This Week in the West

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 59: Jackson Sundown, an Icon of the West  📢 Episode Summary:The iconic cowboy silhouette in the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s logo is more than a symbol—it’s a real person with an extraordinary story. That figure is based on Jackson Sundown, a legendary early-20th-century rodeo competitor and a full-blooded member of the Wallowa Band of the Nez Perce tribe. Remembered on the anniversary of his death, December 18, 1923, Sundown’s life bridges Native history, frontier survival, and the rise of professional rodeo. Sundown didn’t enter the rodeo world until later in life. Already in his late 30s, he was known across the Northwest as a skilled horse trainer and rancher in Idaho, breeding and selling horses with his wife. Rodeo competition began as a way to supplement his income, but it quickly became the stage where his talent—and resilience—shone brightest. By his late 40s and 50s, Sundown was so dominant in bronc riding that competitors sometimes withdrew rather than face him. His most legendary moment came at the Pendleton Round-Up in 1916. At age 53, wearing bright shirts and distinctive orange Angora chaps, Sundown rode the bronc Angel into submission and captured the Broncho Busting title, along with the All-Around Cowboy belt. He became the first Native American to win the championship, a triumph made all the more powerful given his past. “Many years I ride and many times I win money,” Sundown said afterward, “But never did I get first place before.” 🔍 What You’ll Learn: The true identity and remarkable story behind the cowboy silhouette in the Museum’s logo How Jackson Sundown became a rodeo champion later in life, defying age and expectations Why Sundown’s 1916 Pendleton Round-Up victory remains a landmark moment in both rodeo and Native American history 👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: More about Jackson Sundown from The Cowboy’s blog archive: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/breaking-trail-the-real-story-of-jackson-sundown-the-cowboy-in-the-museum-logo/ Wild Rides TV: The Legend of Jackson Sundown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqCC7KDsurw More on the legendary 1916 ride at Pendleton: https://www.cowboysindians.com/2016/08/jackson-sundown/ 📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: [email protected]📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum 🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/ 🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ 🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 58: Jesse Harper, the Kansas Rancher Who Built Notre Dame Football 📢 Episode Summary:This episode of This Week in The West explores the remarkable, often overlooked life of Jesse Harper—a rancher, coach, and member of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Hall of Great Westerners. The story opens in 1931 with the tragic Kansas plane crash that killed Knute Rockne. Harper, a close friend and the man who had once coached Rockne at Notre Dame, was called to identify his body and later accompanied him home to Indiana as the nation mourned. That moment becomes the lens through which the podcast reexamines Harper’s legacy, both on the football field and across the plains of Kansas. Listeners learn that long before he returned to ranch life, Harper revolutionized Notre Dame athletics. After playing under legendary coach Amos Alonzo Stagg at the University of Chicago, he brought innovation, discipline, and administrative organization to a struggling Notre Dame program. As head coach and the school’s first full-time athletics director, Harper went 34–5–1 in football, helped popularize the forward pass, and upgraded scheduling with national powers such as Army and Texas. He insisted athletics should be financially self-sufficient and embodied his son’s memory that “his whole religion was geared around the Golden Rule.” Harper walked away from coaching in 1918 at the height of his career, explaining to his son that he rejected the rising pressure “to do nothing but win, win, win, regardless of what you did to the boy, the school or anything else.” He believed that football should “build men,” not break them. Naming Rockne as his successor, Harper returned to Kansas ranch life, where he later led the Kansas Livestock Association, survived the Depression, and built a respected career as a cattleman—all while remaining a trusted adviser to Rockne. After Rockne’s death, Notre Dame again called Harper back to stabilize the athletic department, and by the time he stepped away in 1934, he had restored order during one of the university’s hardest chapters. When Harper died in 1961, Notre Dame officials traveled to his rural Kansas gravesite to honor him with “A Sportsman’s Prayer.” He was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1962 and enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971—belated recognition for a man who, as one journalist wrote, too often “is in the shadows,” despite shaping Notre Dame’s identity for a century.   🔍 What You’ll Learn: How Jesse Harper built the foundation for Notre Dame football’s rise to national prominence, shaping the program long before Rockne became a household name. Why Harper left coaching at the peak of his success, choosing integrity, character-building, and ranch life over the growing win-at-all-costs mentality of college athletics. How Harper’s leadership extended far beyond football—from restoring Notre Dame after tragedy to becoming a major figure in Kansas ranching and Western heritage. 👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: From Notre Dame, “Jesse Harper, The Game Changer”: https://fightingirish.com/jesse-harper-the-game-changer/ College Football Hall of Fame bio: https://www.cfbhall.com/inductees/jesse-harper-1971/ The Last Flight of Knute Rockne: https://125.nd.edu/moments/the-last-flight-of-knute-rockne/ 📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: [email protected]📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum 🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 57: Bill Pickett, King of The Bulldoggers 📢 Episode Summary:This week’s episode of This Week in The West celebrates the remarkable life of Bill Pickett, born December 5, 1870—one of the most iconic and innovative cowboys in American history. Known for an almost unbelievable act—bringing down steers with his teeth—Pickett captured national attention in the early rodeo world with a technique inspired by ranch bulldogs. Growing up in post–Civil War Texas as the son of formerly enslaved parents, Pickett learned horsemanship, cattle handling, and grit early in life, shaping him into a legendary figure who would transform rodeo forever. Pickett’s invention of “bulldogging,” the precursor to today’s steer wrestling, launched him into fame on the rodeo circuit and in the great Wild West shows of the early 1900s. Performing with the 101 Ranch Wild West Show alongside icons such as Buffalo Bill Cody and Will Rogers, he astonished crowds across the nation and around the world. Despite racial barriers that forced him at times to pass as Mexican or Native American to perform, Pickett pushed forward and became the first Black cowboy movie star, appearing in early silent films that showcased his extraordinary skills. Even after his days in the spotlight, Pickett continued working as a cowboy until he died in 1932. His legacy lives on through his membership in multiple halls of fame and as a foundational figure in rodeo history. As Zack Miller of the 101 Ranch once said, “Bill Pickett was the greatest sweat-and-dirt cowhand that ever lived—bar none.” The episode honors his incredible life, fearless talent, and enduring influence on the American West. