The Cowboy Up Podcast

Jason Khalaf retired from the Army after a military career that started in the Navy. Jason's goal when he started his military career was to serve America. Jason and his wife were drawn to Basecamp for Veterans and that initial involvement placed Jason in the role of being served by the Basecamp Team to assist in his post-retirement world. Basecamps contribution helped to repair their communication which ultimately saved their marriage. Jason and his wife Gerri Ann took so much away from their experience that they became Basecamp Mentors. Since this is Memorial Day Weekend we felt it was important to interview a Veteran Who is Serving other Veterans. Basecamp in funded by donations. Please visit bcampinc.com if you are so inclined and give what feels right.

CEO & Founder, Mary Hartman, was a horse owner who was frustrated because her horse was constantly getting sick and none of the common solutions were working. Mary's mission became finding a solution that used food and not medications. This quest is how StableFeed was born. Mary says “There is no species of animal to which we owe more than equids. I have a profound love and respect for these animals and believe that every aspect of their care should reflect the gratitude these animals so richly deserve.”  StableFeed is an innovative horse feed and supplement company that uses science to harness the power of nutraceutical foods to promote and maintain systemic health in today's equine athletes.

Allan Hamilton started as a janitor and eventually went on to graduate from Harvard Medical School and complete his neurosurgical residency training at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Hamilton currently holds four Professorships at the University of Arizona. He is a tenured professor of neurosurgery, as well as professorships in radiation oncology, psychology, and electrical and computer engineering. In 2019, Dr. Hamilton was inducted as Regents' Professor of Surgery. Dr. Hamilton has held positions as both the Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Arizona and is also a decorated Army officer who served in Operation Desert Storm. An author of more than twenty medical textbook chapters, nearly one hundred peer-review research articles, and has served on the editorial board of several medical journals and for the last several years he has served as Senior Medical Script Consultant for the television series, Grey's Anatomy, and four seasons of Private Practice. He continues to consult in Hollywood and most recently worked as a consultant for Peter Berg's movie, Patriot's Day. In this weeks Cowboy-Up Podcast Dr, Hamilton explains how the practice of neurosurgery, patients with terminal diseases, Artificial Intelligence and horses align.

Long time author Rico Lamoureux moved from the Philippines to South Dakota after the pandemic eased and promptly fell in love with the story of Deadwood. He chose South Dakota due to no lockdowns and the rich western history. Rico is a long time crime novel author and the historical characters of Wild Bill, Calamity Jane, Sheriff Bullock and bad guy Al Swearengen seemed like a natural to Rico. T His is where the inspiration for Deadwood Bound started. In much the same vane as stories about Tombstone, Arizona and Dodge City, Deadwood Bound has everything a reader could ask for along with an additional helping of intrigue. Sit back and enjoy Rico's perspective on Deadwood as he prepares for his visit to Deadwood and Deadwood reads on this edition of the Cowboy Up Podcast.

Dan Schneider is a former First Team All American baseball player and after his college time at University of Arizona he went on to play professionally for the Braves and the Astros. After his departure from baseball he needed to take care of his growing family and landed in the casualty insurance business. As luck  would have it he started a relationship with the True family and White Stallion Ranch. In 1998 Dan attended the inaugural Dude Ranch Convention and in 2004 he started the Dude Ranch Horse Safety Program. This has lead to a 35% decrease in injuries and helped dude ranches nationwide. Enjoy the banter between long time personal and business friends in this episode of the Cowboy Up Podcast.

Karin Winegar is a long-time journalist who recently completed a 30 + year labor of love when Horse Lovers – Unpacking The Female Fascination With Horses. Karins work has been featured in the New York Times, Conde Nast and The Western Horseman. Karins love for animals made her want to be a veterinarian and her love was eventually channeled to the written word. Karin was a reporter for the Minneapolis Star and along the way interviewed such heavyweights as Dick Cavett, Joan Rivers, Anthony Quinn and Rodney Dangerfield who wore a bathrobe to the interview! Horse Lovers – Unpacking The Female Fascination reveals women as risk takers, romantics, independents so much more. She untangles the roots of female horse craziness, sizes it up, assesses its causes and effects and explores in depth who women are and why women feel and do what they do. It is a trail of exaltations, adventures and inquiries. It is about a colorful worldwide culture, about vivid lives and about a unique form of love.  Sit back and enjoy!

