We all knew that Mr. Cacties himself Jimmy Griscom was a cool guy, but this just proves it to us once and for all. I fully expect to see Jimmy very soon in his best Cacties western wear and apparel tearing up the country music scene all over the world. Check out Jimmy’s big announcement on going country! Congratulations on going country, Jimmy. No one deserves it more than you!

Looking for a great Western event to attend in 2009? Look no further than American Cowboy’s list of 101 Best Western Events for 2009. The list is broken up into regions so it is easier to search:

-Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Nevada, and California
-Texas and Oklahoma
-Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming and Montana
-Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Kansas

Also included on the list are a few events in non-traditional Western event states such as the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee and the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Canada. One of our personal favorites on the list? The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo which runs the first two weeks in March at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. It’s one of the biggest rodeos in the world and always a fantastic time. So get out your favorite western wear and head on out to one of these great events throughout the year.

I would like to tell you, our lovely loyal blog readers, that Cacties is now on Twitter and Facebook.

We have created a Facebook fan page called Cacties Clothing. You’re a fan right? Are you a Facebook user? If not go create a user account then become a fan of Cacties on Facebook.

Also, we are fully operational on Twitter. We microblog there about cowboy culture, western clothes, funny redneck stuff, and anything cool that comes our way. We encourage you to follow us on twitter @mycacties.

Follow us, interact, tell us about anything you find interesting (or disgusting), and we will all keep the dialogue rolling. Remember to tell your friends and spread the love as well.

The National Western Stock Show has a rich history dating back to the first official show in 1906. People came from around the world then as they do now to be entertained by a culture in decline but still alive today. This years National Western Stock Show has broken all previous attendance records with 68,610 people in one day.

Photo by Forrest Hershberger

The event started on January 10th and will run till January 25th. Events include rodeo, livestock auctions, numerous horse shows, exhibits galore, and a Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza. There is also plenty of events for the little whipper snappers like pony trails and petting farms. There is enough fun to fill over two weeks time for the whole family.

In honor of the stock show Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper declared today, January 13th, “Dress Western Day”. We here at Cacties Salute you Mr. Hickenlooper and all those attending and participating in keeping cowboy culture alive at the National Western Stock Show.

Giddyup!

There’s probably nothing as iconic in the world of western wear than the cowboy hat, but now some cowboys have decided to forego wearing the hat with safety in mind. Bull riders especially have suffered throughout the years with head injuries, and even death, in bull riding accidents, so now some have decided to wear protective helmets instead of their cowboy hats. The New York Times profiled some of the cowboys and talked to them about making the switch to helmets, or those that don’t want to.

Studies show that trying to cling to the back of a bucking and spinning bull for eight seconds is far more dangerous than playing football or hockey, sports in which helmets are mandatory. For relatively newer thrill-seeking pursuits, like snowboarding and skateboarding, the use of a helmet is rarely debated anymore. Most participants have always worn one.

“It’s just a cowboy thing,” said Ty Murray, the most decorated rodeo cowboy in history, who is 39 and retired from competition. “America, the whole idea of the iconic cowboy wearing a hat — any other sport people would say, ‘Yeah, they should wear a helmet.’ ”

You may see more and more cowboys in the future choosing safety over that iconic cowboy hat.

Photo courtesey of: Jim Lo Scalzo for The New York Times

Bronze sculptures are very prevalent in the western art collecting world, and now you can pay homage to one of the greatest cowboys to have ever lived. Western sculptor D. Michael Thomas has two sculptures of famous cowboy Chris LeDoux, one that is even 1/4 lifesized. If you are a western art collector, either of these would be a fantastic edition to your collection.

Good ride cowboy!