May 22, 2026
A boy went searching for the past. What he found was not quite what he expected.
For the past six decades I have traveled far and wide to seek out the truth about our past. And, not just in the American West. I have also traveled to Extremaduro, Spain to find Cowboy Ground Zero.
April 10, 2013
I also spent some quality time in France seeking the truth about the Buffalo Bill wannabe who shot van Gogh. But closer to home, I have flown and driven to every state in the West seeking the truth about what happened on the ground where I stood. It's true, I discovered some incredible things on those trips, but the most memorable thing I found was not what you'd expect.
The Truth About My Fact Finding Trips
It wasn't the facts I discovered that made all those trips worthwhile, it has been the people I met who were on the same trail as me.
I met this young Robbie kid in Prescott when we did the Postmortem Boze Show at the Hazeltine Theater two weeks ago. As I understand it, he is a cartoonist who is making Western films. This precocious, upstart kid is definitely a brother from another mother.
The Future of The Past
As long as there are crazy kids seeking out the truth about our past, we are going to be fine.
Also, that photo Kathy took of me contemplating Cowboy Ground Zero on the plaza mayor in Trujillo, Spain, has a great back story. The statue of Pizzaro was donated to the town of Trujillo by the late sculptor's wife in the 1920s. He was an American who specialized in horses (he was an avid polo player) and was struck with the historical fact that the Conquistadors preferred Spanish ponies, not big quarter horses. The big building behind me, at left, was erected by the Pizzaro family to honor Francisco, who died (stabbed in the neck) by one of the surviving brothers of a general Pizarro had killed. Pizzaro killed two of the attackers and ran through another with his blade before they got him. In one of the early battles in Peru, Pizzaro and less than 200 mounted conquistadors went head to head with 80,000 Incas and killed 400 while losing only 3 or 4. Their superior firepower and armor carried the day yet it is still talked about because he faced bigger odds than Custer did at the Little Bighorn. Of course the Incas didn't have access to Winchester repeating rifles either.
"Where Spain keeps the cow, the rest of Europe drinks the milk."
—Old Vaquero Saying
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