Cowboy Life

Cowboy Life

Cowboy Life hosts a wide range of real deal cowboys, gritty cowgirls and modern ranchers who talk about their unique livelihood. With true stories about hardship, horses, wild times, working conditions and ranching traditions, these men and women embody the character and values of America's most iconic class of blue collar workers.

Episodes

July 10, 2025 82 mins

Jeff Williams has been starting colts for big ranches for four decades. Some of those outfits have included the Beggs, Haythorn, King, Muleshoe and Spades. Williams started out as a cowboy on various West Texas ranches, but it didn’t take long for him to discover that starting colts was his passion. He has continued to day-work on cow-calf operations, and he has competed in roping and ranch horse events. However, starting colts und...

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At age 92, Boots O’Neal still gets horseback every day. The longtime Four Sixes Ranch cowboy was raised in West Texas and started working at age 15 in 1947. He has since hired on with legendary outfits such as the JA Ranch, Matador, Waggoner, Babbitts and now the Sixes. Despite encountering his share of broncy horses, snorty cows, merciless droughts, severe winter storms and visits to the emergency room — a couple of them recently ...

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The devastating Smokehouse Creek Fire in 2024 scorched many family ranches in the Texas Panhandle, including an operation run by Jason Pelham. Despite dealing with many natural disasters, the longtime cowboy and rancher has remained devoted to the cowboy life for four decades. Pelham wasn’t raised on a ranch, but he stepped into the cattle business as a young man. He worked on the famous Spade Ranches for many years, but now he run...

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Steve Friskup has watched ranch horses skyrocket in value during the past few years, playing a crucial role as the auctioneer at the most elite sales in the Western industry. In addition to working at prestigious auctions such as the Western Heritage Classic and Return to the Remuda, he is the CEO for Clovis Horse Sales in Levelland, Texas, a sale that attracts consignments from many cowboys and ranchers. Friskup also auctioneers a...

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Donnell Brown mixes modern technology with deep-rooted ranching history on his family’s cattle operation in Throckmorton, Texas. The RA Brown Ranch is widely respected for its leading Angus genetics, world-class bull sales, champion Quarter Horses and close family ties. Donnell explains how his family’s rich history, innovative business endeavors and traditional values guide the Browns into the 21st century. Read more

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Thomas Saunders V has left his mark on all arenas the cowboy lifestyle, working as a cattle rancher, colt starter, movie wrangler and stock contractor. His drive is fueled by the legacy left by generations of Saunders before him, who spearheaded cattle drives in the late 1800s, cultivated the early beef market in the Fort Worth Stockyards, and established a ranch in Weatherford, Texas, that still operates today. Great stories of th...

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Wild cow catcher Travis Ericsson describes the thrill of roping feral cattle in rugged country. It’s a skill and a passion he inherited from his father, legendary Arizona cowpuncher Dave Ericsson. Travis’ cowboy career also includes training rope horses, competing in rodeo and raising cattle in desert country.

Broken Arrow Crop Insurance

Perryton TX

Jason Schickedanz (979) 229-1481

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Ed Ashurst has cowboyed on the most iconic ranches in Arizona. His experiences working cattle in the mountains, deserts and along the Mexican border have inspired more than a dozen books, both fiction and nonfiction. He is also a working cowboy who has ridden and gathered cattle and horses on over seven thousand square miles of the American West, accumulating over fifty years of experience as a big ranch cowboy. He currently manage...

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John Welch says ranching is every bit as risky as snow-skiing down a steep, forest hillside. Nevertheless, he and his family have built a cattle operation from scratch, something few people can claim in this modern era. He shares his insights and experiences from his ranch headquarters in southeastern Colorado.

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Jolyn Young shares her stories about the life of a cowboy – from the perspective of a real-life ranch wife. It turns out that being married to a cowboy takes just as much nerve and grit as chasing down a wild cow. Jolyn is known for her captivating and humorous stories, sharing them through her blog, a regular magazine column, and her newly released book, Never Burn Your Moving Boxes.

