“Having courage means being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.”
–John Wayne
That about sums up a cowboy, doesn’t it? They’re strong, courageous, and all man.
There are tons of web sites about cowboys, and there are myths galore about them. Take this one, for example: “A Cowboy would be your typical, dirty, horse riding type. He drank until he fell over; fought everyone around him, rode a horse everywhere, pushed cattle around the county, and was a lonely soul.”
So what is it that makes a cowboy so appealing? There’s an allure to them that is unmistakeable. A dangerous mystique. The cowboy lives in a man’s world, a world that women just aren’t privy to. A friend of mine recently wrote about the lack of cowboy romances out. While I think I may have only read one [Lonesome Dove], I do love a cowboy.
Some of the characters in my own books are contemporary cowboys or ranchers. They rope cattle, ride horses, work their ranches. One of them doesn’t have anything to do with horses and cows, though they are in his past. Today’s cowboy is trying to get back to his roots, trying to recapture the mystique and allure of the past.
Cowboys have that X factor appeal that is undefinable. [My husband and his buddies call it the man-card. They have each lost ‘man-cards’ due to some un-macho behavior they’ve exhibited.] Whether the X factor is attitude, action, emotion or a combination, the fact is that the thing that makes a cowboy appealing is the same thing that gives Texans their bountiful Pride. It’s an identity–and a powerful one at that. Being a modern-day cowboy [not redneck, though--mark the distinction] clearly defines a man as tough, courageous, and puro macho.
Look at these modern-day cowboys:
Ty Murray: Jewel just married her rodeo star cowboy. His cowboy hat is as much a part of him as any other piece of his clothing. It’s part of who he is, and that makes him kind of cool.
Tim McGraw: He’s almost never seen without his cowboy hat on. It’s just a Southern thing, I’m learning [as a new resident of the Lone Start state]. Everyone has a hat and a big Texas Star on or in their house somewhere]. Would Tim look like Tim without his hat? I’m not sure I’d recognize him. He’s a family man, a truly admirable thing in today’s world, and he’s got a quite strength about him.
Val Kilmer: He’s a slick Doc Holliday.
Kevin Costner in Wyatt Earp: He rides a horse like he knows what he’s doing. And there’s Dennis Quaid as Doc Holliday, a great role for him.
Clint Eastwood in almost everything he does and every movie he’s made. He’s the quintessential cowboy, even when he’s not wearing the garb.
Who are some other contemporary cowboys, real-life or fictional, that feed the mystique?
Lee at Chasing Heroes did a great blog on this the other week.
This is probably not a well-known film, but I loved Mark Wahlberg in Purgatory as the young cowboy trying to the right thing and save the girl he loves, as well as her town. And Eric Roberts was a terrific villain cowboy as well.
Linda Lael Miller writes a terrific series about cowboys - The McKettricks. She makes them seem so real, it’s like they’ll ride off the page!
by Wendy August 19th, 2008 at 7:11 amTim McGraw is a tall drink of water.
Yum!
There are some great western romances out there.
I enjoyed Candace Morehouse’s Golden Enchantment (that is more a homestead type of romance).
Georgina Gentry, well, her books (I think she has well over 25) all rock. Western romance is all she does. Her Texan series is awesome.
by Kimber Chin August 19th, 2008 at 7:38 amSilverado. Probably one of the best westerns ever.
by Barbara Caridad Ferrer August 19th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Not enough Cowboy Romances…you’re kidding me, right? 
by Kimber An August 19th, 2008 at 9:09 amI loved 3:10 to Yuma, Open Range, Lonsome Dove. As a child I was in love with Rowdy Yates of Rawhide, a very young Clint Eastwood. Thanks for the plug about my article over at Chasing Heroes.
by Lee August 19th, 2008 at 10:40 amNot kidding, Kimber Am! I’m ignorant of cowboy romances! Enlighten me!
by Misa Ramirez August 19th, 2008 at 10:41 amHaven’t seen Silverado, Barb. I’ll check it out. It’s my new mission. Discover cowboy romances.
by Misa Ramirez August 19th, 2008 at 10:42 am**Georgina Gentry** I’ll look for her Texan series since I’m sort of a Texan myself, now.
by Misa Ramirez August 19th, 2008 at 10:43 amPurgatory…another one I haven’t seen! I love Mark Walberg. I’ve heard Russell Crowe is great in 3:10 to Yuma.
