They're Back with a Bang: The Mavericks Launch New Single

The media has been telling us that Lionel Richie is the biggest country star on earth right now.  But the last time I mentioned it and asked for your comments, most of you seemed to land somewhere between amused and appalled at the thought.  I get it.  When I was a kid, Dad played Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and Patsy Cline ALL the time.  My grandmother yodeled.  My first concert was Johnny Cash at the WHO Theater in Des Moines in 1963.  I was only four years old but it still counts!

I'm what you call a country music purist for sure, and I haven't cared much for most contemporary country music for a long time.

Well, we just got some news from Universal that I am EXCITED about! (I think you will be too, Dwight, we seem to agree on music pretty regularly.) 

The Mavericks are back with all the buzz you'd expect from one of country music's most successful bands of the 90's.  With countless hits, gold and platinum albums, and numerous CMA, ACM, and Grammy awards, there is no arguing that they could rest on their laurels, but this week the band issued its comeback single "Born to be Blue" to overwhelming reaction.  On Tuesday, May 29 their new EP "Suited Up and Ready" will be released on iTunes. 

If you've never heard them before, check this out to whet your appetite.  This is a 2008 live video of one of their biggest hits, "All You Ever Do is Bring Me Down" originally released in 1996.

What do you think?  Are Lionel's days numbered?  I know I'll be keeping my eyes open for a Mavericks tour date near me. 

"Why My Mom Rocks" Winners

Ariat and RCC teamed up to honor those who hold the toughest and most important job in the world, those with the title of "Mom."  And now, here they are, the winners in the "Why My Mom Rocks" Mother's Day Contest.  Jessica's mom will be getting a complete Ariat outfit, while Julien and Brendon will be presenting their mother with a $100 RCC gift card, and Raigan's effort won her mom a $50 RCC Gift Card.

Jessica Dzienkowski

Not everyone can say their Mom is their best friend, but I know my three sisters and I can. Not only did she raise four beautiful, successful women, but she has stood by us through thick and thin, right or wrong. My Mom is the strongest person I know, she was in a serious fire accident a few years ago but her true strength and passion for life kept her alive. I remember seeing her in the hospital thinking that my world was crashing down, and how SHE comforted ME as she laid in her hospital bed fighting through the pain. She would do anything for "her girls" and she tells us that every day. There has never been a moment in my life that I have ever thought otherwise. This month not only is my family celebrating her for Mother’s Day, but we also just celebrated her 55th birthday! I want this to be the most special month for her, and I want her to feel like the most special mother that she is. I'm proud to say my mother is the most influential female in my life and always will be. She deserves the best this Mother’s Day, because she is the best mom any girl could ask for!

Julien & Brendon Bancroft-Connors

My Mom loves my brother and me more than anything in the whole wide world. She teaches us how to ride our horses, how to cook and how important family truly is. She always stands up for us when we need her but lets us make our own decisions and make our own mistakes. She lets us try new things, won't let us give up just because we are frustrated and tells us to never lose heart. She does everything to keep our lives balanced between country (which we all love) and city (where there is work). When our school here went south, she even changed her whole life around and became our teaching coach! She believes that fun should be a part of everyday but also that you have to work hard and do your best no matter what it is you choose to do ( from mucking stalls to learning at our lessons). My Mom is the kind of person who would help anyone who needed it in a heartbeat but she is cowgirl through and through and won't let people abuse that trust. Mostly, though my Mom is fun and loving. I can’t imagine a better role model or Mom. My Mom ROCKS!

Raigan NesSmith

My Mama...she's a mama of 3 and she's great for a lot of reasons. She's smart, beautiful, funny, and lots of fun. She is a GREAT cook. She helps me take care of my horse (feeding, watering, saddling, brushing) and helps me take care of my fair hogs. She makes sure all the animals have feed. She makes sure we all have clean clothes and a good supper. She is also our 4-H leader and keeps us all very busy. She loves to hunt and fish. She knows how to load, unload, and drive the boat. She is a Shooting Sports instructor. She is the Chairperson of the elementary School Advisory Council and the Chairperson of the local Friends of NRA committee. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and works for 2 separate attorneys. She is a Christian and is very sweet and loving. She is a very busy woman but somehow she manages it all. I love my Mama so much!!!!!!! (: (P.S. The pic I'm attaching is of me and her at a Miranda Lambert concert last year.)

