Two ranch wives, a cowgirl and a cowboy walk into the Pioneer Saloon. . . . These four rebel rousers provide a look into life, from the absurd to the ridiculous with a pinch of reflection and reverence. Wyoming Poet Laureate Emeritus Patricia Frolander, Yvonne Hollenbeck aka the "Erma Bombeck" of Cowboy Poetry, and fourth-generation ranchers and poets Annie Mackenzie, and R.P. Smith bring you laughter and and thought-provoking entertainment.

FEATURING: Patricia Frolander, Yvonne Hollenbeck, Annie Mackenzie, R.P. Smith.

From the 40th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

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PLAYLIST

"Married Into It" - Patricia Frolander
"Rebel Rousers" - Yvonne Hollenbeck
"An Annie by Any Other Name" - Annie Mackenzie
"A Dog's Tale" - R.P. Smith
"Requiem in Lace" - Patricia Frolander
"What's Good for the Goose Is Good for the Gander" - Yvonne Hollenbeck
"Mister Perfect" - Annie Mackenzie
"Bottle Of Memories" - R.P. Smith
"Branch of the Family Tree" - Patricia Frolander
“A Senior’s New Years Eve” - Yvonne Hollenbeck
"January Dawns" - Annie Mackenzie
"The Inventors" - R.P. Smith
"Why I Stay" - Patricia Frolander
"A Cowboy Fashion Show" - Yvonne Hollenbeck
"Whoa Baxter!" - Annie Mackenzie
"Personality Conflict" - R.P. Smith
"Denial" - Patricia Frolander
"Meal Time" - Yvonne Hollenbeck
"Unsure" - Annie Mackenzie
"June" - R.P. Smith

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Patricia Frolander
Sundance, WY
Wyoming Poet Laureate Emeritus Patricia Frolander is author of award-winning books including "Married Into It" and "Second Wind." For more than 50 years, she has ranched in the Black Hills, enjoying a profession that brings families closer to livestock and nature, and that develops pride in a job well-done and deep appreciation for the land. Patricia came late to writing poetry, and even later to performing it. An octogenarian, Patricia is hard at work on another book and feels privileged to once again share her poetry at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

Yvonne Hollenbeck
Winner, SD
Yvonne Hollenbeck is a South Dakota cattleman's wife who writes poetry about her life on a beautiful, remote ranch where she has spent years putting up hay, feeding a crew, doing bookwork, or working cattle. Although her poetry is often humorous about situations that were not humorous when they happened, her writing also takes a serious side when she reflects upon the hardships experienced by her parents and forebears. Yvonne is also a freelance writer who pens a weekly column in multiple rural newspapers, an avid traditional quilter, and a popular entertainer at various rural events throughout ranch country.

Annie Mackenzie
Jordan Valley, OR
Annie Mackenzie is a fourth-generation rancher and part-time cowboy poet. She was born and raised in Jordan Valley, growing up on her family's ranch just north of the small town in southeast Oregon. She spends her days helping her family tend cattle, start horses, and manage the unruly pack of border collies that inhabit the place. Annie has always had a love of the written word and the western ways of life. She's combined the two into the cowboy poetry that she shares. Whether it's moving cows, fixing fences, working dogs, or watching a cowboying disaster unfold, there's a lot that happens on the ranch to inspire her poems.

R.P. Smith
Broken Bow, NE
R.P. Smith is the fourth generation of his family to have the privilege to care for a small part of God's creation in central Nebraska. His poetry and his stories are drawn from his own experiences and, on occasion, brought to focus through the lens of past and future generations. Thirty-plus years of sharing his brand of cowboy poetry, humor, and inspiration has occasionally helped with grocery money or a ranch payment, but the monetary gains have been pretty insignificant compared to the real payout---the trails he has been blessed to share with so many great folks along the journey.

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Filmed in front of a live audience at the Elko Convention Center’s Laurena Moren Theater on Feb. 1, 2025.

Made possible by the multitude of staff, artists, volunteers, and community members working behind the scenes to make this show happen.

Brought to you by the Western Folklife Center, using story and cultural expression to connect the American West to the world.
www.westernfolklife.org

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