July 2009

Team Duke video: Choose a sport, help fight cancer

Running, walking, triathlon, cycling, kiteboarding, yachting, rodeo — you pick the activity and event, and the organization created by John Wayne's children will help you gear up, enlist sponsors, and meet your goals.

Photographer Margit Hägele's Fine Art of the West

In her latest online portfolio, you'll find color and black-and-white pictures of her Western travels.

Stop to smell (and sip) these perfect rosés

These tend to be easy drinking wines that are fairly low in alcohol, are served chilled in hot weather, and go well with just about anything cooked on the outdoor grill.

John Mariani

Dean Cain plays smooth-talking con man in Hallmark Channel movie

Dean Cain saunters through The Gambler, The Girl and The Gunslinger with all the smooth-talking sass of a natural-born con man, and the cheeky self-assurance of someone who's already read the last page of the script.

Joe Leydon

Surface Creek Winery in Delta County, Colorado

This location provides important irrigation and domestic water in a high-desert area.

10 famous Western horse sculptures

We've listed the most beautiful, interesting, and significant equine sculptures across the West.

Scenic Mesa Ranch offers handcrafted furniture for its green-built cabins

Guests can experience the best of both companies in one of the ranch's sustainable, green-built eco-cabins — all of which are adorned with furniture from The Buffalo Collection.

Equus: the horse in pictures

Tim Flach's photography in this book examines every aspect of one of the most important relationships humans have with the animal world.

Brendan Wayne: carrying on The Duke's tradition

The 37-year-old actor — the grandson of the late, great John Wayne — co-stars in the Hallmark Channel's remake of Angel and the Badman, one of The Duke's most popular Westerns.

Joe Leydon

Montecristi Custom Hat Works

Sun-filled days that drift into evenings on the town call for the ultimate in ladies' fashion hats.

The World's Oldest Rodeo kicks off its 121st year

Established July 4, 1888, in Prescott, Arizona, the Prescott Frontier Days kicks off festivities June 29 and runs through July 5.

Barbecue: how it's done out West

Pork or beef? Wherever you come down on the barbecue debate, it's time to get your grill on.

Ellise Pierce / Cowgirl Chef

Pork fat: good for the belly

C&I's Western Gourmet, John Mariani, finds that not trimming the pork fat is good for the belly.

John Mariani

Rooster's Roadhouse Pulled-Pork Nachos

"These are great for summer cookouts and for football parties in the fall," says Alan Pierce of Rooster's Roadhouse. "Kids love these, too — just leave off the jalape"os and cut back on the spice."

Rooster's Roadhouse

35th annual Western Art Show and Sale roundup

With the help of beautiful weather and cool breezes, artists and art lovers met and mixed at Phippen Museum's 35th annual Western Art Show and Sale.

Smith and Western store, Double D Ranchwear make a great ensemble

The store offers even more hot Western fashion brands and an array of jewelry, accessories, vintage collectibles, and home décor items.

The Blue Mustang sculpture: big as the Denver sky

If you've been to Denver International Airport lately, outside the main terminal you've surely noticed the massive — and massively controversial — 32-foot-high metallic-blue mustang sculpture rearing up on its hind legs.

Wolf Schneider

Chronicle of the Old West: riding astride

C&I's Western historian tells of advances in horsewomen's fashion, the four-legged survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, the secret behind Butch Cassidy's quick getaways, and more.

Dakota Livesay

New boots from Tony Lama's El Paso Collection

Tony Lama's El Paso Collection now features two-tone boots in Walnut Sedona.

Dusk to Dawn boot from the Crush by Durango line

The harness boot has tribal-influenced embroidery, a classic raised heel, and a pointed toe.

John Wayne: classic films, family memories 30 years after his death

On the 30th anniversary of the icon's death, C&I revisits some of his classic films and talks tohis children about their famous father.

Joe Leydon

Zane Grey Western Threatre: Complete Season 1

The series' first 31 episodes is now available on DVD from VCI Entertainment.

Guide to great barbecue joints of the West

Here are some favorite places that serve up smokin' great barbecue. Don't forget the napkins.

Tom Balding Bits and Spurs

His pieces are known for their artfulness as well as their quality.

A modern twist on a traditional Mexican hacienda

In the shade of a 600-year-old post oak, this home combines modern Texas touches with history.

by Allyn Calton

Renowned clinician Chris Cox talks about horsemanship

The renowned clinician, whose half-hour Chris Cox Horsemanship show airs three times a week on RFD-TV, talks to C&I about his background, family, and horses.

Elizabeth Kaye Mccall

Artist spotlight: painter John Banovich

John Banovich, a master wildlife artist, attempts to create art that is timeless, ancient, and primitive.

Leanne Haase Goebel

Follow C&I at the 2009 CMT Music Awards

Want to keep up with the performances, the stars, and the winners at the CMT Music Awards? Follow C&I's Joe Leydon on Twitter.

Taos Summer of Love celebrates 40th anniversary of Easy Rider

This summer, make a pilgrimage for love-beading workshops, Indian dances, rock concerts, radio flashbacks, art exhibits, and other Easy Rider-inspired events.

Vintage images inspire The Urge to Adorn's handmade belt buckles

Made of 100 percent lead-free pewter, The Urge to Adorn's handmade belt buckles are designed using vintage photographs, retro-images, and antique illustrations.