RCC and Ariat Want to Send You to Nashville!

Ariat is a proud sponsor of top athletes including PBR professionals Adriano Moraes, Cord McCoy, Wiley Petersen, Chris Shivers, and Luke Snyder among others.  Now, Ariat and RCC Western Stores are teaming up to give one winner a chance to meet some of them behind the chutes at the PRB Jack Daniels’ Invitational in Nashville on September 7 & 8. 

If you’re that lucky winner, you will receive round trip airfare for two to Nashville, hotel accommodations for two nights, a behind-the-chutes tour, and two VIP tickets.  And to be sure that you’re looking your best, we’ll even throw in a $500.00 RCC/Ariat shopping spree!  You can enter in any of our stores or go to contests.rccwestern.com to fill out an entry form and see the official rules.

RCC Western Stores Now Shipping to the United Kingdom

RCC Western Stores is happy to announce that we are now shipping orders to the UK.  Starting today, customers in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales can begin ordering from RCC and accept delivery of their merchandise at their front door.  This is in addition to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany.  This is the most recent step in our expansion and we will be announcing more such additions in the future. 

13 Reasons Nashville Loves Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee Debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart, Becomes His Highest-Charting Album in 26 Years

Country Duets Album Is a Worldwide Hit As It Debuts at No. 1 in Canada and in the Top Ten in the U.K., Denmark, Holland and Sweden

NASHVILLE, TN – Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart this week and is his highest-charting album since 1986. With sales of 198,892, it is also the best-selling debut by any country artist this year.

Tuskegee, a collection of 13 of his beloved international hits performed as duets with today’s country stars, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200, behind Madonna. This is his best sales week since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991, according to Billboard.  His last appearance in the Top Two was in October 1986, when Dancing on the Ceiling held the No. 1 spot for two weeks.

“I am ecstatic!” Richie says. “These songs are like my children, so I am overwhelmed that they are being embraced by several generations of music lovers. I am so grateful to all of my duet partners for bringing their own distinctive styles and personalities to this album and interpreting these songs in fresh new ways.

“I haven’t had this much fun in the studio since the Commodores. I will treasure the memories of working with these country stars for the rest of my life. I’ve made so many brand-new old friends from this album.

“I have loved my time in Nashville and can’t wait to spend more time there writing songs and collaborating in the studio. It inspires me creatively and being there just makes my heart feel good.”

Luke Lewis, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville,  says, “It is gratifying to see consumers react this way to a collection of timeless songs, great performances and an outstanding marketing effort by the UMG team.”

Tuskegee has become an immediate worldwide hit, debuting  at No. 1 on Canada’s Top Albums chart and reaching the Top 10 album charts in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Holland and Sweden. This is his first No. 1 album in Canada in the SoundScan era and his first No. 1 album in Canada since his sophomore solo album, Can’t Slow Down, in 1983.

“What makes this so special is that I am able to experience all of this with my children,” he says. “They are too young to know about the Commodores or anything that I did in the eighties. They just know me as the dad who drives them to school. I’m glad they finally get to see what I do for a living!

“It’s also special because I can share this with my Tuskegee family. Keep in mind that these were the folks who encouraged me when the rest of the world had never heard of Lionel Richie or the Commodores.  I discovered that I was a songwriter in Tuskegee, Alabama, and this is where I wrote all of these songs. The roots of my writing, my storytelling, are from the South.  I am thrilled that the city and the people that made me who I am today are being honored by the warm embrace this album has received.  How fortunate I have been to discover that you can go home again.”

Tuskegee has been an extremely satisfying full-circle moment for Richie, who has earned album sales of more than 100 million, 22 Top 10s, five Grammys, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe, and a host of other awards.

His duet partners on Tuskegee are Jason Aldean, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton and Shania Twain.  The deluxe edition of the album contains a DVD featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the recording sessions with Richie and his duet partners.

