I Chose to Be a Cowboy

My students and I had the privilege of interviewing Jake Copass on the campus of Dunn Middle School as part of our oral history project decades ago. In his ever-present Stetson hat and western boots, Jake looked like a Hollywood version of a cowboy, and he had played the role in movies and commercials — but he was the real thing. He began working as a wrangler at the Alisal Guest Ranch in Solvang in 1946, but in addition to his ranch skills, he made quite a name for himself as a cowboy poet. He had a kind heart and a great smile, and he possessed the integrity and grace of a man doing what he was meant to do. He died on June 8, 2006, after a brief bout with leukemia.

Determination tempered with kindness and respect seemed to be key characteristics in Jake’s approach to life. The following words are directly excerpted from his conversation with the kids. He spoke with a wonderful Texas twang:

“I been a cowboy all my life. I was a farm boy, and I grew up in a ranching area, kinda like the Santa Ynez Valley used to be. But you never know when you’re young what’s gonna happen. I always loved horses and cattle, and bein’ in a ranchin’ area give me exposure to people other than my family. My brother-in-law worked at this big ranch, and they had this little colt that had lost its mother when it was born, but they didn’t have time to raise it. My brother-in-law asked me if I would be interested in raisin’ that little colt for him, and so naturally I was. About two years later, a guy come by and offered me $85 for it. No one had heard of a horse bringin’ that much money, so I sold him, no questions asked. Well, my brother-in-law couldn’t wait to tell the people at the ranch how much I got for the colt! So little things can sometimes turn into big things. This colt was responsible for me gettin’ a job at this ranch. They said, ‘If he can sell a bum colt for $85, he can come here and work with some good horses.’ It’s funny how things in life just come around. When they show up at your front door, you gotta recognize them.