Lee’s post at Chasing Heroes is what inspired this post, Wendy! In fact, I linked to it!
by Misa Ramirez August 19th, 2008 at 10:45 amAfter I went for another cup of coffee, my favorite all time cowboy, popped into mind. My dad. He introduced me to allure of the cowboy, humming Home on the Range, very out of tune, the love for old westerns, and putting me on a horse when I was two. He still wears his cowboy hat daily, and I love the image of his boots on the porch, bent with age and use, covered with the red clay of Northern California. Now there is a cowboy.
by Lee August 19th, 2008 at 10:46 amI’ve never had a star on any of my homes, but maybe it’s because I live in the big city.
Hubby used break in new horses and rodeo thing when he was younger and living in the Texas Panhandle. But when he was a ranch hand, they used motorbikes instead of horses.
Other than my husband, the other cowboys I’ve dated seemed to “ham it up” too thickly for my tastes once the’long legs in tight jeans thing’ wasn’t new anymore
I’m not into country music, but will tolerate it out of necessity. I do know who Tim McGraw is though, and was very impressed by his concert movie that made the rounds on the internet recently, when he held some guy — that had man-handled a lady in the audience — until security could toss him out. Yes, I swooned a bit at that heroic display
by Shreela August 19th, 2008 at 11:04 amTim McGraw is not a cowboy. That he wears a hat doesn’t make him one.
I think that cowboys have an appeal because they were not fake. They were tough men in a tough environment. Todays guys are not cowboys in the same sense, they can ride a horse but can take the weekend and fly to hawaii if they want to, they can go to McDonalds. I think the cowboy has the appeal because he represents the most recent (and probably the last) period of time when men were needed to tame something that took sweat and toil and stripped away all the extraneous pieces of fluff until all that was left was 100% pure male.
If you read the early Clarence E. Mulford books, they had no plot but were simply slices of life of what cowboys were like and they really were like they are portrayed, which adds a lot of appeal becuase people know the cowboy was not a poser.
by Mark August 19th, 2008 at 11:26 amI married a cowboy–and he was the real deal: a full-time ranch hand in Colorado who herded cattle and fixed fence the old-fashioned way (on horseback). After a few years (and two kids), though, the lack of health benefits and low pay had him trading in his cowboy hat for an Air Force uniform.
If it hadn’t been for all of those cowboy romances I read as a teen, I may never have traipsed off to Colorado at eighteen to find myself one…
20 years later, still going strong!
by Kacie Jossart August 19th, 2008 at 11:51 amKacie, that’s a great story! Here’s to 20 more years.
Mark, Tim may not be a ‘real’ cowboy, but he’s a southern man with southern sensibilities and short of living a life like Kacie’s husband [which he had to leave], it’s pretty hard to be an authentic cowboy these days. I think you’re right, that cowboys are a dying breed. I love your explanation: “I think the cowboy has the appeal because he represents the most recent (and probably the last) period of time when men were needed to tame something that took sweat and toil and stripped away all the extraneous pieces of fluff until all that was left was 100% pure male.” Well said.
by Misa Ramirez August 19th, 2008 at 12:21 pmMy dad would be a cowboy in a heartbeat. He loves to spend his day on the farm taking care of horses, cattle, and making sure the hay is brought in on time. I guess I always think of John Wayne when I think about cowboys.
by Liza August 19th, 2008 at 12:21 pmLee, your cowboy memory is the best!
Shreela, are you still in Texas? My exposure to Texas stars has been limited to one month [and seeing 45 houses while house hunting] and small town living!
by Misa Ramirez August 19th, 2008 at 12:23 pmRight now my five year old son wants to be a cowboy when he grows up. Sometimes he gets specific and says he wants to be a ‘cowboy bandit’! Some people just love the life of a cowboy–my kids just finished a horseback riding camp with the coolest down-home Texan we’ve met. She’s weathered, has about 15 horses, and lives for them and her ranch.
by Misa Ramirez August 19th, 2008 at 2:23 pmHi Misa, I’ve been in Houston since I was one year old. And while I’ve seen the occasional star here and there, it’s not that often here in Houston’s suburbs.
But there are a lot of trucks here of course, with the occasional gun rack too.
I’ve only been to a few ranches in rural parts of Texas, and most of those have had some kind of cowboy, CW, or SW type iron-work or rope-art.
