Annual
Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering in Prescott A Local Non-Profit Helps Preserve
the Western Imagination
There’s
an old Chris Ledoux song that refers to the modern working cowboy. “He’s still
out there ridin’ fences / You just can’t see him from the road.” While that is
mostly true, there is one exception.
For 30 years running, The Arizona
Cowboy Poets Gathering in Prescott, Arizona has brought poets, singers and
storytellers together to help preserve the legacy of the working cowboy.
It all began in the
late 19th-century American West. Large cattle operations needed to
move their herds from Texas to railheads in Kansas where it could be
transported to Eastern markets. The trail was arduous and slow; painfully slow.
Push the herd too fast and you would lose valuable weight along the way. From
their mounts, the “drovers” would sing and yodel soothing verses that set the
pace and helped propel the great herds ever northward. “Whoopee ti yi yo, get
along little doggies,” rang one traditional cowboy ballad. A doggie was a
weaned calf. The best way to encourage them to “head-up and move out” was with
the ever-present cowboy song that rang out across the prairie.
When the sun sank low
in the sky, the cattle were bedded down. They were watched over by a two-man
night guard. In two-hour shifts, they would trade verses back and forth. One
would sing and the other would answer; all the while circling the restless
herd. The songs were multi-functional. The night guards kept themselves awake
and the cattle were calmed by knowing the cowboys were always nearby.
The rest of the outfit,
exhausted by fourteen-hour days in the saddle, would ring the campfire for
coffee, beans and a much deserved rest. The cowboys drew from the wealth of their
own experiences in order to construct poetry, tall-tales and humorous stories
to entertain themselves before bedding down.
President Joe Kokel organizes
the popular event each year with the help of over fifty volunteers. He spoke to
the origins and inspirations behind the oral tradition that would eventually
become a unique genre. “There is the combination of the tremendous natural
beauty that surrounds them and the very hard and dangerous work they perform.
Poems and music would get passed around ranch to ranch and outfit to outfit.”
The tradition continues.
Cowboy poetry and song
was born and is preserved today through the popular gatherings or “roundups”
like one that takes place each August in Prescott. “It all started out as an
event that was sponsored by the Sharlot Hall Museum,” said Konkel. “It just got
too big so we had to move it over to the college. The Yavapai College
Performing Arts Center (YCPAC) is the premier entertainment venue in the area
and well-equipped to comfortably house the fast-growing number of attendees
each year.
The cowboy has not
disappeared from the west, they have merely evolved. Konkel reflected upon the
enduring tradition of working cowboys in the Copper State. “Certainly it’s not
what it was 50 years ago or longer than that. But the need to produce
agricultural products (primarily beef) is there and continues to be a thriving
industry, particularly in the state of Arizona. The people that work in that
field are still there and a lot of them still do their work using traditional
methods that are tried and true. I would say it’s not disappearing.” It is this
relationship between the profession, the land, and the people who derive their
sustenance from it that has contributed to the forms of expression highlighted
at the annual event.
“Our performers are all
either working cowboys or have some intimate tie to that lifestyle,” said
Konkel referring to an important requirement for the contributing artists. “The
people that participate all have a very in-depth understanding of that whole
world. The idea is that when the music and poetry is presented that it comes
from the heart.” The result is a certain authenticity, an honesty that is
reflected through the poetry and songs performed.
Iconic western painters
Charles Russell and Frederic Remington often relied on the cowboy way-of-life
as a main theme in their work. Western artwork is revered by collectors that
look to the medium as a way of celebrating the past and bring a small piece of
it into their homes. That idealized west is reproduced through the ever-popular
posters and prints that advertise the Prescott gathering each year. “We solicit
from various western artists and as a committee we choose the piece that best
represents what we are all about,” remarked Konkel on the selection process.
“The artist usually attends the gathering and signs for attendees.” They also
donate a fine-quality Giclée print of the artwork that is raffled off to
benefit the non-profit. Posters from past gatherings are available for purchase
on their website.
As a non-profit
organization, the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering also relies upon the local
business community to help bring the event to the public. “We have over a
hundred sponsors from the local area. Without them we couldn’t put on the
gathering, they help us to keep our ticket prices low.” There is the real
feeling that this is event has fostered a mutually beneficial atmosphere
between the arts and the community as a whole.
Many people who attend
the gathering each year are unaware of the organization’s community outreach
program. “It’s more than just the three day event,” added Konkel. Prior to the
gathering, they visit all 4th-grade classrooms in the Tri-Cities
area and teach them about cowboy poetry and song. “They get to write their own poetry
and we hold a contest with the winners being invited to perform their work.”
In addition to their
work with students, they also reach out to local nursing homes to perform for
people who are otherwise unable to attend. “When the performers come to town we
put them to work,” said Konkel. Many of the artists are military veterans and
there is a private show that takes place at the Veteran’s Hospital in Prescott.
It is just one of the many ways that they are looking at giving back.
Would you believe that you can attend some of
the performances for free? “We charge for the evening shows but the daytime
events on Friday and Saturday are free to the public.” There are over 80
different shows that do not require a ticket, something unheard of these days.
America is defined by
its folk-heroes. There is none more beloved, none more enduring as symbol of
the west than the working cowboy. Set aside the 10th-12th
this August and discover for yourself the best way to live the “cowboy way”
vicariously through their songs, stories and unique style of poetry.
For more information:
Arizona Cowboy Poets
Gathering Phone:
928-713-6323
Prescott, AZ 86304-2051
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