy of the Colorado Dude & Guest Ranch Association and Graddy Photography)
Rule 1: Know your horse, know your roots
A true cowboy is nothing without his horse, so saddle-up at any number of Colorado’s working dude ranches and get familiar with the view from the back of your trusty steed. Stables throughout the state offer unique riding opportunities; take a multi-day pack trip through the San Juan Hut System with Bach’lers in Ouray; at Laramie River Ranch in Glendevey saddle-up for a cattle drive; and at Rawah Ranch, horse care is number one, so rest assured your beast is hardly burdened during your saddle & paddle excursion. What you can’t learn from doin’, learn from watchin’ at heritage rodeos across the state. The Steamboat Springs Rodeo is over one hundred years old, and since the 1970’s has been known as the “Friday Night Jackpot”. Boulder boasts the oldest county fair in the state of Colorado, complete with carnival games and livestock shows, farm-to-table dinners and, of course, rodeos. The Elizabeth Stampede offers traditional competitions like bareback bronco riding and barrel racing with small town western hospitality. Trace the cowboy roots through exhibits and museums like Bent’s Old Fort and the Pro-Rodeo Hall of Fame. At the Museum of Northwest Colorado in Craig, visit a nationally renowned "Cowboy and Gunfighter Collection".
Rule 2: Test your skills
Now that you know a thing or two about being a cowboy (or girl, of course), put your skills to the test at the Colorado Cattle Company’s Cowboy School in New Raymer. For a real adventure, join the excitement of the Great American Horse Drive – an authentic 60-mile drive across the sagebrush country of western Colorado. At Bar Lazy J, put the kids in Ranch Fun Kid's Program while you try your hand at cow pushing and trap shooting. Test your casting skills as you learn the art of fly fishing with the wranglers at the North Fork Ranch. Cowgirls get the ranch to themselves during Sylvan Dale Ranch's Cowgirl Roundup. Partake in a rodeo challenge during the weekly ranch rodeos at Lost Valley Ranch.
Rule 3: Look good, feel good
The key to the art of the cowboy: working hard, but not looking over-worked. So, take note and dress in style with handmade cowboy hats from Nathaniel’s in Mancos or WesternWear from Rockmount in Denver. Craft a saddle you’ll look good in during Saddle School with Jesse Smith or take your leather-working skills in a new direction during your stay at Smith Fork Ranch. Celebrate western roots big-city style with the Colorado Cowboy overnight stay package from the Oxford Hotel, which will leave you with an etched bottle of Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey that you can pour into your new dapper leather flask, plus $100 to spend at Rockmount Ranch Wear. When it comes to relaxing and feeling good after a day in the saddle, sign up for outlaw fitness and yoga at C Lazy U Ranch.
Rule 4: Eat right
With all that hard work, a hearty, delicious, time-tested meal is essential. Get classy and classic at a Dutch-oven cook off with Doc Jones, or a chuck wagon dinner at the Bar-D in Durango. The venison meatballs and elk sloppy joe are favorites at the Colorado Ranch House in Glenwood, while skillet-fried chicken and baked ham draw the crowds to Juniper Valley Ranch in Colorado Springs. For the aspiring caballero or caballera, enjoy ranch-to-table cooking classes with the "culinary wranglers" at Vista Verde Ranch or mark your calendar to attend the summer Chile & Frijoles Festival in Pueblo.
Rule 5: Create and celebrate
While much of cowboy-hood is spent in the dirt, on the range, or at the saloon, there’s a crafty and creative side that’s often overlooked. Be sure to balance the scale with Cowboy Poetry readings in Golden or a horse painting retreat at Zapata Ranch. Pick up the tools and tackle Blacksmithing at the Fort in Morrison. Visit the Four Seasons Hotel in Denver, where contemporary Western artist Duke Beardsley will be painting from his “pop-up studio” in the lobby. Every January, Denver hosts the National Western Stock Show, a 16-day event that is one of the world’s richest regular season professional rodeos--the “Super Bowl” of Livestock Shows--with nationally recognized Horse Shows and Colorado’s largest Western Trade Show. For the comprehensive cowboy experience, celebrate craft and culture at Cattlemen’s Days in Gunnison and Crested Butte with classic rodeo events, dances, a Pioneer Banquet and — new in 2016 — the “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” rodeo event. In Pueblo, check out “Boo” the Texas Longhorn and Whiskey’s of the West at the Wild Wild West Festival. At the Greeley Stampede join nearly 200,000 people for barrel racing, mutton bustin’ and bronc ridin’. And at the Range Call in Meeker, join a 130-year old 4th of July tradition complete with a memorial shootout, range call, and a truck and tractor pull.
Whether you’re on the ranch, at a rodeo, dining at a western-themed restaurant or tuning your ears to some authentic cowboy poetry, let your Colorado-cation serve as your doorway to the celebrated life and lure of the cowboy.
ABOUT COLORADO Colorado is a four-season destination offering unparalleled adventure and recreational pursuits, a thriving arts scene, a rich cultural heritage, flavorful cuisine, and 25 renowned ski areas and resorts. The state's breathtaking scenic landscape boasts natural hot springs, the headwaters of seven major rivers, many peaceful lakes and reservoirs, 11 national parks and monuments, over 850 farm and ranches that are open to visitors, and 58 mountain peaks that top 14,000 feet.
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