Character Interview with Chip Colucci ~ Julie Lence

 

Last month, I sat down for a chat with Bailey Bennett from The Singer Ropes A Cowboy. This month, I’m chatting with her hero, Chip Colucci. A Belmont Park stable hand turned ranch hand on his way to becoming a veterinarian, I’m meeting up with Chip at a coffee shop across from Ringo’s Casino.

Good afternoon, Chip. Thank you for meeting with me today. Tell my readers a little about yourself.

“Afternoon”, he responds, removing his hat and setting it on the seat beside him. Before he can say anything else, the waitress appears to take our drink orders. He orders a coffee and I’m having an iced tea.

“There’s not much to tell. I grew up in Queens, New York. My family still lives in the same neighborhood, except for my older brother. He lives in Brooklyn. Pops busted his leg last year, but thanks to Bailey and the therapist she hired, he’s getting around much better. His old foreman might even let him back on the job site. 

And your mother? I ask.

“She went back to her job at the bank.” He pauses as the waitress sets down our drinks. “Thank you.” He stirs a bit of milk into his drink. “Mom still cooks big meals. She has to. My brother, Dominic, eats enough for two people. Maybe even three.”       

Tell me about Bailey. What did you think the 1^st time you met her? She’s prettier in person than in the pictures in the gossip magazines. People at the track leave them lying around. I look”. He shrugs.  

What was your 2^nd thought? In the getup she was wearing, she really didn’t belong in a barn. But then, she’s Bailey Bennett, country music’s sweetheart. She does whatever she wants, without thought for someone else. Sam as the she-devils at the club. He scowls. Least the debutantes never shunned Pops, like Bailey did. Hated the disappointment on his face when her goons turned him away from meeting her.    

Sounds like she wasn’t your favorite person.

“At that time, she wasn’t. But now…” A grand smile lights up his features. “She’s the best thing to ever happen to me.”    

What do you like most about Bailey?  She’s sweet, thoughtful, caring. She adores her family, including her brothers, even though they shun her.  She has a twin, Barbie. Those two are thick-as-thieves. And she loves me. Goes outta her way every day to prove it, not that I’m blind and can’t see.  

How would you describe Bailey? She’s smart when it comes to her career, and ruthless. Some say she’s snotty and demanding, but she doesn’t have time to carry on a conversation with everyone she meets. She’s loyal to her fans, tries her best to keep them happy, and she guards her feelings. Most won’t notice when something’s digging at her, but Barbie does. So do I.     

How would Bailey describe you? Tall, sometimes moody, someone who has a soft spot for animals and wants to help them any way he can. Someone who puts his family before himself. Someone who loves her and would do anything for her. The  man she can always depend upon and trust to never hurt her.     

How do you relax? Bailey has a suite at the family’s casino in Reno. She and I sneak away from her singing and my ranching duties as often as we can to enjoy a quiet night listening to music or watching a movie on the television. We did spend the new year in Italy. Maybe one day we can go back.  

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Married to Bailey, living in our own home on her family’s ranch. Maybe a kid or two. Definitely working in my own veterinary clinic and watching her sing on stage every chance I get. Did I tell you she has the sweetest voice… Pride shines in his eyes.

Thank you for chatting with me, Chip. My readers thank you, too, and know to pick up a copy or The Singer Ropes A Cowboy to learn more about you and Bailey.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1J88PH

      

Character Interview with Bailey Bennett ~ Julie Lence

Greetings, readers. I’m hanging out backstage at Ringo’s Casino with country music’s sweetheart, Bailey Bennett. She’s just finished the day’s rehearsals for her summer tour and has agreed to chat with me before a costume fitting. Following her into her dressing room, I expected to find numerous photos of Bailey hanging on the walls and many of her awards littering tables. But such is not the case. The only photograph on the cream-colored walls is a painting of cowboys galloping across a field, and except for a glass of tea, the two small tables flanking the plush sofa are bare. A wardrobe on wheels hugs the wall directly across from the sofa, the hangars holding various western shirts and denims. A makeup chair faces the lighted mirror on the back wall, the shelves below the mirror housing an array of makeup, brushes, and hair products. Bailey gestures for me to take a seat on the sofa, then sits next to me.           

Thank you for meeting with me this afternoon, Bailey. My readers are eager to know you better. “My pleasure.” She gestures to the small refrigerator in the front corner. “Would you like something to drink? I have iced tea or soda.”

 I decline the offer and get right to the questions.  

