The Bottom Line
If you are a fan of Chris LeDoux or his music, this is a must read. Rodeo fans will also enjoy this snapshot of a rodeo competitor trying to live his dreams of being the best he can be.
Pros
- Story of one of rodeo's most popular cowboys and ambassadors.
- Book has great flavor and ability to bring the arena action to life.
- Captures a period when rodeo was going through some changes as a sport.
- Gives insight into many of Chris' songs and stories.
Cons
- Lacks real in-depth coverage. Seems to give only a surface-level glance at this mans life.
- I was left wanting to know more.
Description
- Biography of the late Chris LeDoux, a rodeo cowboy, sculptor, singer, and songwriter.
- Written by David G. Brown, a rodeo cowboy and an accomplished writer.
- First published in 1987.
- 229 pages.
Guide Review - Gold Buckle Dreams: The Rodeo Life of Chris LeDoux by David G. Brown
Chris LeDoux holds a special place in the pantheon of great cowboys, having won the 1976 Bareback World Championship, he realized a dream few will realize. This would be the extent of his rodeo accomplishments, not a small feat mind you, but he would go on to be more popularly known as a singer, songwriter and perhaps the greatest ambassador to the outside world that rodeo has ever had.This book covers the life of Chris LeDoux from his birth through his winning of the Bareback World Championship in 1976. It has a fictionalized style of writing that is at times pleasing but at others somewhat surface level. It's good reading but don't expect the huge amount of in-depth scholarship of recent biographies.
The familiar style does serve best when the stories and unique adventures that are a part of every cowboy's career are told in exciting detail. Lyrics to some of Chris' songs are peppered at chapter beginnings and do a great job of setting up what will happen in the chapter. Rarely do we get to see in plain detail what inspires a songwriter to write their music, but I found that I was familiar with more of LeDoux's life than I thought, as an avid fan of his music.
I read this book at the beginning of my rodeo career years ago, and have recently re-read it due to Chris' untimely death. It is worth a read by all fans of rodeo and of music.