Listeners interested in purchasing her 248-page...

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Shannon Hall and Johnny Hill both learned the ropes of cowboying on the RO Ranch in the Texas Panhandle. Their baptism into the Western way of life included plenty of bronc rides and sticky predicaments. They shared those stories on stage in Amarillo, Texas, during the 2023 World Championship Ranch Rodeo, hosted by the Working Ranch Cowboys Association.

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Whitney Hall: A Passionate Cowgirl

Whitney Hall, hailing from Loco, Oklahoma, is the dedicated manager of her family's cattle ranch. Her daily endeavors on horseback have not only made her a proficient participant in ranch rodeos and ranch horse competitions but also led her to secure the prestigious title of World's Greatest Horsewoman in 2022. Whitney's exceptional skills in the saddle set her apart in the competitive wo...

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Tim Cox is a renowned Western artist and an Arizona cowboy. He draws inspiration from his firsthand experience of the cowboy life, and his art primarily focuses on depicting authentic scenes of modern ranchers, horsemen, cowgirls, cattle, and horses. Over the years, Tim Cox has become one of the most recognizable Western artists in contemporary art.

His early career was characterized by the rugged and demanding lifestyle of remote ...

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Tripp Townsend makes his living running  yearling calves near Earth, Texas. He and his crew care for them in a feedlot and on irrigated wheat pastures northwest of Lubbock. His line of work doesn’t stop for bad weather or holidays, but it does include plenty of riding and roping in open country. 

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Kevin Meyer’s Wyoming ranch roots trace to his upbringing on a remote cow-calf operation in the southeastern part of the state. His horseback skills stem from a wide range of experiences, from wrangling on dude ranches to running yearlings in the Laramie Mountains, day-working on local cattle outfits, and managing Wagonhound Land & Livestock’s horse program for several years. These days, his cowboy background guides his approach to...

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Kent LeDoux – Ranching in southern Louisiana means dealing with swamps, alligators, wild cattle and hurricanes. Swimming saddle horses across a canal designed for barges is a necessary part of gathering Perry Ridge. The climate, wildlife and environment are quite unique on the Gray Ranch, a cow-calf operation with strong ties to standout stallions such as Grays Starlight and Taris Catalyst. Kent LeDoux, who managed the ranch for mo...

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Singleton Ranches encompasses 1.2 million acres, with the majority of its rangeland spread throughout New Mexico and other divisions situated in California. The operation is respected for its modern beef program and award-winning cow horses. Three of Singleton’s managers, Alex Carone, Grant Mitchell and Greg Gudgell, sit down to discuss how the ranching lifestyle perpetuates family values and sound work ethic.

 

 

Sponsor Farm & Ra...

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Jimbo Humphreys – The West Texas cowboy has excelled in nearly every facet of ranch life, from working cattle to cooking on the chuckwagon, building bits and spurs, training and showing horses, and now managing Guitar Ranches.

Introduced to ranching at a young age, Jimbo Humphreys admits that he became a little jaded toward the lifestyle because of the rough way horses were handled and trained. But Ray Hunt’s gentler and more cons...

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Terry Forst - Stuart Ranch Waurika OK Founded 1868 , maintaining 38,000 + Acres, 1995 AQHA Best Remade Winner, Terry Forst oversees the oldest family-owned and -operated ranch in Oklahoma with seven generations. Terry is a member of the Cowgirl Hall Of Fame. With an award-winning Quarter Horse program, natural beef, and abundant wildlife for hunting, the Stuart Ranch’s staying power stems from hard work, innovation and close family...

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Nebraska rancher Craig Haythorn talks about cowboying in the Sandhills, putting up hay with teams, and enduring deadly blizzards. Grit, devotion and quality horseflesh have been keys to his family running their cow-calf operation for five generations.

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