2024 Best of Western Horseman: Culture
Western Artists | Craftsmen | Western Destinations | Events
Western culture is the thing that brings us all together—no matter what our individual interests may be, to be immersed in the culture of the West is something special and unique that not everyone gets to claim. Western culture is an art, from painting desert landscapes filled with wild horses, to crafting the perfect bit or pair of spurs; to creating a unique event for cowboys to compete or a Western oasis for families to visit. Western culture covers a broad scope for a niche lifestyle, and it makes us what we are today. These are the 2024 Western Horseman Best of Culture winners.
Pencil artwork by Karmel Timmons.
Best of Western Artists Winner: Karmel Timmons
As a child, Karmel Timmons loved a new box of crayons and a big piece of paper to draw on, and while she has changed her medium, she still loves to draw and paint.
As a young adult who had freshly arrived in rural Colorado, the mountain and prairie landscapes and the animals that filled them inspired Timmons to put pencil to paper and “draw what she saw” every day. Now, Timmons resides in Wyoming, returning to a quiet country setting with views of the Bighorn Mountains and the high plains.
Combining her ability to capture detail, texture and mood in pencil with her admiration for her equine subjects resulted in a career as a professional artist that has spanned more than 20 years.
Timmons has exhibited her work at the Coors Western Art Show, Buffalo Bill Western Art Show, Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show, Brinton Museum, Cowgirl Up!, Mountain Oyster Show and the American Academy of Equine Art. Her work has been published in “Cowboys and Indians,” “The Cottage Journal,” “Southwest Art,” “Art of the West,” “Western Art Collector,” “Eclectic Horseman,” “Horses in Art” and Western Horseman.
“Western Horseman was the very first magazine to do an article on me as an artist, so this has been truly an honor to be nominated in the Artist category for the Best of Western Horseman Awards,” Timmons says.
Best of Western Artists Runner-Up: Jack Sorenson
Readers of Western Horseman easily recognize Jack Sorenson without ever seeing his face, as his life’s work has graced the Western Horseman cover no less than 17 times in his 51 years as an artist.
What began as simple pencil drawings of the horses his dad was training to cut has blossomed into a lifetime passion for Sorenson. Time in the saddle as both a colt starter and a cowboy surely helped Sorenson capture the realism that only comes from first-hand experience.
“I may not be an artist is it wasn’t for the Western art on the cover of Western Horseman,” says the artist from Canyon, Texas. “I wouldn’t have known you could make a living in Western art if it weren’t for my dad’s subscription to the publication. I still get excited about every painting I do. I feel like I’m in the right place at the right time doing exactly what God wants me to.”
At 70 years young, for Sorenson, there is no greater honor than to be featured on the cover of Western Horseman and then to be appreciated by the readers by this nomination is a whole new level of accomplishment.
Best of Western Artists Honorable Mention: Tyler Crow
Picking up a paintbrush for the first time during a workshop at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum would prove life-changing for Tyler Crow.
Bruce Greene and Martin Greelle, who conducted the workshop that year, got Crow to start painting. Crow was only 16 at the time, and he had no idea that was the day he was introduced to what would become his full-time career. The astoundingly humble Crow has accomplished more than most at such a young age for an artist. Finding inspiration from the lifestyle Crow grew up around, he takes great pride in preserving it on canvas.
“I give all the glory to God because I never would’ve dreamed I could be doing what I am now,” says Crow, who lives in Hico, Texas. “There aren’t words to explain how much this honor means; it’s a huge blessing. My whole family has read Western Horseman our entire lives, so the magazine means a lot to all of us. To even be considered for this is so special and humbling. I’m truly honored.”
Photography by Nicole Poyo Brennan.
Best of Craftsmen Winner: Nancy Martiny
Nancy Martiny has had a passion for hand-carved leather since childhood. She admired the leatherwork her father created and had a strong desire to follow in his footsteps by learning to carve leather and build a saddle.
