$9.95 | Buy

The movie Crazy Heart with Jeff Bridges was filmed at Bishop’s Lodge Ranch Resort and Spa. The movie crew spent nine days filming across the ranch’s stunning 450 acre preserve. Nestled in the Tesuque Valley of Northern New Mexico, Bishop’s Lodge is just 5 minutes outside of the Santa Fe plaza. This year, guests can enjoy a variety of events celebrating Santa Fe’s 400th Anniversary.  Amenities at the ranch include a spa and wellness center, outdoor jacuzzi and pool, skeet and trap shooting ranges, tennis courts, and guided horseback riding trails. Average nightly rates between $185 and $400.

$185 and up | Book

The Western Folklife Center in Elko, Nevada has been producing the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering since its inception in 1980. Like so many donor supported organizations, they find themselves in dire need of cash to keep the lights on for another year. If you’d like to help out some very creative cowboy artists, watch this very funny video (more here), and click the link below to send in your online donation.

Pony Up! | Details

$ 29.95 and up | Buy

The next time you have the neighbors over to the ranch for a shindig, make sure a Johnston County ham is on the table. Whether you prefer country, honey cured, smoked, or aged prosciutto, Johnston County Hams has your number. For over 60 years the folks at Johnston County Hams have been perfecting their hand-cured delicacies. Food editors from some of North America’s most prestigious magazines including Southern Living, Esquire, and Wine Spectator, praise the virtues Johnston County Hams.

$30 to $100 | Buy

BootJack Ranch is one of the finest recreation ranch retreats in the Rocky Mountains. Located near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, this 3,100 acre property features lush meadows, forests, tranquil lakes, rushing streams, and rugged mountain vistas. In addition to the 13,800 sq/ft main residence, BootJack Ranch comes with multiple guest cabins, a separate spa & aquatic center, a second lodge retreat, and manager’s housing that can accommodate an additional 50 guests in lavish comfort. Unique amenities include 3+ fireplaces, numerous gardens, a helipad, hardwood floors throughout, and a complete in-home fitness center. With a total of 27 bedrooms, 29 bathrooms, and 4 half-bathrooms, BootJack ranch is well suited for extended family functions.

$68,000,000 | Details

April, 2010 marks the 150th Anniversary of the Pony Express. Between April 1860 and November 1861, the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Company (a.k.a. The Pony Express) carried official mail between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. The company lost money on the venture, but the legend of the Pony Express and the intrepid riders who braved the hazards of the trail endured. Every year the National Pony Express Association commemorates the achievements of its namesake organization by riding the length of the original trail. Participating riders turn their ponies East one year, and West the next. This year’s official ride will take place June 6, 2010 to June 26, 2010. An official NPEA brochure of re-ride events can be found here.

National Pony Express Historic Trail | Details

United States Postal Service News Release:

“With the issuance of the “Cowboys of the Silver Screen” stamps, the U.S. Postal Service honors four extraordinary performers who helped make the American Western a popular form of entertainment. Film stars from the silent era through the singing era are featured on the stamps: William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers. The stamps go on sale April 17.”

These beautiful stamps were created by freelance illustrator Robert Rodriguez.

$8.80 per sheet | Buy

For the first time ever, the World Equestrian Games is leaving Europe for the hospitality of North America and the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Of particular interest to Western Cowboy Brand readers is the fact that Reining is one of the 8 riding disciplines being contested for the title of world champion. Reining is designed to showcase the athletic ability of a ranch horse within the confines of a show arena. During competition, horse and rider are required to run one of several approved performance patterns. Each pattern includes small slow circles, large fast circles, flying lead changes, roll backs, 360 degree spins, and a hallmark of reining horses - the sliding stop. The World Equestrian Games is officially sanctioned by the Fédération Equestre Internationale, the controlling Olympic authority for international riding events. It is widely believed that Reining will become the newest riding event at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Tickets | Details