“It’s easy to see why Ken Overcast has won the Academy of Western Artist’s Will Rogers Award, and why he’s a syndicated columnist and radio show host. Take for example, Chapter 38 in Shootin’ the Breeze, Cowboy Style, Overcast’s yarn about an “uncorralable renegade” stallion in North Dakota.

The horse finally was bested by a savvy, auction-ring cowboy, who avowed, “… we can get him. We’ve got a tranquilizer gun and a Volkswagen.” If that isn’t a hook to sucker cowboy-oriented thinkers into a tall tale, nothing is.

But you don’t have to read that far to get hooked. Overcast throws out his lure and reels you in right from the start. In the introduction he describes his approach as “creative truth enhancement,” which also is his mission in life. He further confirms “…. Only a real sissy would allow mere threats of bodily harm stand in the way of telling a good story…..”

Obviously, Overcast is no sissy. Shootin’ the Breeze Cowboy Style includes 50 prime tales addressing everything from “Grandad’s Double-Uddered Cow” and “Skunk Trappin’” to “My Little Barnyard Barbie.” Each is just short enough to fill the odd moment, yet long enough to change your perspective.

Western Horseman Magazine, December 2005