Before rodeo was a sport, bronc riding was a test of usefulness. No scorecards. No exceptions. Just a saddle, a gate, and a horse that would expose every mistake you made.

In this episode of Way Out West, we tell the story of Fannie Sperry Steele, a Montana horsewoman whose skill in the saddle was so undeniable that even a world built for men had to take notice. Raised in ranch country and hardened by real work, she entered the 1912 World’s Championship Bronc Riding Contest under the same rules as everyone else, and won.

This is a story about preparation, precision, and the kind of competence that earns respect the hard way.

Transcript: For a full transcript of this episode, click on "Transcript"

Your Turn! Share your thoughts → [email protected]

Support the Show: Buy me a coffee → https://buymeacoffee.com/thecowboycpa

Follow Along: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/RideWayOutWest

On the open cattle trail, sickness and injury weren’t inconveniences; they were life-threatening emergencies.

There were no hospitals.
No ambulances.
No doctors for hundreds of miles.

A twisted ankle, a bad fall, or a high fever could end a career or a life.

In this episode of Way Out West, follow a late-1800s cattle drive north out of Texas to explore how cowboys faced illness, accidents, and death with little more than grit and improvisation. From frontier “medicine” and makeshift surgeries to quiet graves on the prairie, this episode reveals the hidden cost of building the American West.

You’ll hear how trail crews treated injuries with pocketknives and bandanas, relied on whiskey and herbal remedies, and made impossible decisions when a man could no longer ride. Most of all, you’ll learn why they kept going—despite the risks—because duty, reputation, and loyalty mattered more than comfort.

This is the story of survival without a safety net.

Transcript: For a full transcript of this episode, click on "Transcript"

Your Turn! Share your thoughts → [email protected]

Support the Show: Buy me a coffee → https://buymeacoffee.com/thecowboycpa

Follow Along: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/RideWayOutWest

In the late 1880s, a series of brutal blizzards swept across the Great Plains, catching cowboys and ranchers completely unprepared. Temperatures plunged. Snow buried the grass. Herds vanished almost overnight.

In this episode of Way Out West, explore the true story of the Great Plains blizzards of 1886–1887 and how one catastrophic winter ended the era of the open range. We look at why ranchers were unprepared, how cowboys fought to save their herds, and how the disaster reshaped Western ranching forever.

From frozen cattle and burned fence posts to shattered fortunes and hard-earned wisdom, this is the story of how winter humbled the West and forced it to grow up.

Transcript: For a full transcript of this episode, click on "Transcript"

Your Turn! Share your thoughts → [email protected]

Support the Show: Buy me a coffee → https://buymeacoffee.com/thecowboycpa

Follow Along: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/RideWayOutWest

Editor’s Note: This is an encore presentation of Cowboy Poetry: How the West Found Its Voice, originally released in May 2025. With the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering beginning this week, it felt like the right moment to revisit the roots of cowboy poetry and the voices that continue to shape Western culture.

You can also find a full guide to the best Western events happening in 2026, including this gathering, on the Way Out West blog.

Cowboy poetry is more than performance; it’s how the working West remembered itself.

Long before stages and spotlights, these verses were spoken beside campfires and under open skies, shaped by long days in the saddle, hard weather, and quiet reflection. Cowboy poetry captured the humor, hardship, and beauty of life on the range in words meant to be shared, not polished.

In this episode of Way Out West, we explore how cowboy poetry emerged during the cattle drives of the late 1800s and why it continues to resonate today. We hear from poets who helped define the tradition, from the romantic pull of the open range to the wit and humility that kept cowboys grounded through tough times.

This episode is a reminder to slow down, listen closely, and stay connected to the land, the stories, and the values that shaped the American West.

As mentioned in the episode from the blog → The Best Western Events Happening in 2026

Transcript: For a full transcript of this episode, click on "Transcript"

Your Turn! Share your thoughts → [email protected]

Support the Show: Buy me a coffee → https://buymeacoffee.com/thecowboycpa

Follow Along: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/RideWayOutWest

When the herd was bedded down and the camp finally went quiet, the work wasn’t over.

