Consider the cowboy and his quintessential accessories. There’s the hat, of course. And the boots. Perhaps a hankie for droving in dusty conditions. But if you see someone wearing spurs—the only cowboy accoutrement that goes jingle-jangle when you walk—that’s a sign they’re the real deal. Since 1978, the National Golden Spur Award has recognized cowboys and cowgirls for their devotion to the land and the livestock industry. Past winners include horse breeder and rancher Anne W. Marion; actor, musician, and poet Red Steagall; and American Quarter Horse Hall of Famer Buster Welch.
“It’s important that we tell real stories of real ranches,” says Jim Bret Campbell, executive director of the National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University, one of the award’s sponsors. This year’s recipient is Craig Haythorn of Haythorn Land and Cattle Co. in Arthur, Nebraska. Haythorn is the fourth generation of Haythorns to own and operate the family business, which began after his great-grandfather emigrated from England as a16-year-old stowaway on a ship headed to America. Today, fourth-generation Craig leads the family’s fourth, fifth, and sixth generations.
The awards ceremony features an acoustic performance by country musician Cody Johnson. Robert Tidwell, the center’s curator of historic collections, will be on hand to discuss the history behind the spurs on display. Don’t miss the 1883: A Ranching Origin Story exhibit inside the Don and Kay Cash Gallery, where visitors can find props, scripts, and costumes from Taylor Sheridan’s hit TV show about pioneer life in the West. A dozen bronze sculptures depicting Western life can be found in the McKanna Gallery, alongside a replica of a bedroom of the “Big House” at the famed Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie. —Amanda Ogle
National Golden Spur Award Honors, Nov. 3.
1300 Mac Davis Lane, Lubbock. ranchingheritage.org
BIG BEND COUNTRY
ALPINE
Trappings of Texas
Through Nov. 4
The 37th annual event includes an opening weekend reception and sale. It’s the nation’s longestrunning annual exhibit of premier Western art and custom cowboy gear with more than 50 artists displaying their works. Museum of the Big Bend, Sul Ross State University, 400 N. Harrison
