! E AS S TH V EG PION OM T O FR LE AF H A M C PLE T HE
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TV Westerns Memorabilia Collection
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A Cowboy’s Cow Boss Mike Ferguson
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Tips for a Safer Calving Season
HORSE ARCHERY
Modern-Day Warriors Western Art Guide Exhibitions, Art Auctions & Must-See Museums What Does it Take To Be a Pick Up Man? PM# 40070720
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 • $5.95
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Coeur d’Alene Art Auction Fine Western & American Art
The 2019 Coeur d’Alene Art Auction realized over $17 million in sales at the single largest event in the field of classic Western & American Art. 2
We are now accepting a limited number of quality consignments for our 2020 Auction to be held July 25 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev. Visit our website at www.cdaartauction.com tel. 208-772-9009 info@cdaartauction.com
Charles M. Russell (1864–1926), Planning the Attack (detail), watercolor on paper, 9 × 12 inches, Estimate: $150,000-250,000
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
In This Issue
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 | VOLUME 23, NO. 5
22 Features
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Mike Ferguson
22 On the Cover Kenton Miller in full regalia competing in horse archery under the hot Arizona sun. Horse archery, or mounted archery, is an internationally acclaimed sport rapidly finding its target audience in Canada.
PHOTO BY BILL BORGWARDT
Photo by Genie Images/ Jeanne Shepherd
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Cowboy Collector TV memorabilia collection from Bonanza to Zorro and all of the cowboys in between
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Horse Archery
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COWBOY WAY
Enthusiasts around the world are polishing the skills of modern day warriors
Beat the Calving Blues Dylan Biggs outlines his methods and tips for a safer calving season
Emotion & Art The big exhibitions, the prestigious art auctions and the “must-see” art events of the season
20 TRAILBLAZERS
For years, cow boss Mike Ferguson ramrodded the herds of Douglas Lake Ranch
WESTERN ART GUIDE
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Championship Updates Highlights from the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals to the WNFR
Departments 5 My Point of View 7 In the Corral 11 Western Art Review 12 Spirit of the West 14 Wheel to Wheel 16 Some Days Are Diamond 18 Reflections 37 Pro Rodeo Canada Insider 47 Clownin’ Around 50 Cowboy Poetry 3
North of Olds, Alta., is the Kaspian Equestrian Training Centre, located on the Rock–N–Rail Ranch. The multi-zone equine facility includes a massive, spotless arena, outdoor pens and rings that run the gamut from sand to grass, and pristine barns and outdoor pens. Kenton Miller built the place literally from scratch and the facility offers boarding as well as instruction and coaching in working equitation, dressage and mounted archery. Kenton, himself an international competitor who recently was crowned the Overall Champion of the 2019 Texas International Archery Festival, is as enthusiastic as he is skilled. The archery club has attracted a broad cross-section of people whose skills have rapidly gone from “How to Hold a Bow” to scary-good shots. Kenton is a precise coach heavily laced with kindness. He is encouraging to newcomers, and clearly enjoys teaching and watching his students progress. Kenton is also an enthusiastic and popular international competitor who takes pride in his skills and his appearance, paying homage to the great horse archers before him. His horsemanship is as exacting as his shots on target, and the combination has earned him many awards. In a nutshell, horse archery is a martial art — and like all martial arts it’s not easy. However, if it’s worthy of your pursuit and if you have the passion to develop the skills, then this might be the game for you — a sport that has literally won empires. c
NOCK, NOCK, NOCKING… Specialized equipment ranges from horse bows to quivers, thumb guards to arrows. Some clubs will have equipment for a beginner to try or even rent longterm. As with all specialized equipment, try before you buy as each archer will find an affinity for a specific type of bow, whose design goes back thousands of years. Modern arrows are made of fiberglass and many are custom-made, while the unusual quivers that hold the arrows on the thigh or the back are leather and often elaborately decorated. Kenton Miller in competition in full regalia shooting the qabaq, a drum cymbal mounted on a 23-foot high (7m) pole
IMAGE COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS; PHOTO COURTESY KASPIAN MOUNTED ARCHERY
See more photos on our website: cowboycountrymagazine.com
It’s in Your Blood An international group of geneticists studying Y-chromosome data have found that 0.5 per cent of the world’s male population, or roughly 16 million men, are descendants of Genghis Khan.