With instruction from her father, she began building belts at age 15. She built her first saddle in 1987 with guidance from master saddlemaker Dale Harwood. Custom orders from working cowboys have been the basis of her business as she raised her children and helped on the family ranch and stock contracting business.
She works from a home shop on her husband’s 135-year-old homestead ranch, where they raise beef cattle in the high mountain desert of Central Idaho. She builds custom saddles and tack for working ranch cowboys and feeds her creative side by building floral carved chinks, headstalls and personal items. She has been a supporter of the Art of the Cowgirl event and has helped several aspiring craftswomen start their saddlemaking careers through the Art of the Cowgirl Fellowship program.
More than 500 saddles and 50 years later, she maintains a passion to create and improve her craftsmanship. She attributes her success as a saddlemaker to having a personal, hands-on working knowledge of her products, a strong work ethic and a desire to continually produce high-quality gear with beauty and function as a mainstay. She feels truly blessed to be able to work at a craft that she loves and has a strong sense of gratitude towards the cowboys and cowgirls who appreciate her work.
“The beauty and functionality of hand-carved leather has captivated me for my entire life,” Martiny says.
Best of Craftsmen Runner-Up: J.W. Brooks
“If you come in and buy a good, black 100X hat from me, you can wear it and wear it, and when it gets torn up, you can send it back, and we’ll clean it up, give it new guts (such as a new sweatband) and send it back to you. I have seen my customers get 10 to 40 years out of the same hat.” — J.W. Brooks, Owner of JW Brooks Custom Hats
Best of Craftsmen Honorable Mention: Kerry Kelley
Similar to Western Horseman, Kerry Kelley of Weatherford, Texas, is dedicated to preserving and promoting Western culture. He’s doing exactly that as a custom bit and spurmaker. A craftsman by nature, a teenage Kelley took special interest in the quality and functionality of the equipment he was using on the ranch and in the roping pen.
What began as simple experimenting turned into the type of brand recognition that rivals the Nike swoosh. Every piece Kelley crafts is unique because the intricate metalwork perfectly combines practicality and function with artistry.
“This is not just my profession; it’s a passion deeply rooted in my lifestyle and interests influenced by the hands-on experience I grew up around,” Kelley says. “My business is very personal to me, so I always consider it an honor to be recognized in any capacity. It’s extremely meaningful to be recognized by Western Horseman as they are a staple in the Western and cowboy cultures.”
Photography by Abigail Boatwright.
Best of Western Destinations Winner: Fort Worth Stockyards
The Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District has long been revered as a top attraction for tourists, but its long history goes beyond attractions and is rooted in Western heritage.
Between 1866 and 1890, drovers trailed more than 4 million head of cattle through Fort Worth, Texas, and the city soon became known as “Cowtown.” When the railroad arrived in 1876, Fort Worth became a major shipping point, and thus, the Union Stockyards was built just north of the Tarrant County Courthouse in 1887. In its infancy, the Union Stockyards struggled garnering funds, and in 1893, wealthy Boston capitalist Greenleif Simpson bought the Union Stockyards and changed the name to the Fort Worth Stockyards Company. The area flourished, gaining investors and expanding from solely shipping cattle to building meat packing plants, livestock commission companies, telegraph offices, railroad offices and other local businesses.
The success of the Stockyards meant the area needed an indoor show facility. In 1907, construction began on a grand coliseum — now known as the Cowtown Coliseum. The Coliseum became the home of the first indoor rodeo and still hosts weekly rodeos each Friday and Saturday night to this day.
The Stockyards prospered through droughts and floods, but the booming business couldn’t last forever. During World War II, the Fort Worth Stockyards processed more than 5 million head of livestock, making 1944 the peak year of the entire operation. Unfortunately, the decline of the Stockyards soon began with the decline of the railroad.