Tell us a bit about The Singer Ropes A Cowboy.  The Singer Ropes A Cowboy is the tale of how Chip and I met. He’s my better half, and my favorite person in the entire world. My twin sister, Barbie, is a close second. Chip and I met last fall in New York City. Barbie and I were in Manhattan to buy Bella Cosmetics, something she’s wanted for a long time. I was also in the city to look over a racehorse at Belmont Park. My sister-in-law said the filly loathed racing and was in need of a good home. Chip was working Belmont that day I went to see Potent Polly, and by his side was a mangy looking pinto. He explained someone had abused her and he was nursing her back to health. He also was quick to inform me Polly was enamored with the pinto and wouldn’t leave her side, hence if I purchased Polly and brought to the family ranch in Reno, the pinto would come, too.

In my initial meeting Chip, it was easy to see he had a way with horses. The abused pinto adored him and Polly did, too. To make the acclimation from Belmont to Reno as easy as possible for the horses, I hired Chip to come with us. Not only did I find his softness for the pair endearing, his dark eyes and muscles were irresistible. Looking back on those few days in the city, I have to say that even though Chip and I started off on the wrong foot, asking him to come to Reno with me was the best decision I’ve ever made. Life without him isn’t worth living.        

What did you think the 1^st time you saw Chip?  That morning at Belmont, she begins, running her fingers through her long dark hair, I was instantly attracted to his rugged handsomeness and his muscles. But then, he spoke, and something in his tone suggested he knew me… that he believed some or all of the gossip surrounding me. I tried to put him at ease, get him to smile, but he rebuked my efforts and made it clear there was nothing I could do or say to change his opinion of me. Funny thing is, even when he was glaring at me, I couldn’t seem to stop my stomach from somersaulting.    

What was your 2^nd thought?  That I should keep my distance, but then, keeping the two horses together was a concern, and with the pinto only trusting Chip, I thought it best to ask him to hire on with me… until I ran into him at a nightclub. His sneer for me and the cameras that night was worse than at the track, and something inside was sure him and I working together was most definitely not a good idea. I said my goodbyes and promised myself to steer clear of him. But those dark eyes… and those muscles…  (Bailey inhales sharply.)

Anyway, Chip needed the job I offered that night at club, to help his family, and wormed his way into my good graces. I still had reservations, but as Barbie was quick to point out, my attraction for Chip wasn’t going to fade any time soon, that he was the 1^st man I took an interest in since breaking off with John. She urged me to bring him to Reno, to give him a chance to prove there was more to him than brawn and a never-ending glare. And if not, I could always send him back to New York. I took her advice, and never regretted it.  

What do you like most about Chip? His honesty. His dedication to his family, and to me. Whether I’m at his side or thousands of miles away, I know he loves me. I feel his commitment to me deep in my bones.     

How would you describe Chip? Kind, caring, trustworthy. Patient with the world I live in. Protective, hard-working; a man who was born to take care of animals.       

How would Chip describe you? Hmmm… (She pauses for a sip of tea. From the glass I noticed on the table upon entering the room.)  Full of anxiety… impatient… unease. I think he understands it took many years for me realize the type of fame I have, to learn how to live within the realm of the entertainment industry while keeping as much of my personal life as I can out of the tabloids. I’m sure he would be quick to say I’m also dedicated to my family and my horses, but above all, he would say I love him with everything that I am.    

What is your biggest fear? At the moment, life is good. Beyond anything I imagined my teenage years. I have money, and a comfortable home. If I woke up tomorrow and found my voice was gone, I’d wouldn’t care, because I know in my heart that no matter what the future brings, Chip will always love me.    

How do you relax? I take a few weeks off in the fall from singing to unwind, usually at Bennett Ranch. Just recently, Chip and I vacationed in Italy over the new year. I’m thinking him and I in Hawaii to usher in the next new year.   

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Well… she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip for a long moment. You can’t tell Chip, but I see him and me married and living in our own home somewhere on Bennett Ranch. I’m still turning out albums and touring during the summer months. Our son accompanies me on the tour bus so Chip can finish his schooling while tackling the ins and outs of opening his own veterinary office.  

Thank you for talking with me this afternoon, Bailey. I’m sure my readers have a better understanding of who you are and look forward to reading your story.

The Singer Ropes A Cowboy is available through Amazon in both E-book and paperback. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1J88PH 

 

  

Horsin' Around

Hayburner

That's one slang name for a horse. There are many because cowboys and horses are like peanut butter and jelly. They're perfect partners. I love writing about the special relationship cowboys have with these sometimes (often!) temperamental animals. Everybody who has ever worked on a ranch has a story about a horse and those stories often bring sentimental tears to the eyes. 

