Here are five things happening in and around the West that we’re talking about right now.
We’ve always known the people and places of the West to be impressive, and we’re excited to see the rest of the world finally catching on. From the world’s biggest fashion runways to football fields, symbols of the cowboy and Western way of life are popping up everywhere. Here are five things C&I editors have been talking about lately.
1. Post Malone’s rodeo gig.
Teton Ridge announced that Grammy-nominated artist Post Malone will perform at the American Rodeo on March 9 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Malone is best known for his pop songs “Better Now,” “Sunflower,” and “Rockstar,” but he’s recently been making waves in country music after his CMA Awards performance alongside Hardy and Morgan Wallen.
Malone is scheduled to take over the arena stage after the rodeo’s final round on Saturday night — but surprisingly, this won’t be the superstar’s first rodeo. He performed at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2019, breaking the rodeo’s record for most tickets sold in one day.
2. Bella Hadid saddling up in Texas.
Bella Hadid — an American supermodel who’s appeared on the cover of Vogue 29 times — has made her way from fashion runways to small-town arenas. She was recently spotted competing at a National Cutting Horse Association competition in Weatherford, Texas, at Bosque Ranch (which happens to be owned by Yellowstone mastermind Taylor Sheridan).
Although Hadid is a longtime equestrian, she has just recently started dabbling in the Western side of things.
“You know how every model is like, ‘I do yoga.’ Well, I find horses have the same effect,” Hadid said in a 2015 interview with PORTER. “You have to put your ego aside and concentrate on making the horse do the things you want it to do and move in the way you want it to move.”
This likely won’t be the last time we see Hadid horseback in Texas — the supermodel has been seen out and about in Fort Worth with NCHA Hall of Fame inductee Adan Banuelos.
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3. The Super Bowl’s national anthem performance.
No matter what team you cheer for during Super Bowl LVIII, you can count on a winning performance by Reba McEntire. On February 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the country music icon will take the field before kickoff to sing the national anthem. When she does, that will make two C&I covers stars — the other being Chris Stapleton in 2023 — to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the NFL championship game.
Post Malone — the newfound country singer confirmed for the American Rodeo — will follow her performance with a rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
4. Ian Munsick’s new documentary.
Wyoming-bred singer-songwriter Ian Munsick is known for honoring his roots in his music, and now he’s taking his voice to the screen. On January 26, the country star is releasing White Buffalo: Voices of the West — a documentary that expands on his album White Buffalo. The film will include conversations with Dougie Hall, Stephen Yellowtail, and Sammy Jo Bird as they “explore the modern-day relationship between cowboys, ranchers, and Native American tribes.”
The documentary had an exclusive premiere and panel discussion at the 2023 National Finals Rodeo, where C&I cover star Mo Brings Plenty served as a moderator. White Buffalo: Voices of the West will be available on Apple, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and more streaming platforms.
5. Louis Vuitton’s Western expansion.
Cowboy hats and boots recently took over the runway in Paris. And, no, we’re not talking about Paris, Texas. Pharrell Williams — the men’s creative director at the prestigious French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton — brought the West to France for Paris Fashion Week with his Fall/Winter 2024 Collection. Models flaunted everything from classic denim and fringed suede to tooled-leather handbags and beaded jackets.
The avant-garde collection preview wasn’t all show — Williams collaborated with artisans from the Dakota and Lakota tribes and had real-life cowboy Ronnie Davis as a runway model.
Photos: (Post Malone) courtesy Adam DeGross/Teton Ridge