One of My Favorite Montana Moments This Year As 2021 Winds Down

This was certainly one of my "Montana Moments" and a highlight from 2021 as the year comes to a close. I was set up at the Annual Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Lewistown, Montana back in August.

We had a bunch of great cowboy poets join us and share their music or their poems live on the radio. One nice couple that came up to our table not only shared the lyrics to one of their cowboy poetry songs, they also shared a photo that won 1st place at the Fergus County Fair!

It was a photo of their horse with a mask hanging off one of his ears. The title of the photo was called "Unmask." I got quite the kick out of that. The horse looks as sick of the masks as the rest of us...

Thanks to Joe and Barb Stoltz from Heath, Montana for sharing that with us. I remember telling folks about it on the radio, but I forget to share with you online.

In addition to the photo, they shared one of their songs that was written at Dirt Road Records. The song is called "The Paint Stud."

It talks about a young stud that ends up on the circuit in Cheyenne, and comes face to face with an old cowboy named Sam. The rider was left paralyzed by the horse, but decides to spare the horse's life and take him home.

Part of the lyrics go as follows:

The broken up old cowboy yelled leave that horse alone! Put him in my trailer I'll take that paint stud home.

No one thought that cowboy would ever walk again. But two long years later he was back in Cheyenne.

There's of course a much more interesting twist to the song...all the more reason for you to make sure you attend next year's cowboy poetry gathering in Lewistown.