Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amir Beardsley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Amir thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I have worked on and continue to pursue is co-founding the Los Angeles Cowboy Poetry Gathering (LACPG). I attended my first cowboy poetry gathering when I was in high school. My mentor brought me to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko Nevada, the largest poetry gathering in North America. When I first attended I participated in a program called Deep West Videos where people from rural America made documentaries about their lives. I made mine about rodeo and bull riding. At the time I was pursuing the goal of becoming a professional bull rider. I participated every year until they discontinued the program. This is when I transitioned to writing and reciting poetry about rodeo. I was raised in the rodeo world where cowboys are expected to be stoic and that ideology was glorified. Being around such renowned cowboy poets, I knew I had found my community. The performers at the gathering were every bit as “stoic” yet they embraced vulnerability and told their stories through poetry, music and prose. I returned to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering every year and recited my poetry and began performing in variety shows and open mics across california. In 2018 I brought my cousin and LACPG co-founder to the national gathering and he returned each year after that. Following the 2021 gathering we dreamed up what is now the Los Angeles National Cowboy Poetry Gathering where we are dedicated and determined to celebrate the western cultural diversity of Los Angeles and preserve its vast history through education, entertainment and story telling.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born in Los Angeles and lived here for the first few years of my life before my family moved to Red Bluff, a small cowboy town in Northern California. Growing up I participated in 4-H and FFA, an organization where kids raise livestock and sell them at auction. I competed in Jr. rodeo and youth wrestling, two of Red Bluff’s claims to fame. Around middle school I began working on a ranch that raised bucking bulls and horses for professional rodeo and experienced first hand the life of a rodeo cowboy. As I got older the rancher I worked for became my bull riding mentor. H provided me with work, a place to practice and other rodeo related opportunities that many young kids aspiring to ride bulls would die for.

One challenge I faced as a middle eastern cowboy in a mostly white town was discrimination and always being the odd man out. Even in school, I remember a teacher blaming me for high gas prices. Despite the challenges that came with being middle eastern I fell in love with rodeo and as I “paid my dues” the community began to accept me. Instead of calling me a “sand snake” or “dune coon” my peers began referring to me as “one bad Arab” which became a sort of legacy. I designed my chaps and vest to reflect the flag of Jordan and represented my roots in amateur and professional competitions around the U.S.

Fast forward to today, I am semi retired from riding bulls and have focused my passion for the western way of life into poetry and preserving the history of the west.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Besides the National Gathering, I have recited cowboy poetry at events where the majority of the audiences did not know cowboy poetry existed. It is very rewarding to see that people crave authenticity and find value in my poetry. It always surprises me how many people can relate to cowboy content from stories their grandparents told them or a connection they make to their roots. After all, Los Angeles was the western frontier before it became a big city.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2015 I got in a nasty bull riding wreck. I got whipped down by a bull and shattered my collarbone and was knocked unconscious. I remember waking up in a helicopter being life flighted to a trauma center. It took six screws and a titanium plate to put my collarbone back together. I had to start riding bulls left handed after that which was a challenge. A few years later I broke my other collarbone where they put in two plates and a few more screws. I am currently rehabilitating from that injury and I am determined to ride again.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cowboypoetryla.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cowboypoetryla/

Image Credits
Zane York