Chris Enss is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing non-fiction books about women of the Old West for more than thirty years. Chris was a guest at White Stallion Ranch and she took time from her vacation and spent it with Russell and Steven for the Cowboy Up Listeners.  Chris has authored more than fifty published books on the subject of women in the old west. Chris has been honored with nine Will Rogers Medallion Awards, two Elmer Kelton Book Awards, an Oklahoma Center for the Book Award, three Foreword Review Magazine Book Awards, the Laura Downing Journalism Award, and a Willa Cather Award from Women Writing the West for scholarly nonfiction.   Enss's most recent works are The Doctor Was A Woman: Stories of the First Female Physicians on the Frontier, An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood's Most Notorious Bordellos, and Along Came a Cowgirl: Daring and Iconic Cowgirls of Rodeos and Wild West Shows.

At the C Lazy U Ranch in Granby, Colorado Ami Cullen worked her way up from the most basic position to become the Director of Equine Operations. Ami has performed various services for ranch guests, including leading trail rides on private land and BLM land, teaching and educating guests on the skills necessary to ride horses in the mountains over difficult terrain, educating guests on surrounding wildlife and ranch history. Nothing about her previous life as a lawyer prepared her for what she would face when she was confronted by an out-of-control wildfire. Ami shares that experience in her book Running Free and she invites us along for the ride on this week's Cowboy Up podcast.

Bill Markley is a long-time friend and guest at White Stallion Ranch and a long-time member of Western Writers of America and a current member for the Will Rogers Medallion Awards One of Bill's most recent books on the Legendary West Series is Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody: Plainsmen of the Legendary West was wildly successful. Bills love of history and travel were instilled in him as a young boy growing up on the family farm in Pennsylvania. Bill has been in the films Dances with Wolves, Son of the Morning Star, Far and Away, Gettysburg, and Crazy Horse. Bill's soon to be released book on Jim Bridger promises to take you to the next level. After two years of research his respect for him has grown. He accepted all people no matter who they were and only when they turned on him would he treat them as enemies. He tried to stay out of fights, but if one was unavoidable, he was in the forefront. He was like many of us, in love with the West.

Brian Wong is the owner of a third-generation family farm first established in 1939. Brian in the second youngest of 40 grand children and was willing to stay around to do the hard work and preserve the family legacy. Today BKW Farms, in Marana, Arizona employs organic farming methods and they grow a Heritage variety of wheat. BKW Farms is a supplier of grains to Arizona breweries, different types of wheat to Arizona bakeries and locally grown mushrooms. In a state where water supply is a day-to-day issue, Brian has learned how to manage this precious resource with a goal of sustainability. This was a compelling podcast due to the new focus on the quality of food and health. Enjoy!

Greg Laird is a practicing attorney in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has represented numerous defendants in every stage of death penalty jurisprudence, including two victories at the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals thereby saving his clients from the Oklahoma death chamber. He wrote this book so readers could experience the twists, turns and inner turmoil that comes from representing people on death row. He is the founding partner of the Laird Group where he represents clients in a multitude of legal areas including criminal defense. In his spare time he likes to read, attend sporting events and spend time with his children.

Alex La Pierre first arrived in southern Arizona to work for the National Park Service. He wanted to focus on the historic preservation and interpretation at Tumacacori National Historic Park. His goal included creating and leveraging nonprofit cross-border work experience in project management and program development. It was then when Alex founded became the director of Borderlandia which has become a bi-national organization committed to building public understanding of the borderlands. Alex works every day to build something positive that impacts this world by connecting people across borders – both real and imagined. If you believe in building public understanding of the borderlands between the U.S. and Mexico is important, Russell, Alex and Steven invite you to listen to this important podcast on Cowboy Up!

Born & raised in South Dakota, Karlee Petersen has a natural passion for agriculture and the western way of life that's been instilled from a young age. With appreciation for the sport of rodeo and putting it into play on screen, Karlee has used her skill set learned at school and various roles throughout the industry to capitalize on television production and bring rodeo to the major platform. With education being a major focus for Karlee, she takes any opportunity to learn from others. Karlee spent time with Bass Pro Shops producing photoshoots & national commercials to expand her knowledge, and recently brought that back to the western world, becoming the Executive Producer of Cowboy Channel. Karlee shares what's possible with positive thinking, hard work and a little fatherly advice!