In 1976, Charlie and Sue McCafferty founded the North Fort Worth Historical Society to preserve Fort Worth’s livestock heritage. This new venture helped establish the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District and bring about the restoration of landmarks, including the Livestock Exchange Building the Coliseum and the former Swift & Co. headquarters.
In 1989, the North Fort Worth Historical Society opened the Stockyards Museum in the historic Exchange Building. Today, the museum hosts thousands of visitors from all over the world each year and is constantly growing its facilities and its collection.
The Stockyards still hosts the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive. Plus, more than a hundred new shopping, dining and entertainment venues make the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District one of Texas’ most popular tourist destinations.
Best of Western Destinations Runner-Up: ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy
The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy is the only heritage center in the world dedicated exclusively to the sport of professional rodeo. The Hall of Fame Inductees must have been Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Women’s Professional Rodeo Association members. Since the nonprofit opened in 1979, more than 150 rodeo contestants, stock contractors, contract personnel, other notables of the sport and outstanding animals have been inducted into the Hall.
“This is a special honor because it comes from the visitors, readers and fans. They have told us that we are one of their best places to visit,” Hall of Fame and Museum Director Kent Sturman says. “We are honored to make the top three, considering we were up against some amazing institution and major cities.”
Best of Western Destinations Honorable Mention: National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is American’s premier institution of Western history, art and culture. Founded in 1955, the Museum, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, collects, preserves, and exhibits an internationally renowned collection of Western art and artifacts while sponsoring dynamic educational programs to stimulate interest in the enduring legacy of the American West.
Photo Courtesy of The National High School Finals Rodeo.
Best of Events Winner: National High School Finals Rodeo
The National High School Rodeo Association was founded in 1949 on the values of education and preserving the Western way of life. To this day, they host pinnacle youth events, one of those being the National High School Finals Rodeo. This event hosts more than 1,800 competitors from 44 states, five Canadian provinces, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico.
“The National High School Finals Rodeo strives to remain a pinnacle youth event,” Gary Hawkes of NHSRA says. “We have lasted 76 years and plan to last 76 more. We love being challenged to adjust our payout, location and events to meet the demand.”
As the top four athletes in each event compete for a world championship, they are presented with other opportunities through scholarships, career fairs, college fairs and many others. The event is host to core rodeo events but also produces girls’ and boys’ cutting, rodeo queen competition, rifle and trap shooting events, and a reined cow horse event.
Best of Events Runner-Up: Art of the Cowgirl
Art of the Cowgirl celebrates cowgirls and artists alike who get the opportunity to showcase their contributions to Western style and culture. The event provides education and opportunities to emerging artists of the Western genre through the Art of the Cowgirl fellowship program, connecting them with master artists in their respective fields.
Event founder, the late Tammy Pate, had an infectious passion for supporting Western women and honoring their contributions. With the help of a team, she launched the inaugural event in 2019.
“This is a community that values the working family ranch and the art [ranch work] creates,” says Kari DeCastro, marketing coordinator of Art of the Cowgirl. “That can mean a lot of different things, from handy horses to beautiful handmade bits to a work of art that hangs on the wall. It’s all appreciated and celebrated.”
In 2025, the Art of the Cowgirl will be held at Rancho Rio in Wickenburg, Arizona. It will feature a curated trade show, music, and all-women’s ranch rodeo, an elite ranch horse sale, the World’s Greatest Horsewoman, an art auction, demonstrations and much more.
“It means the world to us because it speaks for that community Tammy created, and we strive to maintain in her absence,” DeCastro says. “We are truly honored!”
Best of Events Honorable Mention: Wrangler National Finals Rodeo
“For 38 years, the National Finals Rodeo has transformed our city and brought millions of rodeo fans to Las Vegas to share in the NFR Experience. We have built a strong partnership with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and will continue to provide the amazing backdrop of Las Vegas for the fans, contestants and stock contractors. Our goal each year is to improve every aspect of the NFR and the experience for rodeo fans.” — Tim Keener, Las Vegas Events President
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