Some other colorful names for "nags" include man killer, fantail, buzzard bait, bangtail, knothead, snake stepper, broomtail, bucker, and tail buster. Speaking of color, the major colors of horses are bay, black, brown, chestnut, and white. Other variations are dun, gray, palomino, pinto and roan.

Common color names are sorrel, chestnut, bay, buckskin, calico, dapple, and strawberry. 

Beyond colors, cowboys have other ways to describe their mounts. For instance, a horse whose color fades around the mouth and chin is called "mealymouthed." Or "baldface" if the horse's face is mostly white. If a horse has small black or blue spots all over it, a cowboy might say he's "fleabitten" or "speckled." Black mane, tail, and feet are dubbed "points." A horse that is a hard-to-describe color could be called "katty colored." Scattered colors over a dark background is called "overo." A horse with black and white spots is a "piebald." Any other color of spots is a "screwbald." Large patterns of color on a white background is referred to as "tobino."

As for personality, cowboys come up with all kinds of descriptions! One of the first horses I had was part Shetland pony and part Devil. He was as sharp as a tack and he dearly loved to aggravate me. He'd spot a low branch and head straight for it, hoping to knock me out of the saddle. Or he'd sidle up to a barbed wire fence in hopes of snagging my jeans leg. As a novice, I did everything wrong with him. I learned that I couldn't walk into the pasture with a halter in my hand. He'd run like the wind and I'd never catch him. I had to hide the halter behind my back or drape it over my shoulder and offer him a bite of apple or carrot to have any hope of saddling him. Oh, yes. He also did the age-old horse trick of filling his lungs when I tried to cinch the saddle so that it would be loose when he exhaled. Then, if he was lucky, I'd slide sideways once I was in the saddle! That happened a couple of times before a cowboy showed me how to knee the Devil Horse in the side and make him exhale before I cinched him up.

Have I nudged some memories from you? I'm sure most of you have a good story or two about being bamboozled by an ornery hoss! But when you master that symmetry with a horse -- when you begin to think alike and he or she anticipates your need before you can relay it -- that is astonishingly magical.

I hope you find Happy Trails all through 2025!  

Do you have a passion? by Jan Scarbrough

I’ve known people who don’t have a passion, and I’m sad for them. I’m not talking about an obsession for ice cream or pizza, but something that colors your life and makes it better.

 

For me, one of my passions is horses. If you know anything about me, I wouldn’t have to tell you that, would I? My love of horses began in the fourth grade with the Black Stallion Books. A year or so later, my parents gave me riding lessons—hunter jumpers. I fell off a few times and got scared. My passion was hidden for a while until my nine-year-old daughter asked for riding lessons. Six months later, I started riding lessons too, deciding I wouldn’t live my life through my daughter.

 

That began my obsession with American Saddlebreds. Over the years, I’ve owned three of them, but I don’t own one now. I continue to take riding lessons so I can get a weekly horse fix. My latest “ride” is a chestnut mare named Maggie.

 

So, it was only natural that one of my first books was about American Saddlebred horses. Kentucky Flame finds two trainers, the hero and heroine, competing against each other at a big horse show. For another book, I toured Kentucky horse country for the setting of Kentucky Blue Bloods.

 

Do you have a passion for something? Maybe it’s not a living creature, but something you like to do—playing golf, cooking, ball room dancing, gardening, sewing, fishing. Whatever it is, does it make your life better?

The world is best viewed through the ears of a horse – by Jan Scarbrough

Once again, I looked for inspiration for this blog from a website called Think Like a Horse. I found a page about Cowboy Wisdom that had a list of horse quotes.

 

I really liked the one about viewing the world through the ears of a horse. It reminded me of a Facebook group I belong to called Between the Ears. Because of it, I’ve viewed photos of folks riding their horses in all kinds of places around the world. For example, some of the countries and states have been Missouri, Bavarian Forest (Germany), Ontario, Bodega Bay, CA, Idaho, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Norway, Iceland, Texas.

 

It's fascinating to see how many people own horses and use them for trail rides or sporting events. Some people even post pictures of other pets. One was a kitten’s ears. The kitten was looking out the window into its back yard.

 

I posted a couple of photos from my 2016 trip to the Covered Wagon Ranch in Montana.

