January 17, 2018
Cowboy poet, musician, and entertainer, Red Steagall, was awarded the 2018 National Golden Spur Award this past Saturday (January 13th) in Fort Worth during a surprise reception as part of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. The National Golden Spur Award is the most prestigious honor given by the ranching and livestock industries. The Award was established in 1978 and created to recognize individuals who show devotion to the land and livestock, respect from their peers, and emphasizes their humanistic, scientific, and technological contributions to the industry.
“The award is the most prestigious honor given by the ranching and livestock industry in recognition of accomplishments by an individual,” said Jim Bret Campbell, executive director of the National Ranching Heritage Center (NRHC) at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.
“Red Steagall has spent a lifetime telling the story of ranching,” Campbell said. “Through his music, poetry, syndicated radio show and television show, Red has helped ensure that the stories of the real West don’t just fade into obscurity. His work keeps the rancher and cowboy in front of a mainstream audience.
“Most importantly, Red reflects the values, integrity, and character that have always been a part of ranch life. He’s authentic and that resonates with everyone who appreciates this ranching heritage.”
Steagall will be honored by industry leaders at the official awards ceremony hosted by the National Ranching Heritage Center to be held on October 13th, 2018 during the annual Golden Spur dinner in Lubbock, Texas. Details are not yet available, but people can monitor the website ranchingheritage.org for more information coming soon. See previous award winners here.
Raised in the cow country of the Texas Panhandle, Red Steagall grew up competing in rodeos and learned to play the guitar and mandolin. After college, Steagall traveled to California to share western traditions and values with the rest of the world through songs, poems, books, television, and movies. Although Red Steagall is best known for his Texas swing dance music, he is also highly respected by Texas cowboys for the lyrical way in which he writes about the western way of life. He was honored as the Poet Laureate of Texas in 2006, received the prestigious Charles Goodnight Award in 2006, and was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City in 2003. Steagall has hosted the annual “Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering and Western Swing Festival” annually in October at the Fort Worth Stockyards for the past 27 years.
Catch Red Steagall weekly on RFD-TV’s “Red Steagall West of Wall Street” Mondays at 9:30 p.m. ET. You can also listen to “Red Steagall’s Cowboy Corner” on RURAL RADIO Channel 147 on SiriusXM radio on Saturdays at 9 a.m. ET.
For a full schedule of your favorite RFD-TV shows click HERE.