 Eldon
Housley grew up on a farm/ranch on the edge of the Sand Hills
in Southwest Nebraska. Like most boys and girls, his "heroes
have always been cowboys." He started riding horses before
he was old enough to remember and broke his first bronc when
he was twelve years old. (He's broken a few bones along the
way as well). Still an avid horseman and rider, you may find
him on a wilderness trail in some remote part of the Southwest,
or you may see him competing in some crowded arena on one of
his favorite rope horses.
 A
love of horses and the cowboy way helped him work his way
through college (University of Nebraska) by shoeing and training
horses. By the time he graduated with a degree in Education,
he was making more money shoeing horses than he could teaching
school. He still shoes the horses he owns but no longer shoes
for a living.
Recently, Eldon began writing cowboy poetry
- really stories in rhyme - revolving around his grandson
Jacob and his cow dog "Buster." He explains: "I
determined that a cowboy poet needs a horse, a dog and a
sidekick. Since I had all of those I started writing poems
about our adventures. While other characters get intertwined,
each of the stories begin 'Me and Jacob and Buster'……."
 Some
of the poems are just for fun, but learning the "cowboy
way," cowboy lingo, and a cowboy's sense of humor, provides
a lesson, a positive outlook and entertainment for youngsters
and old timers alike.
Eldon's grandfather bought him his first
guitar when he was nine years old. Like a lot of cowboy
singers he never really had any formal training, just a
love of music and a pretty good ear. Today, his music spans
generations of country music from Marty Robbins and Ray
Price, to Johnny, Kris, Waylon and Willie to the latest
by Garth Brooks, George Straight and everything in between.
While relatively new to the entertainment
scene, Eldon is fast becoming a favorite at camp fires,
cookouts and Cowboy Gatherings.
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