CBS will air ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends-- In Concert on Friday, April 13 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. The show serves as a tribute to Richie’s influential career and features solo performances by Richie as well as duets with Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Darius Rucker and Blake Shelton. It also includes performances of his songs by Jason Aldean, Marc Anthony, Sara Evans, The Band Perry, Martina McBride, Big & Rich, Luke Bryan, Sara Evans, Lady Antebellum. 

He will be inducted into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame on June 4. He will join Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Nettles and Robin Thicke as mentors on the new ABC summer show, Duets.

"Can He Rope It?" Win a Pair of Justin Boots!

Our friends at Justin Boots are having a lot of fun with this one! 

He's a professional trick ropin' cowboy, but can Anthony Lucia rope your challenge? 

Followers so far have seem him rope a calf backwards, rope two steers at once, rope an alligator, rope a paper airplane, and rope a basketball!  They are inviting you to submit your idea.  What do you want to challenge Anthony to rope?

http://bit.ly/kIsSLp

Check out these hilarious videos and enter to win a pair of Justin Boots!

RCC's Opry Mills Store Re-Opens Today

In May of 2010 a flood closed the Opry Mills Shopping Center in Nashville.  Now almost 23 months and $200 million later the mall, with its 140 retailers, re-opens today. 

There will be live entertainment all day and throughout the weekend, as well as hourly prize drawings throughout the mall.

RCC Western Stores has been gearing up for this for a long time as well. 

RCC Apparel Buyer Zeann Golliher said, “It is a beautiful store and we definitely, definitely have anything a western customer may need:  over 6000 square feet of cowboy boots, western apparel, a beautiful presentation of cowboy hats.  The town is excited for it, the people are excited for it.”

RCC Western Stores is excited for it, too!

Who can clear this up for me? Reward offered

I have a question for you regarding cowboy hat etiquette:

Growing up on a Wyoming cattle ranch in the seventies, one was provided with opportunities to learn that wearing your hat at the table might earn you a brisk backhand, smacking you away from that table.  At least that was the rule at our house.  And to not remove your hat at a restaurant table was unthinkable. 

A while back my wife and I went out for dinner in Rapid City, SD during the Black Hills Stock Show.  The show is a week and a half of great livestock events, PRCA rodeo, and agriculture-related trade exhibits.  People come from neighboring states and further to take this all in.  Surely, this is a crowd who knows a thing or two about hats. 

I was a little surprised when I noticed a guy wearing his hat while eating.  My first thought was that young people just aren’t raised the way I was.  Then I noticed another, this one older.  I looked around the room and counted no fewer than six cowboy hats and ball caps being worn by men from 20 years of age up to about 55.  I would expect this from a different cross-section of society in a different setting, maybe the local Perkins after a Snoop Dogg concert.   I also saw two or three with their hats on the seat beside them.  My conclusion was that somewhere along the way the rules have changed.  So now it’s acceptable to have white wine with steak AND wear your hat at the table?

Things like this tend to make me feel like I have finally gotten old.  Which is why I was so embarrassed recently when visiting St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.  I was standing in awe at the back of the church taking in the exquisite display of gothic architecture before me when a staff member approached and in a soft but stern voice, asked me to please remove my hat!

So what’s the deal?  Have the rules changed?  Where do you stand on this one?  Just for fun, give your age with your comment and we’ll see if this is indeed a notable cultural shift or me just being old!

Celebrities Keep Telling Us What to Wear

How many cowboy boots have you seen in popular gossip rags and mainstream magazines this year?  I’ll bet you can’t count them.  And most of them were not on cowboys or cowgirls.  Fashion trends have been dictated to the general public by celebrities for generations through TV, movies, and print media. 

Western fashion was introduced to mainstream culture in popular television shows and movies portraying the western lifestyle generations ago.  At some point along the way, western fashion was absorbed into other styles and now has been hybridized into many others.

