b'DID YOU KNOW, IN THE OLD WEST.By Lee Anderson, Old West Living Historian, Award Winning Author, and Old School HorsemanLee Anderson and his horse, Concho, are well known around the state doing presentations in schools, corporate events, and civic events. Learn more about them and his book on his website. historicaloldwest.orgA T he winter ofT he American cowboy cowboy without a horse is a lot like a pilot without1886-87 wasmystique is unique. and airplane. No matter howone of the worst inId bet a good many good they might be at their job, they cant performAmerican history.American males today are it without their horse or their airplane. Temperaturesactually closet cowboys reached fifty below zero in some parts of thethat have (or will), at some point C ontrary to movies and novels,West and cattle died by the thousands. Manyin their life, tried to imagine the typical ranch hand was notranchers lost their entire herd. This winterwhat it would be like to strap a a skilled marksman. Skill with(along with barbed wire) effectively ended45 caliber Colt on their hip, kiss the lariat, not the gun, was howthe era of the open range ranch. the prettiest girl in town, swing the real life cowboy showed hisaboard mastery of his job. This isF or six monthstheir still true today. of the year at aspirited dollar a day andhorse and W hen cattle drives finally"found" (thatsgallop off reached Abilene,board and room,onto the sunset answering to Kansas, and the cattlewhere it existed),no man. Its also probably a were sold, those droversa cowboy workedpretty good bet that, at some let loose. Abilene hadlong hours in everypoint in their life, almost twenty-five saloons openkind of weather,every American female 24/7 that were ready and willing to oblige thoseoccasionallywants one. Oh, come on incoming riders (mostly teenagers) who had justrisking life and limb, to lookpeople, admit it. We allspent three or four brutal months working 18after the cattle of the man whohave our fantasies. hours a day without a day off. owned them. It was not a job for the weak or the timid.TWO GREAT EVENTS wickenburgartclub.org Presented byLocated just two blocks south of where creativity happens the downtown traffic signal.188 S. Tegner, Wickenburg, AZEverything WesternLooking for that special gift? Look no further.HOLIDAY MARKETSHOW & SALEShop for a unique holiday shopping experience offering fine art, photography, handmade crafts, silent auction, and much more.Saturday, November 4th & Sunday, November 5thART EXHIBIT 9 am to 4 pm Oct ober 4th - November 25thWickenburg Community Center RECEPTION160 N. Valentine St., Wickenburg, AZ Saturday, October 7th 4:30 p.m.Wickenburg Art Center & Gallery188 S. Tegner, Wickenburg, AZArizonaRealCountry.com October 2023 9'