by Teresa Burleson
They've said it in the newspapers, in books and in the latest publications.
They've said it on television and the radio but it is quite an exaggeration.
They say the cowboy is dead, he's gone and he no longer exists,
But I've seen him and he's out there and the cowboy persists.
If you want to know where he is I'll tell you and forgive me for being blunt,
It depends on who's doing the looking and where you're conducting the hunt.
To find a cowboy you've got to cross a few cattle guards and open a few gates.
You'll travel down some backroads because you won't see him from the interstate.
You'll find him in the southwest from New Mexico to the Pacific coast.
He's riding mesas, breaks and plains, horseback is where you'll find him the most.
Buckaroos are still riding in Nevada, the Great Basin and to the Northwest.
They are Spanish style horseman and think the bosalito and reata are the best.
I've seen him down in Texas with his wide brimmed hat and boot tops with all the stitches.
He's working cattle and riding good horses at Tongue River, Pitchfork and the Sixes.
Way down in Mexico you'll find the Vaquero speaking cowboy in his Mexican lingo.
He ancestors were the first cowpunchers and taught all they knew to the gringo.
The cattle once went up the trail to Montana, the Dakotas and all of the Great Plains.
America's historic cattle drives started there and the legendary cowboy remains.
In the South and down in Florida they call him "cracker" but they are cowboys just the same.They crack a whip to drive the cattle from the swamps and that's how they got that name.
The cowboy may be more abundant in the west but you'll find him all across this great nation.
And where ever he lives and works you can bet, he takes pride in his occupation.
The cowboy resides on the big ranches from east to west and on the small outfits too.
He is Black, Hispanic or Caucasian but either way he is cowboy through and through.
You won't find him in the mall, eating sushi or wearing two hundred dollar jeans.
He won't be on the city streets, in the asphalt jungle or on the silver screen.
You'll find him in the saddle, riding fence, in the working pens and hauling hay.
He's down to earth, breathing fresh air and still living the cowboy way.
So don't believe what you hear, the cowboy is out there and still living by the cowboy code.
You can find him if you know where to look but you may have to take a dirt road.
