Cowboys. Just the
word conjures a figure epitomizing the essence of the American free spirit. And
our imaginings of who a cowboy is are wrapped up in our Hollywood
experiences: John Wayne, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Clint Eastwood, Will
Rogers, Jeff Bridges, even Mel Brooks.
A new documentary,
Gathering Remnants: A Cowboy Tribute,
to air at 8 p.m. ET/PT July 23 on the Documentary Channel, dispels some of the
romance surround the American cowboy, and at the same time, offers an inspiring
look at the lives of these unique individuals.
It’s a rare up-close-and-personal
look at the world of a cowboy. Spotlighting five cowboys, the program explores
what exactly a cowboy does in today’s technologically expanding world. Each of
these people – four men and one woman – speaks for a dying breed steeped in
individuality, a code of behavior long forgotten in today’s fast-paced world,
and a way of life viewed with nostalgic sighs.
You’ll meet
“buckaroos” Sticker Wiggins, Ruth Jackson, Mark Jensen, Darrin Pfeifer and Tom
Hall, as well as musician/historian Red Steagall, cowboy poet Baxter Black, and
Chuck Hall, cowboy and brand inspector. They’ll talk about “eating dirt,” the
hard work, the injuries, the economics of ranching, the laughter and the tears,
as they herd horses and cattle, train horses and brand cattle. Each seems
totally at ease in their chosen environment, riding and roping. And each has a
certain view of the world that is at once conservative, intellectual and
opinionated.
With a wonderful
soundtrack of authentic music, Gathering
Remnants is beautiful and visually stunning view of the ranches that still
span hundreds of square miles, with cattle and horses running over vast
expanses of sagebrush covered land. And each sound bite from these cowboys and
others involved in their world gives us a better sense of what they go through
every day, how they handle the loneliness and the joys, and what they see for
the future.
An obvious labor
of love by director/producer Kendall Nelson and director of photographer John
Plummer, Gathering Remnants will
leave you with a new appreciation for the American cowboy and a sadness that
this way of life seems to be disappearing in the crushing onslaught of modern
technology.
Learn more about
the Documentary Channel, and watch a trailer for Gathering Remnants, on the
Documentary Channel’s website. For more information on the film and the book on which it’s based, and to order
the book or photos by Nelson, visit the Gathering Remnants website.