American Cowboy Online Extras

Where the West begins

Hardy ranchers and cowboys settled the sloping hills and grasslands of South Dakota, and their families have endured. Writer Everett Potter follows in their footsteps. | MORE

The Greatest Western Movie Villains

By Douglas Brode

Movie cowboys can't be good guys without the bad guys. Here's our list of the best Western movie villains. | MORE

Jack Brainard, of Whitesboro, Texas, has spent nearly his entire life training horses. Instrumental in the founding of the National Reining Horse Association and several state Quarter Horse associations, Brainard was inducted into the Reining Horse Hall of Fame in 2010. | MORE

The Greatest: True Accounts of the Old West

By Mark Bedor

For insight into authentic cowboy culture, these five reads offer true accounts of the Old West. They're musts for the cowboy library. | MORE

Cowboy Up: Throw a tomahawk

By Tom Wilmes

Despite the way many old Westerns dramatize it, throwing a tomahawk in combat is not a recommended tactic. (Always hold on to your weapon!) Nonetheless, throwing competitions have long been popular. Champion tomahawk-throwing expert and instructor Cliff “Awol” Hill shows how it’s done. | MORE

Horseback San Pedro Parks Wilderness

By Bill Manns

Explore the lush meadows and lofty views of remote northern New Mexico. | MORE

Do Unto Others

By Lindsay Affleck

The spirit of giving back and helping the community has always been integral to Western culture, And the slew of Western-oriented charities is evidence. Here’s a look at four prominent organizations that work to spread goodwill and good ol’ American values. | MORE