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: How Bill Pickett invented the rodeo event of bulldogging (steer wrestling) and where the idea came from What life was like for a Black cowboy performing in the early 1900s, including the challenges of segregation How Pickett became a global star through Wild West shows and went on to become the first Black cowboy movie actor 👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: Norman Studios’ work with Pickett in silent films, including rare footage: https://normanstudios.org/films-stars/norman-films/the-bull-dogger/ The Infamous Bill Pickett Postage Stamp: https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/art-of-the-stamp-the-artwork-stamps-with-a-story/the-bill-pickett-incident More information from The Cowboy: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/breaking-trail-the-life-of-bill-pickett/ 📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: [email protected]📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum 🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/ 🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ 🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 56: Joseph Glidden and the History of Barbed Wire  📢 Episode Summary:This episode explores the surprising origins and sweeping impact of one of the most transformative inventions in Western history: barbed wire. The story begins in 1873 on a farm near DeKalb, Illinois, where Joseph Glidden searched for a way to keep cows out of his wife Lucinda’s yard. A few wire hairpins in a milk-glass dish sparked an idea that led him to experiment with wire, tinker with tools, and ultimately create a breakthrough design. Listeners learn how Glidden’s work emerged amid a flurry of competing barbed-wire prototypes from inventors like Henry Rose, Isaac Ellwood, and Jacob Haish. Between 1868 and 1874, more than 500 patents were filed as the “fencing problem” became a national debate across the growing frontier. Glidden’s 1874 patent — nicknamed “The Winner” — rose above the rest because it was cheap to produce, effective on the open prairie, and easier to manufacture than earlier designs. The episode digs into how barbed wire reshaped the American West. It allowed settlers to fence vast stretches of land quickly, transforming the plains into a patchwork of private property. That shift restricted traditional cattle trails and contributed to the decline of the open-range cowboy era. Though Glidden sold half of his manufacturing rights early on, per-pound royalties made him a wealthy man until his patent expired in 1892. The legacy of barbed wire also carried a darker side. It hindered the movement of the American Bison, played a role in confining Native Americans to reservations, and later became a defining and deadly element of World War I trenches and World War II concentration camps. When Glidden died in 1906, newspapers noted that his invention survived with all its “distressing, clothes-tearing, hide-rendering” impact — a lasting symbol of both progress and consequence in the story of the West.   🔍 What You’ll Learn: How a simple household challenge led Joseph Glidden to develop the world’s most influential barbed-wire design. Why barbed wire reshaped ranching, homesteading, and the end of the open-range cowboy era. How the invention’s legacy extended into global conflicts and contributed to major environmental and cultural changes. 👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: Joseph Glidden, National Inventors Hall of Fame: https://www.invent.org/inductees/joseph-f-glidden Joseph Glidden Homestead and Historical Center: https://www.gliddenhomestead.org/barbed-wire/ From The Cowboy video archive, “The History of Barbed Wire”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf_URWGR7GU 📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: [email protected]📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum 🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/ 🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ 🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 55: Clark Hulings and the Origin of the Prix de West  📢 Episode Summary:This week’s episode of This Week in The West explores the origins of the Museum’s signature art exhibition, the Prix de West, through the life and legacy of one of its most influential early artists: Clark Hulings. Listeners are reminded that the Prix de West—now more than five decades strong—began in 1973 with Hulings’ sweeping and dramatic painting Grand Canyon, Kaibab Trail, a work that became the very first Purchase Award Winner and helped define the exhibition’s prestige. The episode traces Hulings’ remarkable artistic journey, beginning with his childhood visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, his early struggle with illness, and the path that eventually led him to the landscapes of New Mexico and the American Southwest. From portraiture to illustration to fine art, Hulings continually pushed himself, traveling widely and honing his craft across studios in Santa Fe, New York, and Europe. His keen intuition for knowing “what to paint” became one of his greatest strengths. Finally, the episode recounts how Hulings’ career intersected with the Museum’s vision for a new era of Western art. His award-winning work helped launch the very first Prix de West, which showcased 92 works by 34 artists and expanded the definition of Western art. Though he never returned to the exhibition, Hulings remained a towering figure in Western art until he died in 2011 at age 88. His story frames the Museum’s ongoing mission to celebrate artists who reveal the depth, beauty, and complexity of the American West. 🔍 What You’ll Learn: How Clark Hulings’ early life, illness, global travels, and artistic training shaped him into one of the most important Western painters of the 20th century. The origins of the Prix de West exhibition and why Hulings’ Grand Canyon, Kaibab Trail became a defining moment in its history. How the Museum expanded the concept of “Western Art” in the early 1970s—and how Hulings’ work helped establish the exhibition’s national reputation. 👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler 🔗 Further research: A history of the Prix de West Purchase Award winners: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/collections/awards/pdw/?inducted=&medium=0&award=203 Clark Hulings’ official website: https://www.clarkhulings.com/ The Clark Hulings Foundation: https://clarkhulingsfoundation.org/ 📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.thecowboy.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: [email protected]📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum 🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map 🎟️: You can now buy tickets to The Cowboy online, go to https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/tickets/💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/ 🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/ 🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/  ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!