Got a Question? Ask A COWBOY POET!
November 2024
As we approach the Gathering season, the artists gather some of the most memorable moments from their time in Elko as they answer this question:
Some experiences in life have a way of staying with you. Perhaps it is a moment as brief as a shuttle ride, or as simple as conversation waiting in line. Perhaps it is a poem shared for the first time, or discovering something new about a familiar classic. Could you describe a uniquely memorable moment you experienced at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko?
~ Feeling Nostalgic
The 40th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering takes place January 27 through February 1, 2025, in Elko, Nevada.
Dick gibford:
Dear Nostalgic,
A recent (very memorable experience) comes to mind during a show in the auditorium at the last Gathering I attended. I believe it was all of us Ask a Cowboy Poets with Doris Daley at the helm. Someone posed the question, “What is your favorite classic cowboy poem?” I told the audience it is “The Man from Snowy River” by Banjo Paterson, and then said I just recited it yesterday, so I can’t do it today. Immediately, a man way up in the upper far back row, in a loud booming voice shouted, “DO IT!” So I launched right into it with all my energy, enthusiasm, and gusto. I love that poem, and it tells of a very important time in the life of all young cowboys everywhere. A time of being accepted by your tribe as a man, an equal, and no longer a boy.
yvonne hollenbeck:
Every moment spent at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is full of memorable events, it seems. Not only do you meet so many folks, but some become more than mere acquaintances. Sadly, many of those dear friends and acquaintances have passed on, but some continue to make a mark on the Gathering, such as the late Glenn Ohrlin of Mountain View, Arkansas.
To say Glenn was a "character" was an understatement. He was a very knowledgeable and talented entertainer and was a walking encyclopedia of western music, having penned "Hell-bound Train," that was and is a virtual textbook on the genre. But back to the "character" part.
Several years ago, which was probably the last year Glenn graced the stages at Elko, I had called for a shuttle ride from Stockmen's to the Convention Center. The shuttle bus was quite full, but the driver instructed me to hop into the front passenger side seat. As I did, and before I got my coat and bags loaded, the driver instructed me to fasten my seat belt. I informed him that I always did, as I proceeded to hook the belt around me. Then the driver (chuckling) asked me if I knew Glenn Ohrlin. "Of course," I replied. "Well, I just delivered him to the Convention Center and he was in your seat there," the driver continued, "And like you, I told him to fasten his seat belt. Glenn just ignored me, so I instructed him quite loudly, ‘Fasten your seat belt, Glenn.’" Without hesitating, Glenn informed the driver that he did not use the darned things. The driver then stated, "If you don't hook your seat belt, Glenn, that darned buzzer will go bing-bing-bing all the way to the Convention Center!" Glenn asked, "Is that what that noise is? I heard that on my pickup coming out here and thought something was going wrong with my engine."
Not only did I have a good laugh about that, but to this day I think about it whenever I fasten my seat belt. Now, Glenn drove all the way from Arkansas to Elko, Nevada, thinking something was going wrong with his engine. Hmmm.
bill lowman:
Every Elko Gathering has special moments and memories. Back in 1986, at the second Gathering, an unscheduled, unrehearsed event started that produced a lifelong, lasting conclusion to me. After all the scheduled night shows were finished out at the Convention Center, show-goers would pack the empty banquet room on the second floor of the Stockmen’s Casino to mingle and visit as they took in a most unique and special event of a lifetime. Nationally known famous professionals “stooled up” next to raw amateurs of authentic “open range” culture and took turns jamming old cowboy songs until the break of day. What made it so special was that it “just happened.” It was unscheduled and free of charge. To me, it proved that our cowboy culture equalized talents, friendships, and humanity.
annie mackenzie:
I've told this story before, and I imagine I'll be telling it for years to come. It was my first year in Elko, and I was as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Public speaking was something I'd only ever really done in the classroom, and I had never shared my poetry with strangers before. I didn't have a lot of material and was woefully underprepared for the amount of speaking that was expected of me. For my second day of performing I'd written a poem the night before in my hotel room on a scrap of notebook paper. It was about the only cowboy hat I had and how it wasn't fit for town, but I'd worn it to Elko anyways. I was sharing the stage with other poets who'd been to Elko many times and who didn't require a podium to do any of their recitation. Being the new kid, I didn't even know to ask for one, and when it came my turn to stand up and share my poem, I didn't have anything to set the paper on and just had to hold the single sheet.
Well, unsurprisingly, my nerves got to me and my hands started shaking so bad I couldn't read any of the words I had written down. The paper was rattling back and forth faster than a rattlesnake's tail, and I was ready to sink into the floor from embarrassment. Just when I was thinking of abandoning my ill-thought foray into the cowboy poetry world, a hero by the name of Rodney Nelson swooped in to save me. Rodney (who I had briefly met when we shook hands prior to taking the stage) stood up, took the paper from my hands, and held it so that I could finish the poem. That small kindness that he showed me is something that I still hold dear to my heart. I didn't get much time to spend with Rodney—he passed two or three years later—but he is still one of my favorite people that I met in Elko. If it hadn't been for him helping me out and then encouraging me to continue on with cowboy poetry, I don't know that I would have ever applied to go back to the Gathering.
waddie mitchell:
After 39 years of accumulating memorable moments and stories at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, I have enough good stuff to fill a book. If I just could write, I could get rich. But alas....
One moment I will always remember was about the fifth or sixth year. We had done the night show and had come out from backstage where a pack of people had bunched to visit, get autographs, and shake hands. I noticed a middle-aged couple standing politely on the fringe. We had abused the crowd 'til just that one couple was left. The gal had that outside look about her (sun and wind blown, in shape, healthy). Her husband, the same (a stocky, no nonsense, strong, calloused-hand guy). She came up first, introduced herself, thanked me, and said how much they had enjoyed the weekend and then introduced her husband. Shyly, he stepped forward, shook my hand and looked like he wanted to say something. For once, I kept my trap shut and gave him time to speak. He said he sure had liked it and then started to well a little. He looked at me and said, "I've been looking for this without knowing what I was looking for my entire life, and from now on this will be our family reunion."
I would see them every year and we'd talk weather, cattle prices, and their trip down from Oregon. I haven't seen them for two or three years now and hope all is well with them.
dw groethe:
I've got a whole passel of great memories from past Elko Gatherings, so it took me some time to narrow it down to one. One of my favorite things to do is make sure I catch at least one set of all the new poets and players. It's fun hearing fresh voices and new stories. So, this has been a few years ago, but it's one of my favorites. I needed to catch a young lady in one of the afternoon shows. I got there and settled in for a good time ’cause Rodney Nelson was on too. Soon enough, it was time for the young lady. She introduced herself and began to read a poem, but she got the first-time jitters...that we have all had at one time or another...and she couldn't read the poem. So up steps Rodney. He takes the poem and holds it for her so she can finish. Here's the thing—everybody clapped for her because she did a good job with the poem, and the fact she had a little help with her show just reminded me that we're all in this together and our audience knows it. When folks liken the Gathering to a family reunion, they're right, and it's moments like this one that make me know it's true. Thanks for asking.
dw