On this week's edition of the Cowboy Up podcast we welcome Jana Earp. Before you ask, the answer is yes… She is part of the famous family from Tombstone, Arizona. A little more than two years ago, Jana took a chance and jumped on social media to share her story from life as a corporate cowgirl to owning her own ranch while pursuing her love for the western lifestyle and the outdoors. That single decision has opened so many incredible doors and she's gone on to build a community of over 30,000 and been invited to speak, be a guest on podcasts, host networking events, travel to conventions, and, most importantly, build a network that supports women, small businesses, agriculture and celebrates the western way of life. Jana says it's been an amazing journey so far, and she's just getting started. Jana has a lot of tips and a few surprises on this edition of the Cowboy Up podcast.

The historic Empire Ranch has been a working cattle ranch for almost 150 years. Its rich history includes successive ownership by two prominent ranching families, two corporations, and finally by the federal government on behalf of the general public. Originally established in the 1860's as a homestead ranch of 160 acres with a flat topped four-room adobe ranch house and adjoining adobe-walled corral and finally the BLM took over in 1988 with a commitment to preserve the historic Empire Ranch buildings and interpreting them for future generations. Television series like Bonanza were filmed at empire and movie stars like John Wayne and Barbara Streisand filmed movies here. Sit back and enjoy the story of Empire Ranch as told by Empire volunteers Rick and Marti.

The Roaming Hillbilly started down the path of hillbilly music a decade ago with high energy, San Francisco Peninsula-based Americana Bluegrass. After teaming up with the Edgewood Mountain Boys,  Hillbilly (as his friends call him) quickly discovered his new passion that included roaming through the crowd playing music while the band performed on stage.  The rest is history!  His current mission in life is as a solo musical entertainer to energize folks while sharing his boot stompin hillbilly music. Whether he's greeting folks with music as they first arrive at an event or keeping folks entertained as they stand in concession lines, there is always an opportunity to create smiles, do a little hillbilly dance or take a selfie.  Kick back for a minute and enjoy The Roaming Hillbilly passing through our podcast.

On this edition of the Cowboy Up podcast, we introduce TJ Jones, a real-life rodeo announcer with the Tejas rodeo near San Antonio, taxes. TJ's mom was showing horses while he was growing up and his father was on the Sul Ross State Rodeo in Alpine, Texas so his rodeo roots run deep. TJ NEVER starts a rodeo without speaking to our Creator who blessed us with the ability to do what we do. With Christ, all things are possible. According to TJ, whoever said a dog is a man's best friend, never owned a horse. Good ol Buster has really turned into a great announcer's horse and he's the best coworker he's ever had. He hopes the Lord blesses him with many more years getting to announce rodeos from the back of ol Buster. TJ says there's no better place to be on a Saturday night than a Tejas rodeo. Give TJ a healthy listen on the Cowboy Up podcast

BaseCamp for Veterans, Inc. ("BCI") was founded by life-long friends Deborah Plum & Theo Windish, who each have experience in both the private and public sectors. Theo has a degree from Penn State University and is a behavioral analyst and he uses that education and experience to serve some of America's returned veterans at Basecamp. Theo has spent a significant portion of his professional life connecting people, being a part of charitable groups, and has invested his time in projects that served a variety of communities.

Bethany Zill is a familiar face at White Stallion Ranch and her love of ranching is obvious in this edition of the Cowboy Up podcast. Bethany grew up on a ranch in North Dakota and is part of a 5th generation ranch family. Alan Day was raised at the Lazy B Ranch in Arizona with his sister Sandra who went on the become the first female Supreme Court Justice of the United States Sandra Day O'Connor. Bethany created a film about the Lazy B with the help of first-hand stories from Alan Day. Bethany's film has been nominated for 2 awards in the upcoming Tombstone Film Festival because she was able to coax stories out of Alan about growing up on the ranch, cloud seeding and conversations with God. This one was a lot of fun. Stay until the end for some new music from Bethany on this edition of the Cowboy Up podcast.

