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    • PENNED BY LANTERN LIGht
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  • Poetry Contests
    • Contest at the convention
    • annual AWARD RECIPIENTS
    • AWARD CRITERIA
  • PERFORMERS
  • RECORDINGS
    • educational Presentations
  • Youth
  • CONTACT us

Western Wordsmiths

  • Home
  • Calendar
  • About us
    • Our Western wordsmith officers
  • Penned by Lantern Light
    • PENNED BY LANTERN LIGht
    • Past Authors of Penned by Lantern Light
  • Poetry Contests
    • Contest at the convention
    • annual AWARD RECIPIENTS
    • AWARD CRITERIA
  • PERFORMERS
  • RECORDINGS
    • educational Presentations
  • Youth
  • CONTACT us

Welcome to western wordsmiths!

A Chapter of the international western music association

WHAT THE HECK IS COWBOY POETRY?

Cowboy poetry is all about telling stories.  It all started around a campfire with the cowboys entertaining each other. They wove tales of the things they knew best - land, cattle, horses, friendship, interesting characters, hardship on the trail…  

Whether poignant or humorous, cowboy poetry tells the stories of Western lifestyle and cowboy culture. 

Today cowboy and cowgirl poets still share anecdotal poems around campfires, but also at public gatherings big and small.  Using ballad-like rhyme and meter with their verse, our poets share the spirit of the cowboy with stories from historic times to our modern way of life. 

Cowboy poetry is fun, inspiring and engaging. Anyone from youngsters to old timers can perform it, and audiences love it.  Check out the calendar of events below for Western Heritage and Cowboy Poetry events around the country.  

The world of “Western Wordsmiths” also includes authors, storytellers and songwriters.  AND It includes the fans, the folks who make up the audience.  We hope you will consider joining our group.  Just click the box below for more information.

we invite you to join us in the iwma western wordsmiths chapter!

LATEST NEWS:

  • Jeff Davidson wrote a fascinating article in Grass and Grain (an ag newsweekly for Kansas and southern Nebraska) about the origins of Memorial Day and the Power of the Poem.  It can be an inspiration to us all - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AxbERJjkg/
  • Congratulations to Micki Fuhrman! She was recently elected vice president of Western Writers of America. Her term begins at WWA'S convention (June) in St. Louis, Missouri. After serving for two years as VP, she will assume the office of president in 2028.
  • The Championship Round of the  2026 Kansas Cowboy Poetry Contest was held July 24th at the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan, KS. Results at   https://cowboypoetrycontest.com/

 

eNJOY WESTERN HERITAGE & COWBOY POETRY EVENTS  AROUND THE COUNTRY!

Oct16

Medicine Hat Cowboy Gathering

Friday, October 16 — Sunday, October 18Fri, Oct 16 — Sun, Oct 18

Medicine Hat, Alberta Canada

Music, poetry and more! Special guest this year is singer/songwriter, humorist and cartoonist Ben Crane. More details at https://mhcowboylife.com/

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Medicine Hat Cowboy Gathering on Oct 16

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Oct22

"Get Down in Cowtown" - Historic Cattle Trails National Conference headline concert

Thursday, October 22 @ 7:00PM (CDT, UTC-05)Thu, Oct 22 @ 7:00PM (CDT, UTC-05)

Liberty Center Association for the Arts, 111 West 5th Street, Sedalia, MO

The Historic Cattle Trails National Conference and the Liberty Center are presenting a memorable evening celebrating the traditions of the American West with songs from the golden age of the American Cowboy, and Cowboy poetry from the Cowboy Poet Lariats from Kansas and Texas. If you love cowboy music and poetry, this concert features outstanding regional talents: Ron Wilson, Poet Lariat of Kansas; 3 Trails West - National awarding-winning vintage cowboy & Western Swing band; Jeff Davidson - Singer and Western Historian; Diamond W Wranglers - Wonderful harmonies and musical storytelling; William Westfall - Ragtime piano

$15

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"Get Down in Cowtown" - Historic Cattle Trails National Conference headline concert @ Liberty Center Association for the Arts on Oct 22, 7:00PM

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Oct23

Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering

Friday, October 23 — Sunday, October 25Fri, Oct 23 — Sun, Oct 25

Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth, Texas

Saddle up and step into authentic Western culture in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards—where the West begins! The Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering celebrates authentic Western heritage through ranching competitions, western music, cowboy poetry and traditional chuck wagon cuisine. True West Magazine has named this event "Best Cowboy Music Gathering".

https://www.redsteagallcowboygathering.com

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Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering @ Fort Worth Stockyards on Oct 23

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Nov6

Western Slope Cowboy Gathering

Friday, November 6 — Saturday, November 7Fri, Nov 6 — Sat, Nov 7

Grand Valley Event Center, 2400 Consistory Ct., Grand Junction, CO

The gathering celebrates its 11th year with a wide range of top local and national Cowboy Poets and Western Singers. The Gathering presents two days and nights of good family fun, featuring great cowboy entertainment. Details at https://westernslopecowboygathering.com/

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Western Slope Cowboy Gathering @ Grand Valley Event Center on Nov 6

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Nov11

International Western Music Association Annual Convention

Wednesday, November 11 — Sunday, November 15Wed, Nov 11 — Sun, Nov 15

Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, 800 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico

What a great time! This is our annual celebration of western music and cowboy poetry. It is home of the Western Wordsmiths Cowboy Poetry Contest plus awards for Male and Female Cowboy Poets of the Year; Cowboy Poetry Book and CD of the Year. Find all the details at https://iwesternmusic.org/

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International Western Music Association Annual Convention @ Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town on Nov 11

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WESTERN WORDSMITHS IS A CHAPTER OF THE INTERNATIONAL WESTERN MUSIC ASSOCIATION.  LEARN MORE ABOUT IWMA AT https://www.iwesternmusic.org/

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