Here I am on the back of Mr. Black, a Tennessee Walking Horse. I also took a picture of the valley and mountains in the distance. It was an exhilarating experience to trust another creature to safely carry me up a steep mountain and then back down.

 

So, if you get the chance to view the world from through the ears of a horse, I’d say go for it!

 

My Ghost Mountain Ranch series took its inspiration from that trip to the dude ranch in Montana.

Get off your high horse by Jan Scarbrough

It’s the first Monday of the month. I’m supposed to post a blog on the second Monday of the month. As usual, I’m trying to figure out what to write.

 

There’s nothing like the Internet to give someone an idea. Several years ago, when I was researching my western romances, I came across this website called Think Like a Horse. 

 

Okay, so I started on that site looking for ideas. I came across a page called Cowboy Wisdom. 

 

I found some good bits of wisdom like “What this country needs are dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds.”

 

One saying struck me as so very true: “If you are riding a high horse, there ain't no way to get down off it gracefully.”

 

You see, I’ve ridden a high horse. His fancy name was Calloway’s Aspiration, barn name Dan. I don’t know how tall he was—maybe seventeen hands. That’s tall. I needed a three-step mounting block to get on him. Then when I got off, I swung my leg over the saddle, held on to the saddle, took a deep breath and dropped to the ground. It was a long way down!

 

But that’s not what that piece of wisdom really refers to. A “high horse” is an idiom—an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements (such as up in the air for "undecided") or in its grammatically atypical use of words (such as give way). 

 

High horse means: An attitude of moral superiority. Typically used in the phrases ‘get off (one's) high horse’ and ‘on (one's) high horse.’ 

 

This is a cool origin of the word: As long ago as the fourteenth century, persons of high rank rode very tall horses, a custom that came to symbolize superiority and arrogance. By 1800 or so, to be or to get on one’s high horse meant to act superior, with or without justification. 

 

Okay, so that’s my research for the month. Do you know someone who is on his or her “high horse”?

 

Hmmm. I think my Christmas book might have one such character.

Denver Madame Mattie Silks ~ Julie Lence

wikipedia

   Last month I blogged about Denver Madame, Jennie Rogers. This month I’m featuring Jennie’s rival and friend, Mattie Silks.

   Mattie was born in 1847. Some historians believe she was born in Terre Haute, Indiana while others say she was born in Buffalo, New York. Regardless of which is true, little is known about her childhood, including her maiden name or the reason she ran away from home when she was 16. By age nineteen, she was running a brothel in Springfield, Illinois. Many believe her to be the youngest madame on record, and Mattie credits her short height, ample bosom and blonde beauty in aiding her success. She was also a shrewd businesswoman and used those smarts to follow the railroad west, opening several houses along the way to serve the men building the railroad. Trekking through Kansas, and always carrying a gun, she met the love of her life, Cort Thomson, who left his family to follow Mattie.  Cort was tall and handsome, thought of himself as a southern gentleman, and held the occupation of professional runner. He firmly believed regular work was below him and would rather move from town to town to run foot races against the locals, earning a wage through the bets placed on him. He also gambled, drank, spent a lot of Mattie’s money, and was married to a woman in Texas who would not give him a divorce, so he and Mattie ‘lived together’.       

With Cort at her side, Mattie arrived in Colorado and opened brothels in Leadville and Georgetown before settling in Denver in 1876. She was 29 years old, and like her rival Jennie Silks, knew she could make more money in Denver from the men coming down from the mines in the mountain in search of female companionship. She eventually bought a house on McGaa Street, which later became Holladay Street and is currently Market Street. She hired twelve ‘boarders’ to occupy the house, then went on to buy more buildings on Holladay and rent them to other madames.  Because of her love for silk dresses, it is thought this is where her last name originated, though no one knows for sure. Gossip suggests that while in Georgetown she struck up a relationship with George A. Silks, who was a bartender and professional gambler, but with Cort usually close to her and the fact no record exists of Mattie and George marrying, and Mattie using the name Silks while in Kansas, this bit of gossip is likely false.  

As with other madames, Mattie did have a wild side and often found scandals attached to her name. She was arrested several times for fighting with other women in the trade, mostly over money or Cort, her most famous fight over him involving Katie Fulton. Mattie had won a thousand dollars on one of Cort’s footraces and threw a party to celebrate. Katie was in attendance and had been trying for weeks to lure Cort from Mattie. The situation came to a head at the party, and with each believing she was the better shot, they dueled in the street with pistols and missed each other, but Cort was grazed along the neck. Some suggest Mattie’s bullet struck him. Others say Katie’s bullet struck him, and each side of the debate wonders if the shooter actually meant to shoot him and not her adversary? With Cort bleeding and Mattie unable to stop the flow, she took him to the hospital. Eventually, he forgave her. She took him back and life continued.    

