My heros have always been cowboys. My grandfather came to Montana in 1908 to homestead and my father was born on that homestead in 1910. My father taught me about horses and horsemanship. I have not forgotten what he taught me. The 2 pictures are of my grandfather in Oklahoma in the 1890's, before he went to fight in the Spanish American War. The second is my father in the Yellow Mules near what is now known as Big Sky, Montana, in 1940.
I haven't joined either group, as I don't quite get the enthusiasm to be pretending I'm something I'm not. I don't own a horse anymore and I don't even ride, but I sure do love that way of life. There is a line in the movie "Monte Walsh", and I'm talking of the real movie with Lee Marvin and Jack Palance, where Lee Marvin as Monte, speaks to the owner of the Wild West Show. The promoter wants Monte to put on the clothes of the bronc buster "Texas Jack Butler" and become him in the Wild West show. Monte asks why he can't be himself as Monte Walsh. The promoter explains that no one knows Monte Walsh and he could keep the people happier by being Texas Jack. When Monte puts the hat back on hat rack and the buckskin coat back on the hanger, he said "I ain't spittin' on my whole life."
If you've ever been a cowboy, those words hit you to the core. I guess I've never been much of a belonger, more of an independant sort, but I do appreciate real cowboys. This may not make alot of sense to those who read it, but when you look at the rule books and how complicated it is to pretend to be a cowboy, I'd rather participate at my level and not be part of a Wild West Show.