Maybe some of your readers have heard of the small town, Lockney Texas, where the father fought the school district about the sports teams being drug tested, and the ACLU got involved? That’s where my husband grew up. I didn’t look for stars there, but wouldn’t be surprised if there was a few
by Shreela August 19th, 2008 at 2:31 pmOH! I forgot, my husband met, and had a conversation with John Wayne at the Dallas airport in the VIP room (my husband worked at the airport). I’ve heard the story maybe 50-100 times
by Shreela August 19th, 2008 at 2:33 pmVery cool, Shreela. Before moving to the Dallas area, I lived in Elk Grove, CA, where a local sued the school district about saying ‘One Nation Under God’ in the pledge of allegiance. And won.
I would have loved to meet John Wayne! That’s awesome. He’s iconic.
by Misa Ramirez August 19th, 2008 at 4:40 pmI’ve got to tell you. My love affair with cowboys started with Urban Cowboy. I loved seeing John Travolta leaning up against that bar at Giley’s. I saw that movie 4 times in the movie theater the summer I went to college and there was no going back from there.
Gotta love a cowboy…
by Lisa Mondello August 19th, 2008 at 7:47 pmLisa Mondello
I love a romantic cowboy! Since I love Harlequins and Silhouettes, they are always featuring many many sexy cowboys.
by Yvonne August 19th, 2008 at 8:31 pmI have never seen all of Urban Cowboy, either! I’m so out of the cowboy loop! I’m adding it to my list, Lisa!
by Misa Ramirez August 19th, 2008 at 11:07 pmWhat’s your favorite, Yvonne?
by Misa Ramirez August 19th, 2008 at 11:08 pmMy grandpa had an extensive collection of Louis L’Amour novels that I read each summer when I visited his cattle ranch in western North Dakota. I fell in love with westerns long before I’d even heard of romances. L’Amour had a knack for combining the realism of the times with the romanticism of the cowboy…and he added a hint of a blossoming relationship that made my teenaged heart sigh (my favorite is The Daybreakers featuring Ty Sackett). I think there were some TV movies made of his books starring Sam Elliot and Tom Selleck. My heart still sighs.
by StacieH4 August 19th, 2008 at 11:20 pmDon’t forget those huge belt buckles
by Leah August 19th, 2008 at 11:28 pmkevin costner, clint
by kh August 20th, 2008 at 12:19 amI wrote westerns as Cait Logan, and truly enjoyed the research and the journey. One of the things I really enjoy about movie westerns is the language, very different from today. And while researching, I hit some great stuff, i.e. a bar fight started up over Home on the Range, the cowboys tired of hearing it. They also sat around the campfires discussing the Romanovs/high society, much as we would soap operas. Pretty interesting stuff.
by Cait London August 20th, 2008 at 12:38 amVery cool, Cait. What’s one of your titles?
by Misa Ramirez August 20th, 2008 at 12:51 amNever read Louis L’Amour, either. Added to the list!
Belt buckles, oh yeah! On Kevin and Clint, Tim and Ty, and anyone else!
by Misa Ramirez August 20th, 2008 at 12:52 amI don’t really have a favorite Misa. I’ve read so many of them. On TV, though, I think my favorite cowboy has to be from The Big Valley - Nick Barkley
by Yvonne August 20th, 2008 at 7:31 amMisa asked the titles of my westerns written as Cait Logan:
Berkley/Diamond Lead Historicals)
TAME THE FURY, WILD DAWN 6/92,
NIGHT FIRE 3/94, Berkley/Jove
DELILAH (3/95)
Dell Publishing
THE WEDDING GAMBLE 8/96, BE MINE 7/97,LADY DESPERADO 9/97 novella in OUTLAW LOVE
Then on to contemporary westerns at Avon, then suspense.
by Cait London August 20th, 2008 at 8:34 amSo Cait, if I try to locate one or two of your titles, which would you recommend starting with?
You’re prolific! Awesome!
by Misa Ramirez August 20th, 2008 at 1:23 pmI wonder if The Big Valley and Bonanza are available from netflix. Does anyone know? I’d love my kids to watch some of the old classics! We went horseback riding this morning on a trail. In the rain. I’m raising a passel of cowpokes.
by Misa Ramirez August 20th, 2008 at 1:25 pmGrowing up in the north and east Texas area and having grandparents in west Texas (near Abilene) I *heart* cowboys! It pretty much encompassed all the male-influence I had as a child (even though my dad is from Jersey).
