The Cowboy Way and Those Alabama Boys

The Cowboy Way is more than a show, it’s a way of life.  Having lived this lifestyle for 26+ years, I was more than giddy to see a show about cowboys on INSP, and even giddier at the opportunity to interview the cowboys, Booger, Bubba, and Cody from The Cowboy Way.

While cowboys, in general, are similar, we have always found that cowboys in other states do things a little different than Texas cowboys.  When I saw the cowboys from The Cowboy Way were Alabama boys, I was curious to see how they cowboy up in their part of the country.

Booger, Bubba, and Cody will tell you, The Cowboy Way is more than a show. Booger stated that “you don’t have to be a cowboy to live the cowboy way” and it’s so very true.  Cowboy code is honoring God, treating people with respect & compassion, having family values & ethics as the Alabama cowboys will tell you.  Cody says, “ It’s how you treat people. Bible says you do unto others as you’d have ’em do unto you.”.  That is what they want you to take out of it when you’re watching the show.  When I asked them what they think the biggest misconception is of being a cowboy, they agreed that it’s people think they’re dumb and don’t know anything. I find that to be an accurate opinion for folks who have never lived country life and the cowboy way of living.  Cowboys, not only have an incredible work ethic, they are number smart and strategic.  They can spot a sick yearling from across the pens and know exactly what medicine they need and how much.  They are far smarter than folks give them credit for.

Here are some additional questions and answers during my interview with the Alabama cowboys from The Cowboy Way tv show on INSP:

• Y’all have a lot of irons in the fire, each with your own set of talents. If y’all could only pick ONE thing to do for a living, what would be?

While I wasn’t surprised about Booger or even Bubba, I was surprised to hear Cody’s answer.  Booger, of course, said ranching all that relates to.  As long as he’s doing that, he’s one happy fellar.  Bubba said he loves the cowboy lifestyle but it would have to be construction.  “There’s something about building things with your own two hands.” and gives him a sense of pride to accomplish & create something.  Cody, on the other hand, dreams of being a football coach!  What?!  I never saw that one coming but it’s clear that he, indeed, has a love for football and Auburn Tigers.

• For cowboys looking to make that transition from “cowboy to rancher” (having their own cows and such vs working for a rancher), what piece of advice would you each give them? 

They all agreed that having your finances in order is at the top of the list.  With cowboyin’, you pay for things like fuel, horse feed, tack, etc but when you transition into ranching, you have cattle, land, feed, medicine, day help, and more to think about.  They did say that building relationships with the community and ranchers alike is also very important.

• Is all your tack and gear handmade, if so, who are some of your favorite makers? 

The Cowboys immediately said Ken Raye, which I knew they would.  He’s a very popular saddle maker out of Lousiana but I was tickled that they also gave a big shoutout to Oliver Saddle Shop.  In fact, they said they were huge fans and so are we!  The Oliver family has been serving the American cowboy for over 70 years!  They are well established in Texas but known to just about every cowboy out there.

• As a foodie blogger also, I’d like to know what is each of y’alls favorite food is?

This was another one of those ‘surprised by Cody’s answer’ moments.  It’s funny, you think you know a person from watching them on a show and then you learn these things about them and it just makes you even closer to them.  Cody, apparently, LOVES tacos!! What’s funny is that Misty, his wife, doesn’t like tacos so he’ll make a whole bunch of them and eat them over the next 2 or 3 days for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Come on Misty…everyone loves tacos!!  Come here to the ranch and I’ll make some of mine up. Maybe you just haven’t had the right ones!  Bubba, we all know, loves food and his answer of a traditional steak wasn’t a surprise.  But both him, Cody, and Booger all agreed that Booger’s grandmother’s banana pudding is the best thing EVER! I’m pretty fond of my own grandmother’s banana pudding recipe so I had to ask Booger, in hopes of comparing recipes, if it had ever been mentioned to create and sell a cookbook with all this grandmother’s recipes.  The short answer is possibly and the story Booger told me melted my heart and would be a great addition to the cookbook, should they eventually create one.  He told me that his great grandmother had several kids and lost her husband early on.  She was left to raise those young’uns. She spent the rest of her years taking care of and feeding her own kids, as well as, the school kids as a lunch lady.  That’s back when food was made from scratch and delicious! That’s back when pride was put into cooking!  Booger got pretty choked up telling me all about this story and that’s just one reason why folks are loving him and the show.

THE COWBOY WAY

It’s refreshing to be able to watch a show on TV and not worry about profanity, nudity, or anything else that’s vulgar.  The Cowboy Way has been amazing at highlighting the real cowboy code.  Bubba, Cody, and Booger come across as relatable and loveable because you’re getting the real version.  It’s a reality show so yeah, there are times that are slightly exaggerated I’m sure, however, when you watch each episode, see how they live out their daily lives through social media, and have the opportunity to speak with them, you’ll quickly see that the cowboys they are on the show are very much the same person in real life.  They are genuine, hard-working, honorable, funny, and compassionate and that comes across on The Cowboy Way.

It’s a wonderful family show so round up your kids and enjoy. Who knows, you might just learn a little bit about the cowboy way of living.  Hats off to The Cowboy Way, Cody, Bubba, Booger, and to my own cowboy, Rooster.

You can find The Cowboy Way on INSP on Sundays at 7PM central, available nationwide. Click here to find INSP in your area.

A big thanks to INSP for the opportunity!  I enjoyed getting to know these cowboys a little more and look forward to future episodes!