Maria Eastman is the founder of Rainhorse Equine Assisted Services right here in Southern Arizona. Rainhorse provides counseling for groups who work with horses who have fallen on hard times. Maria started her horse journey at the age of six and it was love at first sight! Maria is a certified practitioner of the Masterson Method which is a gentle technique that helps horses release tension and improve their overall health and well-being. Maria is also a contributor at the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada

Steven Hebrock is a Certified Master Hoof Care Professional and has been actively involved in the technical education of a wide range of subjects at several universities, including the University of Colorado Denver, the University of Akron, and, most recently at The Ohio State University. At THE Ohio State University Steven taught hoof care and farriery, equine marketing and facilities management along with a number of other engineering and technical classes for nearly 20 years. During his tenure there, Steve also completed his Master of Science in Engineering degree at the University of Wisconsin.

Michelle was a surprise guest at White Stallion Ranch during the pandemic. Hawaii refused her admittance and she told her husband Jeff to handle and make it perfect. Michelle previously had a television show about luxury travel so jeff knew what he was up against. Michelle is the Director of the Pinal County Economic Development Department and is only 45 minutes from White Stallion Ranch.  Here what they found when after they arrived and how it changed their definition of Luxury travel when you mix in amazing experiences on this week's Cowboy Up Podcast.

As the oldest of 10 children on a farm in Northwest Ohio, David grew up playing and singing gospel, country, and bluegrass. David has a Masters in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and earned his Ph.D. from Purdue University in Marriage and Family Therapy. David recently retired from his 40 year career of providing 'Whole Health' education at various Universities and for the VHA. In addition to performing music at White Stallion Ranch and other venues, he consults in the area of Whole Health. Also, he provides guest ranch services at his Ranch in Aravaipa Canyon.

Marty Freese and Russell True have been close friends for years. They share a deep love for White Stallion Ranch and its long history as a guest ranch and a Southern Arizona Film-makers destination. Ronald Reagan, Gene Autry, George Clooney, William Holden, Audie Murphy and many other notable celebrities have spent time at White Stallion Ranch.  A couple of observant guests saw Tom Hanks at White Stallion getting ready for his role in Cast Away. Marty shares with our listeners a who's who of what happened here at the Ranch. Enjoy!

The Mescal Movie Set is an iconic "Old West" town that presents a unique and authentic filming experience.  The Western frontier town offers 28 buildings complete with props and is nestled in historic cattle country with mountain backdrops, scenic vistas, and spectacular views. This Southern Arizona historical site has been the focal point of  is ideal for featured films, television series, commercials, music videos, reality shows, photo shoots, and other film productions. Mescal's Director of Media and Marketing Mark Sankey joins Russell and Steven to share what's going on at Mescal and How you can watch it first-hand. 

 Thank you for being a part of the posse of the cowboy up podcast.  We come to you from the historic White Stallion Ranch in Tucson Arizona.  This week on this Thanksgiving weekend celebration we welcome John May who has the wonderful opportunity to tell stories about all the different kinds of horses and about the many wonderful guest ranches and cowboy experience places that you can enjoy. Remember that many people have said that going to a dude ranch or guest ranch was one of the best things they ever did and for many it even changed their life insignificant ways.  Well join us as we take a trip down that transformation trail and see if we can find a place just right for you! And remember to reach out to us and tell us more at TheCowboyUpPodcast@gmail.com And reach out to Stan about having your own podcast at stanhustad@gmail.com    

Greg Hager is the reigning ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR with the Pro Cowboy Country Artist Association (PCCAA). Song-writer and accomplished musician, Greg Hager offers original songs with a fresh authentic Western flair, from heartwarming to toe-tapping. Ballad-creator and tall-tale originator, Greg presents a musical program that will tickle the ears and inspire the heart. His music and message has a true “western styled” country and gospel focus, and is a delight for all members of the family. ... And a bit of a correction please write to us and give us your thoughts at  thecowboyuppodcast@gmail.com All the best and have a thankful and grateful Thanksgiving time anytime  

Built in 1939, Old Tucson is a renowned film set and family theme park located just outside Tucson, AZ. Nestled between Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountain Park, this beautiful desert setting has been the filming location for hundreds of classic western films and TV shows. The studio opened its doors as a theme park in 1960 and continues to welcome guests for a variety of immersive and theatrical experiences, special events, and tours.

The Tucson Rodeo Parade originated in February 1925. At that time, it preceded the Tucson Rodeo and was a one-day event, both of which were conceived with the thought that they could benefit Tucson's economy by attracting tourists. The plan worked! Now, 100 years later, the parade is still rollin' strong!