Artist spotlight: painter Connie L. Morse

Morse says the challenge of each canvas never stagnates. Each painting is of a different place and has a different feeling, a different coloring.

Leanne Haase Goebel

National Folk Festival 2009 in Butte, Montana

The three-day multiethnic event takes place July 10-12 and features musicians, dancers, and craftspeople.

Star Boots fashions footwear with special flair

Established in 1974, Star Boots has always made boots the old-fashioned way.

C.R. Ranchwear place mats playful but tough

The double-sided design features a playful Cowgirl print on one side and a spill- and stain-resistant faux-suede brown leather on the other.

Catch the new Legendary Ranch Series at Cowgirl U

Program director Chad Isham says, "Ranches are where my roots are, and I feel strongly about sharing that experience in a way that also honors our cowgirl inductees."

Book review: The Road Goes on Forever and the Music Never Ends

Fans of Robert Earl Keen will certainly enjoy getting to know the iconic Texas singer/songwriter better through these pages.

David Hofstede

Artist spotlight: painter Larry Fanning

He didn't begin painting full time until 1986, when he was 50 years old. "I didn't recognize and acknowledge the talent I have," he says.

Leanne Haase Goebel

CMA Music Festival 2009 wrap-up

At this year's edition of the annual fest, a fan could attend a "fan appreciation" party; wander among downtown Nashville venues and sample free outdoor performances by The Oak Ridge Boys, Gretchen Wilson, and Jo Dee Messina; and get autographs and photos with their favorite chart-topping stars (Taylor Swift, Montgomery Gentry), venerated veterans (Reba McEntire, Razzy Bailey) and rising up-and-comers (Joey + Rory, Veronica Ballestrini).

Joe Leydon

Bing Crosby-style country

No one carried a tune like Bing Crosby. If you're thinking "White Christmas," this list of timeless country hits might surprise you.

Jordan Rane

Step-by-step pulled-pork nacho recipe

These pulled-pork nachos are a fantastic way to use leftover barbecue pork, and they're a great new twist on the classic halftime snack. So, here's what you do.

Ellise Pierce / Cowgirl Chef

Stagecoach expert tells of drivers, demands, and dangers

Doug Hansen, owner of Hansen Wheel and Wagon Shop, knows almost everything there is to know about horse-drawn vehicles. He covered the coaches in our July 2009 issue, and here we talk with him about other aspects of the Old West's way of getting around.

Western Design Conference Exhibit + Sale 2009

Lovers of handcrafted furniture, accessories, jewelry, and fashion need to list Jackson, Wyoming, as a September destination.

Love Me True Tee from Rawhide boutique

This sweet cotton tee with floral embroidery is sure to make any summer the summer of love.

Lofty summer cuisine in Vail

C&I's Western Gourmet, John Mariani, hits the summer slopes of Vail for some lofty cuisine.

John Mariani

Wyatt McSpadden talks about the delicious subject of his Texas BBQ photo book

McSpadden talks about the heart of Lone Star barbecue and shares video and images from his new photo book.

Custom-made handbags, chaps, belts, and more

Denice Langley does her own Western-style silversmithing and engraving on silver buckles, jewelry, and more.

Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo director Bradley Beesley

C&I asks Beesley about his film that follows female convicts who compete in a statewide competition for Oklahoma prisoners.

Joe Leydon

Cider-glazed pork chops

Niman Ranch offers high quality, humanely-raised hogs. Try this recipe with its all-natural pork.

Niman Ranch

The Horse: an elaborate traveling museum exhibition

The American Museum of Natural History exhibit celebrates the animal's traits, place in history, and relationship with humans.

Emily Sachar

Add Glenwood Springs to Colorado's list of must-see places

The Yampah Vapor Caves offer much more than revitalizing vapors. The 116-year-old on-site spa offers massages, facials, herbal body mud treatments, private hot tubs — even a full-service Aveda beauty salon.

Chuck Restivo

Montana Silversmiths collectible dinnerware

This Montana Silversmiths dinnerware series features the work of Western artist Paul Cameron Smith.

A cowgirl and her dad find meaning in their Sweet Bird Studio creations

Nancy and Frank Anderson's devotion to the West and living free is evident in the belt buckles, necklaces, hat pins, and other pieces at their Boulder, Colorado, shop.

Ellise Pierce

Montana community offers equestrian-inspired lifestyle

The Red Quill Ranch and Sapphire Ridge is the first equestrian-inspired lifestyle community in Montana's Bitterroot Valley.

Juni Fisher: Western songbird

You won't find a more honest-to-goodness cowgirl than Juni Fisher. We review the Western troubadour's latest CD, Gone for Colorado, and she gives us a playlist of tracks from her career that she says reveal the most about her.

Jim Brandvik's hand-engraved art is all about good luck

He creates one-of-a-kind horseshoes of steel with gold, silver, and copper inlays in the Texas Hill Country near Bandera.

Ellise Pierce

Book review: Cowboy Park: Steer Roping Contests on the Border

This remarkable chronicle of a little-known chapter of early rodeo history relies heavily on material uncovered through exhaustive searches of early 20th century first-hand newspaper accounts.

David Hofstede

American-made jewelry by Nightrider

Each ring, pendant, buckle, chain, and money clip is made using the finest materials.