The field is set for the 2026 finals of the annual Kansas Cowboy Poetry Contest, which will take place at the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan July 24. Winning cowboy poets from two regional qualifying contests, held in Cottonwood Falls and Hays, will present their original poetry in their quest for the coveted governor’s buckle. As in past years, champions will be chosen in both the serious and humorous categories. The public is invited to attend and admission is free.
Contestants in the humorous category include Betty Burlingham, Manhattan; Jerry Jones, Salina; Tim Keane, Manhattan; and Scott Wiswell, Valley Center. Those same four qualified in the serious category as did Randall Walker of Texas.
The cowboy poets will be evaluated by a panel of celebrity judges, including former Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss; Kansas Representative Megan Steele; Kansas Representative Lisa Moser; 2019-2020 KLA President Harry Moser; and Riley County Police Department Director Brian Peete.
The contest is organized by the Kansas chapter of the International Western Music Association (IWMA). Sponsors include the Flint Hills Discovery Center Foundation, Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas chapter of IWMA and Western Wordsmiths chapter, Hays Public Library, Flint Hills Discovery Center and locally owned western wear retailers.