In this episode of Way Out West, ride into the darkest hours of the cattle trail to explore night guard, the lonely, skilled, and often unseen job of watching cattle while the world slept. From slow circles in the saddle to low songs sung in the dark, riding night guard was about calm, patience, and responsibility when no one else was watching.

This is the story of the cowboys who stayed awake, the music that steadied the herd, and the quiet work that kept everything from coming apart before morning.

Transcript: For a full transcript of this episode, click on "Transcript"

Your Turn! Share your thoughts → [email protected]

Support the Show: Buy me a coffee → https://buymeacoffee.com/thecowboycpa

Follow Along: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/RideWayOutWest

The next day, after the music faded and the saloon doors went quiet, cowboys didn’t linger. Morning came, responsibilities returned, and the trail was already waiting.

In this episode of Way Out West, step into the quiet hours after a night in town when boardwalks were empty, pay had been spent, and excuses carried no weight. This is the story of how cowboys gathered their gear, faced the consequences of the night before, and rode back out to the open range.

No legends. No bravado. Just dawn, dust, and the steady pull of work that couldn’t wait.

Transcript: For a full transcript of this episode, click on "Transcript"

Your Turn! Share your thoughts → [email protected]

Support the Show: Buy me a coffee → https://buymeacoffee.com/thecowboycpa

Follow Along: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/RideWayOutWest

After months on the open range, cowboys finally rode into town, and everything changed.

Boardwalks filled with dust-covered riders flush with pay. Saloons swung open. Cards hit the tables. Whiskey flowed. For a few wild nights, the discipline of the trail gave way to noise, temptation, and release.

In this episode of Way Out West, step off the range and into the frontier towns that came alive when the trail ended. Explore what really happened when cowboys hit town, inside saloons and gambling halls, along boardwalks and back alleys, and in the thin line between law, legend, and chaos. From tall tales and unwritten rules to standoffs and frontier justice, this episode looks past the myths to the human reality of cowboy life away from the herd.

When cowboys came to town, the West didn’t just get louder; it showed its true character.

As Mentioned in this Episode 👉 The Reality of Guns in the Wild West

Transcript: For a full transcript of this episode, click on "Transcript"

Your Turn! Share your thoughts → [email protected]

Support the Show: Buy me a coffee → https://buymeacoffee.com/thecowboycpa

Follow Along: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/RideWayOutWest

The Buffalo Soldiers rode the harshest country in the West, took the toughest assignments, and built a legacy America is only now beginning to fully appreciate. In this episode, ride into their world, from the post–Civil War cavalry camps to the long marches, fierce battles, and quiet acts of courage that defined these legendary troopers.

Discover why Plains tribes named them “Buffalo Soldiers,” how they shaped frontier history, and why their story still echoes across the American West today.

Transcript: For a full transcript of this episode, click on "Transcript"

Your Turn! Share your thoughts → [email protected]

Support the Show: Buy me a coffee → https://buymeacoffee.com/thecowboycpa

Follow Along: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/RideWayOutWest

Scout. Pathfinder. Mountain man. Kit Carson helped map the West—but his story is far more complicated than legend suggests. In this episode, we explore the grit, contradictions, and legacy of one of the frontier’s most fascinating figures.

Transcript: For a full transcript of this episode, click on "Transcript"

Your Turn! Share your thoughts → [email protected]

Support the Show: Buy me a coffee → https://buymeacoffee.com/thecowboycpa

Follow Along: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/RideWayOutWest

Riding shotgun wasn’t just a seat on a stagecoach — it was the most dangerous job in the Old West.

This week on Way Out West, climb up onto the box seat to hear the story of the fearless shotgun messengers who guarded gold shipments, stared down outlaw gangs, and rode through ambush country with a double-barreled shotgun across their knees.

You’ll hear how these men were chosen, the weapons they carried, the tactics they used, and what really went down when a robbery struck without warning. From legendary messengers like Bob Paul to the road agents who tried—and failed—to take the strongbox, this episode pulls you straight back into the danger, dust, and grit of the frontier trails.

Saddle up. This one packs a punch.

Transcript: For a full transcript of this episode, click on "Transcript"

Your Turn! Share your thoughts → [email protected]

Support the Show: Buy me a coffee → https://buymeacoffee.com/thecowboycpa

Follow Along: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/RideWayOutWest