The mission of The Spirit of the West Cowboy Gathering is to preserve the heritage of the American Cowboy and the pioneer values that distinguish our Nation’s history.

In the unsettled American West, the absence of law and order led cowboys, ranchers, and frontier families to develop a set of values and unwritten laws founded upon their enduring convictions of respect and honor. Over time this creed for living came to be known as the “Code of the West.” That value system, together with the legends of the West and cowboy culture are romanticized and passed forward yet today. As we continue to pioneer new frontiers, the Cowboy Gathering in Ellensburg, Washington strives to perpetuate those same values of honesty, self-reliance, and consideration of others, thus passing on this unique American heritage to future generations. We seek to do this, in part, through our annual celebration of western music, songs, stories, poetry, art, pioneer skills, crafts, tack, and horsemanship.