Anna Twinney's Reach Out to Horses programs give you the opportunity to learn the methodologies and concepts necessary to fully understand and work in the language of the horse.  Anna is a noted International Equine Specialist, Natural Horsemanship Clinician, Animal Communicator and Energy Healer. Her hands-on approach will allow you to gain insight and understanding into the mind of the horse, learn how to leave the one-way conversation behind, and build a true connection and trust-based partnership with your horse.

Mark Bedor is the creator of Today's Wild West, an award-winning documentary-style TV series on all-things-Western and a two-time winner of the National Cowboy Museum's Western Heritage Award. Mark is a long-time freelance magazine writer-photographer, author of two Western coffee table photography books, and spent a career in local TV news, before focusing on the Great American West. Mark Bedor and Russell have been friends for years and in this edition of the Cowboy Up podcast, those years come alive and they share what they are up to now. This one is a lot of fun! Sit back and enjoy!

Spend a few minutes with Dean Ruffing. Dean is the CEO of Hotels In The Best Destinations. Dean shares some of his favorite places to visit and even gives us a little “Inside Baseball” on how booking travel and getting the best deal actually works. Learn about terms like OTA and IPW and how to leverage these to get the most bang for your travel dollar. Dean and Russell have worked and traveled together extensively for year. Come along for a great ride. Saddle up!

Michael Delbar has been the CEO of the California Rangeland Trust for the last decade. The mission of the trust is to preserve working landscapes in the state of California along with protecting what matters by working with California ranching families to preserve our state's rangeland, air and water quality, wildlife habitat, and local food supplies. What they have learned over the years is that once the land is converted to other uses, it doesn't go back. The resources the California Rangeland Trust protects are too precious to lose. The land is is vital for our future. Together, we can support ranchers in protecting these invaluable resources for generations to come.

Great Quote  Being a cowgirl goes beyond the hat and boots. It's having the grit, determination & passion to achieve your dreams. It's being fearless & confident in who you are. It's having integrity and doing the right thing, no matter what. It's being loyal, hard working, genuine, kind, gracious, tough, honest and classy- the core characteristics every woman should strive to have. Celebrating National Day of the Cowgirl - September 15 is National Day of the Cowgirl; celebrating the women who embody and live out the Western lifestyle. Durango boots officially claimed it a National Day in 2022 through the National Day Archives. The day was established, "to recognize the women who personify the Western lifestyle. National Day of the Cowgirl is a celebration and recognition of the spirit of the American cowgirl – a spirit embodied by women who are strong, confident, and resilient."  Erin Delong with Durango says, “Through farming and ranching, arts and culture or equine sports, the spirit of a cowgirl shines through women from diverse backgrounds who share a passion for the western way of life."  I am blessed to say that I grew up being inspired by cowgirls of all different walks of life. I have learned from the best of horsewomen. I have learned though, that a cowgirl is more than a woman on a horse, but someone of strength, grit, and determination. A cowgirl doesn't give up or quit easily and she knows how to hold her ground and stand firm in what she believes in.  Life at White Stallion Would be far more difficult without cowgirls and what they add to the mix. Why did Durango Boots get involved with this effort and what took so long? Durango Boots Scholarship? Tell us about it. Association with the Dude Ranch Association. Russell was inducted into the Dude Ranch Hall of Fame in January 2024. Talk about Durango Boots

The Best of America By Horseback is hosted by Del & Shevawn Shields and they capture the beauty of America by horseback. This is the number one trail riding show in the country, featuring magnificent riding locations around the United States and the surrounding countries while also providing educational and informative segments on horses, travel, equine care, and quality equine products and services.​ Each location featured on the show is a place where viewers can go with their own horses and some destinations even provide equine for guests to use. Best of America by Horseback covers all of the details you would want to know before you visit yourself, such as the trails and terrain, the footing and the difficulty level of the trails, the available lodging accommodations or camping facilities as well as ease of access with large rigs

 dude ranch association The volunteers at Basecamp for Veterans are working to respond to the needs of those who served our nation and their families. They accomplish this by promoting personal and professional growth using equine therapy. This promotes bother personal and professional growth within the veteran community and creates the groundwork for continued growth.

his week's Cowboy Up Podcast features an artist more focused on promoting the art of other cowgirl artists to worry about her own. And her art is amazing to say the least! Russell freely admits to Megan that he would love to be more artistic but with artists like Megan and the others in her group, we are all in very good hands. Megan's Mission is to Increase the opportunities and representation of female western artists and makers. She says that Cowgirl artists come in many forms. Some cowgirl artists are born into the cowgirl lifestyle, riding horses and doctoring cattle from an early age, some come into the lifestyle later on, and still others are artists who represent the cowgirl lifestyle and the places and animals she knows and loves. She makes sure that ​Cowgirl Artists of America supports them all.   

