Cowboy Up, Peanut featured in Ketch Pen Magazine

We were excited to see Cowboy Up, Peanut: A Horse’s Tale a’ Courage featured in the August 2026 issue of Ketch Pen Magazine, the official publication of the Washington Cattlemen’s Association.

It feels especially fitting for Peanut’s story to find its way into the pages of a magazine devoted to Washington’s cattle producers and ranching community.

The story behind Cowboy Up, Peanut began right on our own farm with the real Peanut—a horse who came to our family trained as a cutting horse but, as we quickly discovered, had a rather unexpected problem: he was afraid of cows! When cattle-drive day arrives, Peanut has to decide whether he’ll let his fear stop him—or saddle up and face it.

Watching Peanut overcome his fears eventually became the inspiration for a story about a young horse whose imagination turns an ordinary herd of cattle into terrifying “Cow Beasts.” 

The Ketch Pen feature shares some of the real story behind Peanut, our family’s ranching background, and how those experiences alongside our then 10-year old son, eventually found their way into a children’s book.

A big thank you to the Washington Cattlemen’s Association and Ketch Pen Magazine for sharing Peanut’s story—and for helping introduce one nervous little horse to Washington’s cattle community. 

Learn more about the Washington Cattlemen's Association at washingtoncattlemen.org.