It’s all about attitude . . . and really tight jeans w/ boots.
by Denise McDonald August 20th, 2008 at 3:14 pmoh and as for reading, I really like Stacey Kane’s new books out. I have read many a western romance and several Larry McMurtry books but am drawing a blank on anything else . . .
by Denise McDonald August 20th, 2008 at 3:28 pmThe Big Valley is definitely available on DVD and I’m sure Netflix probably carries it.
I just thought of another western series with cowboys that I loved - Ana Leigh’s The MacKenzies. I loved those books.
by Yvonne August 20th, 2008 at 6:38 pmI’m about as Texan as you can get—6th generation Texan and even further than that if you count my Apache ancestors. And yes, we grew up on 2,000 acres and our livelihood was made in cotton and cattle. Today my oldest son rides bulls and protects other riders when they’re riding. I’ve always loved cowboys; they and their lifestyle are deep in my blood. But I’ve got to disagree with the comment that “the cowboy has the appeal because he represents the most recent (and probably the last) period of time when men were needed to tame something that took sweat and toil and stripped away all the extraneous pieces of fluff until all that was left was 100% pure male.” That badge belongs, my friends, just as much to the American Farmer—even if he doesn’t wear the cool chaps. (Although you’ll often find him wearing a cowboy hat every day of his life AND punching cows in between driving that tractor up and down the fields.) And he’s still out there. The bright lights just don’t shine on him the way they do on cowboys. But he’s still out there, as much a man’s man as could ever exist—feeding you.
And ending on a more shallow, fun note: on tv cowboys and Bonanza—does anyone here remember how drop-dead gorgeous Little Joe Cartwright was? He had a face and a body to die for.
by Corinna August 20th, 2008 at 7:56 pmI too mourn the dearth of good cowboy romances!!! Time was when there were many a good one, but now they are few and far between *sigh*
by Kristie(J) August 20th, 2008 at 9:15 pmFarmers are a dying breed, too. Sadly, because like Kacie’s husband, the pay and the work and the lack of benefits make it so difficult to live. Excellent point, Corinna, though, that farmers and cowboys are both true American icons and really represent the heart of our country.
by Misa Ramirez August 20th, 2008 at 10:46 pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-VyuFVmL6E
Found this on You Tube, Corinna! I always loved Michael Landon. =) He was a great Pa in Little House on the Prairie.
by Misa Ramirez August 20th, 2008 at 10:49 pmStacey Kane’s a fellow Sacramento girl. She’ll be so thrilled to hear you’re a fan, Denise!
by Misa Ramirez August 20th, 2008 at 10:51 pmOh, thanks Misa! He is just so sexy. He was handsome as Pa, in a fatherly sort of way, but those early years in Bonanza…oh, my. I can’t post pictures here, can I? Mmm, too bad.
by Corinna August 21st, 2008 at 12:05 amI am going to have to agree with Mark.
As much as I like Tim McGraw and his music, just because he wears a cowboy hat does not make him a cowboy.
If you have to have a country singer, who wears a cowboy hat and you want to call him a cowboy, you’d be better served using either the late Chris LeDoux and/or the fantabulous, IMNSHO, George Strait.
by Kaycee August 21st, 2008 at 9:43 amI’m a little late, but I’d just like to say Candace Schuler writes very HOT cowboys. And I love Catherine Anderson.
Great article, glad I found it through google reader
by Ana August 25th, 2008 at 8:05 amI must echo Mark and Kaycee’s view …just because you wear a cowboy hat doesn’t make you a cowboy. Kaycee, you mentioned my two favorite cowboys! Chris LeDoux is hands down the real deal…all anyone has to do is listen to the songs he wrote and sang to know what life is like for a “real” cowboy. And George Strait is in a league all his own…
by Aris Whittier August 29th, 2008 at 6:04 pmConsidering I’m brand new to Texas, I pulled the most popular country singers from my limited knowledge! I’ll have to listen to Chris LeDoux and George Straight.
True, Tim may not be a ‘real’ cowboy, but he represents a culture, doesn’t he? Or at the very least, to Yankees he does!
by Misa Ramirez August 29th, 2008 at 10:36 pmMisa,
Yes, Tim represents a culture…and he’s Hot! Hot! Hot! Please don’t get me wrong.
I think we (authors) must give our readers the “real deal” when we write about cowboys.
I wished I lived in Texas…cowboy heaven
I really enjoyed your article. Thanks!
by Aris Whittier August 31st, 2008 at 10:45 am