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Define Cowboy in your own words

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Mountain Cowgirl

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We talk of cowboys and cowgirls. What is your idea on what makes a person a cowboy or cowgirl in today's world? It seems to me the term has lost all meaning and becomes a label for those that dress in recognizable western fashion or fulfill a Hollywood stereotype.
 
Mountain Cowgirl said:
We talk of cowboys and cowgirls. What is your idea on what makes a person a cowboy or cowgirl in today's world? It seems to me the term has lost all meaning and becomes a label for those that dress in recognizable western fashion or fulfill a Hollywood stereotype.
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And, please don't forget about the rodeo cowboy who is a member PRCA, which has the word "cowboy" in it's title.........Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

In my opinion, both a ranch cowboy and a rodeo cowboy are "cowboys".
 
Faster horses said:
Actually, any more, most of the PRCA cowboys are athletes, more than true cowboys. That's okay,
they stand for the flag and kneel for God. I love the patriotism shown at rodeos and western events.
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Then again, what about PRCA Stock Contractors that run a ranch for livestock used in professional rodeo?

Actually, there is a former bull rider in this forum. Athlete or true cowboy?
 
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Cody-n-Nancy said:
Then again, what about PRCA Stock Contractors that run a ranch for livestock used in professional rodeo?

Actually, there is a former bull rider in this forum. Athlete or true cowboy?
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I have read Leanin' H (as I think who you are referring to) posts for years and I can tell you without reserve, he is a Cowboy. It's how he thinks and what he does. He didn't just 'find the hat'. A lot of the 'code of the west' defines a true cowboy like Leanin' H...not many any more even know what that means. Sadly.

I mentioned 'athelete' when talking about PRCA cowboys, not stock contractors.
 
Faster horses said:
I have read Leanin' H (as I think you are referring to) posts for years and I can tell you without reserve, he is a Cowboy. It's how he thinks and what he does. He didn't just 'find the hat'. A lot of the 'code of the west' defines a true cowboy like Leanin' H...not many any more even know what that means. Sadly.

I mentioned 'athelete' when talking about PRCA cowboys, not stock contractors.
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Ok, but you didn't reply to the other part of my post..........about PRCA Stock Contractors. Just ask online, "do rodeo stock contractors take care of their own livestock?" and, the answer is yes, from branding and everything else.
 
webfoot said:
H isn't the only person on here who has competed in rodeos. Some just remain quiet about it.
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The reason "why", I'd wonder about. As for myself, I'm very proud of the years I spent with PRCA as both a contestant and working for Stock Contractors. Very proud!
 
Cody-n-Nancy said:
Ok, but you didn't reply to the other part of my post..........about PRCA Stock Contractors. Just ask online, "do rodeo stock contractors take care of their own livestock?" and, the answer is yes, from branding and everything else.
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I don't have to ask anything online about stock contractors, I know a few. I think you are trying to show us you know something right off the bat. It's not necessary, most of us have been here long enough to read between the lines. One thing true cowboys don't do...they don't brag.

Well, maybe a little on their wife, their kids, their dogs, horses and their grandkids.😊 But never on themselves.
 
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Faster horses said:
I don't have to ask anything online about stock contractors, I know a few. I think you are trying to show us you know something right off the bat. It's not necessary, most of us have been here long enough to read between the lines. One thing true cowboys don't do...they don't brag.

Well, maybe a little on their wife, their kids, their dogs, horses and their grandkids.😊 But never on themselves.
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You're right. I will say this, however, I was never a true-to-sense cowboy, since I never worked a ranch. My full-time job was in electronics working in Purchasing/Inventory Management. Then again, I knew a guy, that went to the same Jackpot Team Roping Arena that I did, and his full-time job was being a lawyer. The Orange County Register (Orange County, California) done a big article on him calling him "The Courtroom Cowboy". The article showed two pictures of him. One at his office in a dress suit and the other, on his horse, with a rope at the arena.

As for me, I absolutely loved the attention I got at a rodeo. Loved hearing my name, and "heelers" name announced and, with a good time, the crowd applaud.

Actually, my wife gets proud of my bragging about my previous rodeo days and how much we still enjoy rodeo and the other things we do, like going to livestock auction.

But, since I'm no longer with PRCA, or even a part-time cowboy anymore, I got my "bragging rights" back. LOL
 
Cody-n-Nancy said:
The reason "why", I'd wonder about. As for myself, I'm very proud of the years I spent with PRCA as both a contestant and working for Stock Contractors. Very proud!
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Wonder all you want. I know where I have been and what I have done. I don't feel a need to drop names of the people I have competed against, known and/or traveled with.
 
Cody-n-Nancy said:
The reason "why", I'd wonder about. As for myself, I'm very proud of the years I spent with PRCA as both a contestant and working for Stock Contractors. Very proud!
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Why? Because they are humble, know who and what they are and don't feel a need to tell anyone.
That's another cowboy trait.
 
Faster horses said:
Why? Because they are humble, know who and what they are and don't feel a need to tell anyone.
That's another cowboy trait.
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Well, not all cowboys are like that. We went to a major roping in Pueblo, CO years ago and met a ranch foreman who had no problem at all telling us about what he did, how many acres he was a foreman for, etc., etc..

I guess, one thing I'm not and that is "humble". I like telling folks who wife and I have met at the Pro-Rodeo Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony each year and who we've met at the NFR Cowboy Christmas Autograph Signings.

To a point, I simply like talking to people and especially folks that know about rodeo, like I do.

Just me.
 
There are a couple lines from the Robert Service poem Call of the Wild that I like to quote from time to time.

"Done things" just for the doing, letting the babblers tell the story.

The simple things,the true things, the silent men who do things
 
Well I surely didn't mean to brag about riding bulls. I fell off a bunch. It wasn't my intent to piss y'all off. Sorry for Babbling.

Thanks for what ya said Faster Horses. I appreciate the kind words. I live and love the lifestyle I have chosen regardless of what others think.
 
So awesome to be among all of you that understand ranch living. I also admire all of you that are still living on ranches or acreages and caring for animals. A good barn cat is worth more than a bag of gold. My longest-lived barn cat was almost 20 before she jumped in the pond and was dead before I could get her out. My shortest-lived cat, but the bravest was two months old when he killed a mountain pack rat. He died from a bad bite the rat managed to get on him before he killed the rat.
 
leanin' H said:
Well I surely didn't mean to brag about riding bulls. I fell off a bunch. It wasn't my intent to piss y'all off. Sorry for Babbling.

Thanks for what ya said Faster Horses. I appreciate the kind words. I live and love the lifestyle I have chosen regardless of what others think.
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Babbler sure wasn't aimed at you. I never saw you bragging (well maybe about your kids but they are worth the brag). You just stated that you did it. I got on a few bulls too. Fell off all of them. Got on a lot of bareback broncs. Fell off my share of them also.
 
leanin' H said:
That's what draws me to the site. We are everyone different and yet a little of the same. You can run cattle from Venezuela to Canada and from Africa to England and manage to keep a few alive. It's a challenging and rewarding vocation
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The common rope that holds us together doesn't break because of a few frayed strains. There is no me me me on a working ranch, it is all about the 3 L's. Land, livestock, and lightning. Our differences are insignificant.
 

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