Southern Arizona is blessed to have Cowtown boots here to help cowboys and cowgirls look and feel the part. The traditionalist knows having the right hat, the right shirt, the exact belt and boots is where it all starts. The group at Cowtown Boots takes it all to the next level and gives White Stallion guests a very attractive discount!. In this episode of the Cowboy Up podcast, Sherry and Kimberly explain how they match style with comfort and how they put it all together with the perfect pair of Durango Boots. Durango Boots are what most of the wranglers at White Stallion wear because they just don't let you down in the area of style, comfort or durability.

Ute Vaughn has become almost a regular at White Stallion Ranch over the last two decades. We love her and the feeling is mutual!  In 2004, Ute moved to Tucson Arizona to follow her passion for the Southwest Art. She is the artist in residences at White Stallion Ranch and belongs to several local art organizations - Artists of the Southwest, SAACA, SAAG, APRA art division, etc. She says it best “I have been an artist all my life. My passion for art, color and life is expressed in my vibrant paintings, which are inspired by animals, nature, symbols and the mystical. My favorite mediums are watercolor, for the flow and translucency, and acrylic for the versatility and texture. My main desire in all my paintings and art classes is to inspire creativity and touch the heart.”

This week's Cowboy Up Podcast hosts someone who just happened to join us at White Stallion for a mental reset from long hours of hard work. Debbe Dunning was the second Tool Time with Tim Taylor girl on Home Improvement Heidi Keppert and the Host of her own Travel Series Debbe Dunnings Dude Ranch Roundup. Some folks may not know this but Debbe is the real deal when it comes to being a cowgirl. She is well known at many dude ranches and no stranger at all here at Whit Stallion. She tried to sneak in but we caught her and twisted her arm (didn't take that much) to spend a few minutes with us. She talks about what she looks for in a dude ranch, some of the ranches she's visited and has some great advice for the single traveler.

This week's Cowboy Up Podcast features A Farmer, A Rancher, A Meteorologist, A Hedge Fund Manager, A Logistics Expert and a Human Resource Expert.   It sounds like the studio must have been very crowded. Once you listen to Arnold, one man, who does all of these things daily, you'll discover how he does it, the risks and how everyone worldwide benefits. Arnold owns and operates 7 farms in the greater Tucson area that he visits in person six days per week. This is what it takes to manage staff, manage water, manage delivery and sales. This was our second attempt to interview Arnold after the first attempt ended in a farm emergency that required a 16-hour day to handle.

The Body, Mind, Equine™ program was personally crafted by Cathy Woods. This one of a kind program merges authentic yogic principles with horsemanship, guiding you to become a mindful equestrian from the ground up. Both seasoned riders and those just embarking on their journey stand to benefit from this program. The skills we share offer the potential for transformative skills to enrich your life and to cement your bond with your equine partner. Cathy Woods is a seasoned yogini and horsewoman who brings her expertise to a program with international acclaim. Body, Mind, Equine™ is offered at White Stallion Ranch and other venues across the country. This immersive program provides a supportive and non-competitive environment that encourages you to work from where you are. The program has been featured in prominent publications such as Forbes.com, Yoga Digest Magazine, Equetrekking, and Western Horse and Gun Magazine.

Horses were first domesticated in 3500 BC and these majestic animals remain as a critical part of the world today. The energy that powered Henry Fords first Model-  manufacturing plant came from 100% horse dung. Until the early 1900's horses were the primary mode of transportation and without horses it would have been impossible to grow enough food to feed he world! Horses possess a unique combination of speed, size, strength, stamina while remaining steadfast and reliable companions. Horses also had the most profound impact of spreading the human genome by making the population mobile which further altered the world we live in. At one point in time there were 300,000 horses in New York City and the waste they produced created the homes we now name Brownstones. Listen and find out why…

  What does someone who grew up on a Navajo Reservation next to the Grand Canyon do when life on the Reservation is all they have ever known? Jeremy left, moved to the city and obtained a Masters Degree in Physical Therapy! Once he started on his Doctoral Degree he decided he missed a life around horses and applied at White Stallion. His life history and experience has created quite an impression here at the ranch! Later in the podcast Jeremy shares a story about his 105 year old grandfather who still rides and throws hay along with an interesting alarm clock grandpa used to wake him up one morning. Imagine growing up on over 1400 acres and having between 30 and 50 dogs at any given point in time!

