COWBOY CANADIAN
COUNTRY
NASHVILLE HIT TING ALL THE NOTES
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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 • $6.95
MICHAEL PERKS LEGENDARY SCULPTURES
HORSE VACATIONS PICK YOUR EQUINE ADVENTURE
REFLECTIONS
Do I Have To Do Everything For You? BY BRYN THIESSEN
to the trailer and, if necessary, put a rope on and drag her in. It started off well, but as we approached the trailer and I pulled my rope down, my horse suddenly remembered getting jerked down and was doing all he could to avoid the situation. (Much like a politician keeping a promise.) This, combined with the fact that on this day, I couldn’t “catch my butt with both hands.” In other words, I wasn’t much help. Andy punched a hole in his loop and threw a backhand on the heifer’s head, committing his horse to the job. We managed to ease the critter near the trailer; my horse was still in another dimension, and Andy got her looking into the trailer. He worked around the side, snuck his rope through the trailer and held her until she jumped in. I managed to get up to the door and slammed it shut. I looked at him and said, “Do I have to do everything for you?” If we travel back to today, we can look back at the last year. We can see times when we had some wrecks and worries and wondered if we’ve been in the fray alone. We might be tempted to look around and say, ‘’Am I in this alone? Do I have to do everything?’’ If we look in Scripture, we find the answer. In Genesis 2:15, we learn that we were placed in the garden to take care of it (work). In 1 Corinthians, Paul teaches us that we have free and open access to God through Jesus.1:4 (The Message) and in Matthew 28:20b, Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” My hope is as this new year unfolds, you can look back and ahead to those you journey with and that you’ll see the One who can say, ‘’ I can do everything for you if you’ll let me.’’ c
Bryn Thiessen is a rancher, poet, cowboy and preacher at Cowboy Trail Church in Cochrane. Bryn and his wife Bonny market grass-fattened beef from their Helmer Creek Ranch southwest of Sundre, Alta.
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2023
ADOBE STOCK/ CANICULA
You’re reading these words as the new year has begun, and although I can’t see where you’re at, I can look back to where I’ve been. Coming on 20 years ago, I rode some for an outfit just out of Red Deer. They had a 5,000-head feedlot and about 1,000 mother cows. I started there when a friend of mine (Andy) had a few of us come help castrate some yearling bulls. The owner asked if I wanted to ride parttime with Andy. This led to a season of adventures and stories — some making sermon illustrations — involving cattle, horses, dogs and often, a rope. Some of the most memorable were when roping bulls. One day, I’d roped a back foot on a red bull and somehow managed to get my reins (it was raining, and I was riding a bosal with a horsehair mecate) caught in my dallies. My horse kept stepping over the rope as I trotted after the bull. Andy kept asking, “Are you winning?’’ He finally said, ‘’You may as well step off; you’re not doing any good.’’ I did, just as everything came tight, my horse was jerked down, and the bull was dragging him by the saddle horn. Andy tried to head the bull, but his rope would slide off like he was roping a hog. Finally, he roped the other back foot and held the bull, and I got my horse free and roped a front foot and got the bull treated. There were many more bull stories, but this column was inspired by the day we roped a yearling heifer. It was about two weeks after we’d treated the red bull, and we’d gone to get a heifer that had strayed into a neighbour’s pasture. There wasn’t a corral close, and Andy was riding a green horse. The plan was to bring her
ARTS & CULTURE
PORTRAIT
Meet Michael Perks EXTREME SCULPTURES BY CRAIG COUILLARD Sanctuary 6 foot diameter
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2023
NASHVILLE HITTING ALL THE NOTES STORY AND PHOTOS BY BILL BORGWARDT
The City of Nashville, Tennessee, also known as Music City USA, is the fastest-growing city in America, and with all the rapid new develop-
ment, it is becoming more cosmopolitan. Many of the historic places are being torn down and replaced by condos and office towers, and the city is losing much of its rustic charm, but it is still Mecca for the country music fan, and with a bit of knowledge, you can still find much of that old traditional country magic. If you’re planning a visit to Nashville, you’ll want to see the well-publicized venues like the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, and the Country Music Hall of Fame, but there is so much more if you know where to look. DOWNTOWN
Lower Broadway, a four-block stretch from 5th Avenue to the Cumberland River and the surrounding area, is the main strip, loaded with several dozen bars and clubs that feature continuous live music from 10 AM until 2 AM. The acts and bands change every four hours, and you can find many types of country music on over 50 different stages. As developers are taking over the city, many of the historic buildings have been replaced by new multi-story structures bearing the names of big country stars, with different bands on each level. However, some great remnants of the past still remind people what the area used to be. Among the best bars that have retained their rustic charm include Legends Corner, Layla’s, The Stage, Second Fiddle, and the iconic Robert’s Western World, where you can buy a fried bologna sandwich, chips, a beer, and a Moon Pie, all for $6, while listening to great country or rockabilly music. These original bars are all in a one-block strip on Broadway on the same side of the street. If you’re travelling with young people (the legal age in Tennessee is 21), they are welcome in all the bars in the daytime if accompanied by an adult. The evening cut-off ranges from 6 PM to 10 PM, depending on the venue. Just ask the doorman at the entrance.