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
COWBOY WAY
PART 6 OF SIX
CATTLE HANDLING
PHOTOS BY COLLEEN BIGGS
Beat the Calving Blues By DYLAN BIGGS
Tips for a Calm Calving Season 27
WESTERN ART GUIDE SPECIAL FEATURE
Cheyenne — “The Daddy of ’em All”
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EMOTION ART
When it comes to art — especially Western art — we love what we love. These galleries, museums, exhibitions and auctions all cater to us and know what appeals to us the most. To some, serene watercolours attract, while to others, it’s the vibrant oils that capture our imagination. In our world, that’s what art is about — imagination, emotion and recognition. Read on to find out what’s coming up at some of the favourite exhibitions happening this year across the West.
CFD 2019 Museum Purchase Award Winner Little Red Man by Howard Halbert; 18.5" x 15" graphite drawing
It all began in 1897, and to this day, Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) is famous for presenting the rich traditions of the Western way of life, rodeo, and the spirit of community involvement. The visual hallmark is the Western Art Show, featuring the nation’s top Western artists. The on-site Old West Museum is open year-round. Exhibits include an extensive collection of western carriages, a permanent display on the history of Cheyenne Frontier Days, and during Frontier Days, the Western Art Show and Sale. The museum also hosts the CFD Hall of Fame. Inductees include legends such as Lane Frost, Chris LeDoux, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels, Reba McEntire, George Strait, and Garth Brooks. x cfdrodeo.com
Cowgirl Up! In 2006, the Desert Caballeros Western Museum created their annual exhibition showcasing the brightest contemporary female Western artists and turned the spotlight squarely on women’s voices and perspectives, serving up a more profound understanding of the American West. Cowgirl Up! is a crossroads where artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts come together to explore what it means to be a Western artist and to freely ride the range of techniques, styles and mediums. An exhibition first and a sale second, the art featured remains on display until the exhibition closes in early May, allowing viewers to experience the art “all in one place, at one time.” x westernmuseum.org Photo courtesy Caballeros Western Museum Desert/Tim Zeltner
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
WESTERN ART GUIDE
The Coeur d’Alene
Frederic Remington (1861–1909) Casuals on the Range (1909), oil on canvas, 18” × 26”, signed and dated lower right. Sold at the 2019 Coeur d’Alene Art Auction for $981,750.
Renowned in Western art circles, the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction was named one of the Top 25 auction houses worldwide. They are also the largest auction house in the country specialising in Western and American artwork. The auction principals have over 100 years of combined experience in selling fine art and have netted their clients over $325 million in the last fifteen years alone and hold over 160 actual world record prices — the highest of any auction in the field. The Coeur d’Alene is the auction house of choice for major museums, corporations, and notable private collections. They also handle extensive collections and individual works in a highly professional manner to maximise their value. x cdaartauction.com
Allen Sapp Self-taught Aboriginal artist Allen Fredrick Sapp (1928 – 2015) lived a life of incredible hardships and loss — later followed by a chance encounter with a benefactor and a life of international fame, achieving awards and merits beyond his wildest dreams. The Allen Sapp Gallery features The Gonor Collection, a permanent selection of many of Sapp's works. Leah Garven, Curator and Manager of Galleries for the City of North Battleford has created an exhibition called Landscape Perspectives, inspired by a national project about magnificent Canadian landscapes that produced a book called The Good Lands: Canada Through the Eyes of Artists. The Good Lands project began in 2016 when a group of curators and writers gathered to discuss how we see Canada and the land through art; the project included a work of Allen Sapp, The Caboose. “This made me look at our collection and the unique viewpoint that Allen Sapp cowboycountrymagazine.com
Loading Hay by Allen Sapp, 24" X 36", acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the Allen Sapp Gallery — The Gonor Collection
would choose for his work,” said Garven. “Allen Sapp is a self-taught artist whose work is created by the eyes of his youth. He is well-known for his bird's-eye-view perspective, but this exhibition will also look at other unique vantage points of his work
and the sense of place and feelings that the juxtaposition evokes.” Canada is blessed to have the extensive collection of Allen Sapp’s works in the Allen Sapp Gallery in North Battleford. This is a must-see gallery. x allensapp.com 31