An obvious example of this is jeans and denim jackets.  In the 1950’s, jeans were worn most notably by cowboys and laborers.  In 1955, James Dean wore jeans in “Rebel Without a Cause” and a western classic became the choice of an emerging class of pseudo-hoodlums!  Now jeans were the epitome of cool, and they exploded outward through rock & roll and biker culture and other fashion channels like a giant web until it’s impossible to imagine a world without denim.  

Now, with the internet driving cycles of popularity, the ebb and flow of fashion trends moves too quickly for most to keep pace with.  But one thing is certain; although the popularity of western fashion waxes and wanes, it never disappears from the lexicon completely.  Indeed, it seems to be making a big surge right now and the current popularity of country western music probably has something to do with that, particularly popular country music artists whose styles lean toward the mainstream… Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, The Band Perry, and Taylor Swift.

With the emergence of Taylor Swift as the world’s current reigning sweetheart, there seems to be as many dresses paired with cowboy boots as there are Starbucks in the Mall of America!  And Taylor Swift is influencing a LOT more than just country music fans.  Did you see her at the Grammys?  Did you see her on the cover of Vogue last month?  In two minutes of research I lost count of how many times she has appeared on the cover of a magazine that had nothing at all to do with country music or the western lifestyle.  I also lost count of how many celebrities I could find wearing a variation of Taylor’s signature cowboy-boots-and-dress;   Jessica Simpson, Brittney Spears Jessica Alba, Mary Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, Miley Cyrus, Rachel Bilson, Sienna Miller, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Ritchie; and these are people who each influence a million more.  The cowboy-boots-and-dress ensemble has gone viral!

Who wants to guess how many Charlie 1 Horse hats have been sold because some young guy wanted to be as cool as Kid Rock?  Even Lady Gaga has her own signature Tony Lama boot styles! 

Celebrities who have NOTHING to do with our lifestyle are telling the whole world what to wear.   And it’s been going on for generations.  Stetson still sells the “LBJ” hat made famous by President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960’s.  Some people born after 1981 may have never heard of a fedora, but they know what an “Indiana Jones” hat is.  And who has ever seen an episode of Bonanza who wouldn’t immediately recognize Dan Blocker’s hat as the “Hoss?”

Our society has always looked to celebrities to give us cues as to where the next trends are headed.  As long as the western lifestyle is canonized and country music is popular, western fashion will not be far behind.   

Timing of Daily Feeding Impacts Timing of Calving

Thanks to our friends at South Dakota State University Extension for this contribution.

BROOKINGS, S.D. - For generations cattlemen have heeded the advice of their fathers and changed the time they feed their cows as calving approaches. It's believed by feeding in the evening, the majority of cows will give birth during daylight hours, easing human labor needs and boosting calf survival, says Adele Harty, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist, during a recent iGrow Radio Network interview.

"If we're feeding in the evening, more will calve during the daytime. This is easier on the calves because they get the sunlight, they're going to be more active, more likely to get up nurse, get that colostrum in the first hours of life and get a better start," Harty said.

Harty explains evening feeding is proven with research.

"Eighty-five percent of calves were born between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. if they were fed at dusk - in the evening - so it does help significantly and we've proven it with the research," she said.  However, the research is unclear why evening feeding works. Harty says it's believed eating and digestion increases the cow's internal body pressure, holding off labor for hours. 

Harty notes evening feeding can be helpful for both mature cows and bred heifers. No acclimation period is needed so starting evening feedings one week before calving should be beneficial.

She reminds producers to consider the cow's additional nutritional needs during and after calving season.

"We have to remember that as soon as we calve, the nutritional needs are going to increase significantly because those cows are going to begin lactating and we need to make sure the feeds that we're providing are going to meet those needs," Harty said. 

For more information on this topic, visit iGrow.org. The iGrow Radio Network and SDSU Extension bring listeners an informative show each day. For more information on the iGrow Radio Network, or to listen to archived shows, visit www.igrow.org.

