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The laughable, photographable band of former rodeo clowns, bullfighters and barrelmen will arrive in Sheridan, Wyoming, for their Rodeo Clown Reunion, July 11th through the 14th during the annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo. These laugh-getters and cowboy-savers will stir up the town with their colorful costumes and individual make-up along with their strange sense of humor.

Anyone who loves Quarter Horses needs to read this New York Time article: "Mangled Horses, Maimed Jockeys: The new economics of horse racing are making an always-dangerous game even more so, as lax oversight puts animal and rider at risk" (link below). It's horrifying and fascinating.

In January, I spent some time in Denver, Colorado, at the Great National Western Stock Show (www.nationalwestern.com) and at the annual Western and English Sales Association trade show, and I had the pleasure of visiting two classic Denver hotels. They're worth noting, because both are housed in stone buildings that were constructed over 100 years ago.

Subscriber Cari Brown from Airway Heights, Wash., wrote me a letter recently asking about how to attach a stampede string to a cowboy hat—without ruining it with too many holes. To get expert advice on the stampede string (a.k.a. hurricane strap, chin string, head holding tie down), I contacted Trent Johnson of Greeley Hat Works (greeleyhatworks.com).

I stow the shears and often grow a beard in winter to stay warm, but this is something completely different... A new reality television show debuts tomorrow (August 5) on IFC about "competitive facial hair growing" called "Whisker Wars." Set your TIVO!

This article about altitude sickness in cattle (a.k.a. brisket disease) by Dan Frosch ran August 1 in the New York Times. Very tricky conditions for ranchers to deal with... For tourists traveling into the mountains, altitude sickness can be an uncomfortable reality. The lightheadedness. The nausea. The vicious headaches.

I recently had a chance to speak with Ernie Rodina of "Better Horses Radio" (www.betterhorsesradio.com). His passion for the horse industry drew him to the airwaves, and his show is well worth a listen.

Gail Woerner from Rodeoattitude.com has this to report about a great new organization for women of the West.

April is National Poetry Month in the United States and Canada, and April 17–23 is Cowboy Poetry Week. In fact, 2011 is the tenth annual Cowboy Poetry Week, which 22 state governors and officials have recognized. Many activities take place across the West and beyond to mark the occasion. Visit Cowboypoetry.com and Westernfolklife.org to learn more.

The following is from the Working Ranch Cowboys Association (WRCA). Wildfires are really affecting cowboys in the Panhandle, and they need help.

Margaret "Maggi" Elizabeth Lindley, widow of rodeo clown, contestant, and movie actor Slim Pickens, passed away March 21, 2011 in Sonora, California, five days shy of her 90th birthday. She incurred a broken hip in December and never recovered from it. Maggi, a native Californian, was born March 26, 1921. She met Slim at the Madera County Fair while she was galloping a horse on the race track.

We recently started the American Cowboy Magazine E-Newsletter, which some of you have started receiving. It contains information about upcoming events, contests, recipes, gear, and culture of the American West. Be the first to read new articles and learn about products and services from our Equine Network of titles (activeinterestmedia.com).

Here's another article about the untimely death of a child in rodeo by St. Petersberg Tribune staff writers Stephanie Wang and Ileana Morales. It's reminiscent, of course, of "Rough Stock," the article about 12-year-old Wayde Hamar that we published in the October/November 2010 issue of American Cowboy. Brooke Ann Coats could hold her own in an arena full of cowboys.

Originally a means of transportation over snow, "skijoring"—getting pulled on skis by a horse—first appeared in Scandinavia about 700 years ago. North Americans, of course, like to ratchet up the fun quotient, and this practical form of locomotion was tur

It's nice to see when mainstream media turns its attention to our world. James Card of the New York Times wrote the following article: On the brown dirt floor of Tennessee Miller Coliseum, Dale Lively covered the eyes of his mustang by wrapping a cloth around its head, then rode it toward a small wooden bridge.