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You never know who you’ll find playing in the clubs. Often you’ll see band members of some of the biggest acts in country music playing for tips. When they aren’t on the road, some will play the bars just because they love to play music, and it’s more fun to keep in top form playing for an audience. One thing you should understand about Nashville is that almost every musician is working for tips. The venue may give them a token amount to pay for minor expenses, but that’s it. I suggest you keep a bundle of small bills when you head to the clubs. If you’re going to spend some time enjoying an act or band, it’s only common decency to throw a little bit in their tip jar. Of course, if you really enjoy a band and stay for a longer time, throw in $5, $10 or even $20 if you can afford it, and it would be appreciated. Some bands have four or five players, and the tip money has to be divided evenly among them. Bartenders and waitresses are also paid very minimally and rely on tips to make a living. Don’t be one of those people who come in, take up space, dance and enjoy the band for half an hour and then leave without even giving them a single dollar for the effort they put in to entertain you. If you’re that type of person, Nashville is not for you.
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BY CRAIG COUILLARD
“Whether you are born into it, or it was born in you, the Western lifestyle embraces a culture of timeless authenticity.” — Author Unknown 28
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2023
PHOTOS COURTESY CRAIG COUILLARD
CHURCH of the ROCKIES
This quote is why the immensely popular TV series Yellowstone is viewed by millions each week; there is something about the Western lifestyle that resonates with rural and urban audiences alike. Trail riders tend to think they are not real cowboys or cowgirls. Did you know that the largest segment of horse owners in Western Canada is female, living on acreages or boarding their horses? They spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their horse’s welfare, lessons, clinics, trucks, trailers, and gear. Astute advertisers and retailers know this as well. This segment of horse owners continues to grow. Recently, Okotoks, Alta, vet Susan Scholl told me they’d seen a significant uptick in new horse owners, which she attributes to folks staying closer to home due to COVID. Myself, I don’t own cows, nor have I ever rodeoed. I’m a self-described two-bit cowboy living on a Two-Bit Ranch (ten acres) in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains southwest of Calgary, but I have been riding the Rockies for nearly three decades. There are not many trails in Kananaskis Country that haven’t felt the hoofbeat of my horse. There is something magical, some might say spiritual, to being on horseback in the mountains. It’s been a privilege to witness many ‘first-timers’ experience this connection with nature. People travel thousands of miles and spend thousands of dollars to ride the mountains here in our backyard. For some, trail riding in the mountains can be daunting. If you haven’t already experienced the Church of the Rockies, I encourage you to take the plunge this year. You won’t regret it. There’s a lot of information online about trail riding, and here are some of my two-bit tips for first-timers to get you going:
FIND A FRIEND
There are a lot of social media sites administered by trail riders in your area, especially on Facebook. I often see a post where someone new to the area is looking to ride with somebody, and the response is always terrific. Even if you don’t have a horse trailer, riders will offer you and your horse a lift. Trail riders are very generous with their time.
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1. The horses spotted something; Long Prairie Loop, Sheep River Provincial Park 2. Riding on a private ranch, near Millarville 3. Sandy McNabb area in Kananaskis 4. Junction Falls, Blue Rock Wildland, Kananaskis
FIND A HORSE
A good way to start is to try some day riding with a trail riding outfitter or at a guest ranch. Leasing a horse from a riding stable is another way to get started in horse ownership. If you have a horse but have never been to the mountains, make sure you go with somebody who has. An experienced trail rider will give you and your horse the confidence you need.
FIND A RIDE
Keep your horse healthy and exercised. I also encourage you to stay in reasonable shape, regardless of your age. Riding the mountains will require a certain amount of physicality on your part as well. Don’t try to do too much, too soon. It’s not good for you or your horse. There are plenty of two-to-four-hour-long trails in the foothills to get you started. As you become
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