The Black Hills Stock Show, January 27 - February 5

In 1959, the Black Hills Winter Show premiered at the Pennington County, South Dakota Fairgrounds, featuring area beef producers showcasing three popular cattle breeds.  It ran for three days and had all of 16 vendors.  53 years later, it has evolved into the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo.  Produced by the Central States Fair, it has grown into Rapid City’s largest event and one of America’s largest winter shows for horsemen and cattle producers.  With over 300 vendors, the show attracts over 300,000 attendees each year.  The Stock Show hosts cattle producers from all over North America. 

It is also the 15th stop in this year’s PRCA Rodeo tour, before moving on to Lake Charles, LA.  It is produced by Sutton Rodeos of Onida, SD, as it has been since 1978.  According to Kim Sutton, there will be over 600 of the world’s top PRCA contestants competing for their share of over $200,000 in prize money.  That’s three times more contestants in 2012 than there were spectators in 1978!  Competing will be six 2011 WNFR Champions and 59 2011 WNFR contestants and Badland’s Circuit champions.  Among them will be 16-time World Champion and 9-time World Champion All-Around Cowboy Trevor Brazile as well as Bareback Champion Kaycee Fields, Saddle Bronc Champion Taos Muncy, Bull Riding Champion Shane Proctor, Team Roping Heeler Champion Jett Johnson, and Calf Roping Champion Tuf Cooper. 

“This rodeo has always been one of the top rodeos in the country no matter who you talk to,” says Jim Sutton, the rodeo event creator.  “We have always tried to have the best people and have always worked off the top of the list of stock contract people and have again this year, maybe better than we’ve ever had, and have always been able to get good cowboys because of it.”

The Ranch Rodeo will be a widely attended event again this year, with a record 60 four-man teams competing for a total of over $20,000.00 in cash and prizes.  Don’t miss The World’s Smallest Rodeo, sponsored by RCC Western Stores.  Contestants ranging in age from three to five compete in events including barrel racing and pole bending, all on a stick horse!  And for dog lovers, there’s the North American Sheepdog Trials.

RCC Western Stores is happy to be one of the vendors appearing at The Black Hills Stock Show again this year.  We hope you’ll stop by our booth, located in LaCroix Hall in the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, and see our wide selection of cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and western accessories.  On display will be new styles from Ariat, Corral, Roper, and Tony Lama, among others.

The Stock Show runs from January 27 through February 5 this year.   

http://www.centralstatesfair.com/stock-show/schedule/

SDSU Extension Service Will Host Kids' Program During Black Hills Stock Show

BROOKINGS, S.D. - SDSU Extension and South Dakota Ag in the Classroom will host a "Kids Take Stock in Science and Agriculture" program at the Black Hills Stock Show. This program received the National Teamwork Award from the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents, and it promises to come back even better this year.

The program is two-fold; the first part is primarily scheduled for schools. Interested classes can attend the program from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. MST Jan. 31-Feb. 1. The second part is geared toward walk-through traffic, and parents can bring their kids through the event from 2-5 p.m. both days. Kids Take 'Stock' takes place in the Rodeo Zone at the Rapid City Civic Center.

The event is done in conjunction with SDSU Extension and South Dakota Ag in the Classroom. Both organizations bring hands-on learning opportunities to youth who may not be familiar with South Dakota's largest industry - agriculture.

"This program is designed to teach youth about both science and agriculture - two areas that are everywhere in the state, but sometimes are far too intangible to youth," said Jessica Eikmeier, a co-coordinator of the event and an Extension Community Development Field Specialist.

She adds: 

"The program is geared towards elementary-aged kids from schools as well as home-schoolers, and we hope to bring these hands-on activities to students who might not get the experiences otherwise," Eikmeier said. "We take what they have learned in the classroom and build on it and put a new twist on it so that they can see it in a different light."

Attendees will have the opportunity to see a balance of agricultural and science-based stations. Each station will take 8-10 minutes and will range in topics from egg experiments to water quality to branding. Teachers will receive a packet of lesson plans to take back to their classrooms to further build on what the youth see in the short stations.

For more information about the program or to sign up for a walk-through time, call Jessica Eikmeier at 605.455.1299 or email her at Jessica.eikmeier@sdstate.edu. You can also contact Ann Price, Executive Director of SD Ag in the Classroom at sdagclassroom@yahoo.com.