Mattie with her horse
theclio.com

  With her business savvy of buying and selling properties along Holladay street, plus her venture into horse racing, Mattie enjoyed a rich lifestyle, complete with expensive clothes she often went to Kansas to purchase. Her dresses always had two pockets; the left to hold gold coins and the right to hold her ivory handled pistol. She became known around Denver as the Queen of the Red Light District, and purchased a ranch for Cort near Wray, keeping the title in her name. Which was a good thing. In 1884, word arrived that Cort’s wife has passed away, leaving him free to marry Mattie, which he did. His daughter (some suggest his granddaughter) came to live with them, but theirs was not a happy home. Cort never abandoned his ways of gambling, drinking, and cheating, and Mattie finally filed for divorce in April 1891. She asked the court to return  all of the ranch’s holding to her name, stating that she had given Cort money to keep the ranch going and upon his wasting it on woman, booze and gambling,  she feared he was going to sell off everything and continue with his waywardness. The court granted her request, and later, Cort apologized to Mattie. She took him back and ceased with the divorce.    

Mattie and Cort traveled to London in 1897 for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and then went on to Klondike to join the gold rush. Mattie ran a house in Dawson City and Cort continued with his gambling and living off of Mattie’s money until Mattie decided she didn’t like living in the mud and the rain and paid an enormous amount for them to return to Denver and her stable of 21 horses on her ranch in Wray before the weather changed and kept them in Klondike. (Interestingly, only one ever won a race.) Mattie resided in a small house on Lawrence Street, keeping her business separate from her personal life, while Cort stayed at the ranch. After a while, neighbors accused him of stealing their stock and changing their brands to his. Hearing the accusations, Mattie hired a new foreman, Jack Ready, to run the ranch correctly . Cort was eventually jailed for a spell, and in 1903 he became deathly ill after accepting a drink from his ranch hands. Mattie was by his side when he died a few days later, some say not from poison but from cirrhosis. She adopted his daughter, Rita, who was sixteen at the time. Rita married at age 18 and Mattie sold the ranch, moving foreman Jack Ready to Denver, where he became her  bookkeeper and bouncer.

pinterest

  As I mentioned last month, Mattie went on to buy Jennie Rogers’ parlor, dubbed the House of Mirrors, when Jennie died and had her name, M. Silks, engraved on the door. In 1915, prostitution was abolished and Mattie’s reign as Queen of the Red Light District ended. She tried her hand at operating a hotel, but gave up and went on to sell much of her belongings, taking up residence in a cottage on Lawrence Street. At 77, she fell and broke hip, did so a second time and landed in the hospital. To ensure she had someone to take care of her, she married Jack, and later passed at age 83 in 1929, leaving her estate, which wasn’t much for a woman who has once been filthy rich, to Jack and to Rita. She was buried in Fairmount Cemetery under the name Martha A. Ready, with Cort’s unmarked grave beside her.   

Horse Facts

 

Greetings, Western Readers and Writers AND those have kindly just dropped in. 

Did you know 

The average life span of a horse is twenty-five. A horse called Old Billy beat the record by living to sixty-two.

Even though horses normally sleep on their feet, they sometimes sleep lying down.

The fastest horse ever recorded ran fifty-five miles an hour. To put it in perspective, twenty-seven miles an hour is considered fast.

Horses have exceptional memories.

Horses express their moods by their facial expression.

 

Out of a group of horses one will stand watch while the others sleep.

There are over three hundred breeds of horses in existence today.

The Arabian has a different skeletal structure from other horses.

Horses literally do have big hearts. They’re approximately the size of a basketball.

The first horse cloned was in 2003.

 The first polo pony cloned was in 2008.

In 2018 Argentine polo player Cambiaso had already won two Argentine Opens with clone ponies.

Rhinos are horses closest relatives.

On average, horses consume between five and ten gallons of water a day. It’s very important to keep them hydrated.

Built for endurance, some Arabians can run a hundred miles without rest.

 

Fishing from horseback is illegal in more than one state.

In 1959, a horse cleared a jump over eight feet tall.

Horses can see in two different directions at the same time.

Their ears are the weathervane which tell which direction a horse is looking.

A mare’s gestation period is eleven to twelve months.

 

Got any horse facts you’d like to share?