 Sometimes those of us who love to visit the White Stallion Ranch and get to know Russell as a good friend tease him from time to time. We sometimes say ... "Russell is that a real story or is it just a True story."  And of course in true Russell style he'll probably smile and say, "Well that's for you to decide," Well today Steve sits down with Russell and helps us start out Season 5 of our show with lots of new stories about the world of Dude and Guest Ranching today.  You see it's all about having an adventure and getting in touch with your inner cowboy,

Benjamin Franklin has been the focus of many books and movies. Most recently, the esteemed man of many talents is the focus of the eponymous TV mini series, “Franklin.” Michael Douglas stars as the 70-year-old Franklin, who is sent over to France with his grandson, Temple Franklin. Franklin's assignment? Enlist the help of the French government in defeating the British. The series is written by Kirk Ellis, who also penned the screenplay for the Emmy-winning TV mini series, “John Adams.” Kirk joins the podcast to talk about his experience researching and writing the story of Franklin's biggest gamble of his career, as well as what it was like to be on set in France during the filming, where he even got to don wig and costume as an extra.

Christa Lafayette, the innovative CEO of Etalon Equine Genetics, returns to the podcast, this time with the results of the genetic tests that her company ran on two of Russell True's horses. He's learning the results in real time, as are you. Christa shares her insights on how genetic information can enhance breeding programs, improve horse health, and even predict performance traits. Whether you're a horse lover or a science geek, this episode is an enlightening journey into the genetic blueprint of our equine companions and how genetic research is shaping the future of the horse industry.

As a kid, Phil Spangenberger became enamored with guns, courtesy of Davy Crockett and television. Now a renowned firearms expert, historian, writer and True West Magazine editor, Phil joins the podcast to share captivating stories and insights from his extensive research and experiences in Western history, firearms and cowboy culture. In addition to doing some of his own shooting, including mounted shooting, Phil also trained actors how to brandish firearms in films. What American guns helped settle the West? What are the differences between a single-action and double-actions guns? Was Charlton Heston or Mel Gibson a better gunslinger? Join this lively cowboy conversation to find out!

Vacations, travels, bucket lists. Sometimes you just have to get away and explore, whether it's within your state, across the country or on the other side of an ocean. Who better to offer travel tips and suggestions than someone who has visited over 65 countries. Kim Wilkins joins us to talk about what life is like when the travel bug bites you at age six and you end up living in Europe after graduating from college, then eventually become a travel consultant and guide. First stops in a foreign city? How best to explore the Croatian islands? What to pack for that classic Old West adventure at a dude ranch? We gotcha covered in this conversation between Kim the Abundant Traveler and our co-hosts Russell True and Alan Day.

Twenty years ago, two individuals started a company focused on sustainable agricultural and the humane treatment of animals. Over two decades later, that company now employees upward of 100 people, has expanded its products from its original no-sugar-added bacon, and more than ever adheres to its original philosophy. When we learned about Pederson's Natural Farms, we were so impressed that we invited vice president Neil Dudley to join us. Neil talks about how innovative sustainable agricultural practices can lead to healthier ecosystems, more ethical food production, and a balanced relationship with nature. Whether you're a farmer, a food enthusiastic, or simply curious about sustainable living, this episode offers valuable insights and inspiration. It may even tweak your appetite! Here's to good eats and good health—naturally.   

When the opportunity to purchase a western railroad company dropped in Al Harper's lap, he was a real estate executive living in Florida. But the opportunity intrigued him, and sooner than later, he became the CEO of American Heritage Railways. As a result of Harper's passion to preserve and celebrate America's railroading history, company operations now reach nearly 1,500,000 rail passengers annually on three directly owned railroads and license special events on over 50 additional railroads. No surprise Harper was awarded the True Westerner Award by True West Magazine this past March. Give a listen to this inspiring conversation about heritage, innovation, and love of the rails.