Steamboat's the Name: My Life as a Bucking Bronc
An Old West Critters Collection Adventure
From the wide-open Wyoming plains comes the unforgettable voice of one of the most famous bucking horses in the history of the Old West.
In Steamboat's the Name, the legendary bronc tells his own story-from the day he first stood on long legs under the prairie sky to the years he performed before roaring crowds at rodeos where riders tried (and usually failed) to stay in the saddle. Born on a ranch where most horses expected a lifetime of pulling wagons or carrying cowboys, young Steamboat dreams of something different. The last thing he wants is life as a cow pony, herding balky and bellowing cattle.
Growing up on the Wyoming range isn't easy. There are curious adventures, including an aromatic encounter with a skunk that teaches the young colt to choose his friends wisely. Through it all, Steamboat relies on the friendship of his loyal colt companion Myles, who dreams of being a cow pony, and the guidance of his wise parents as he discovers what makes him truly special.
Before long, Steamboat finds his calling-not in pulling a plow or chasing cattle, but in doing what he does best: bucking with all the thunder, spunk, and spirit a horse can muster. Soon cowboys across the West are eager to test themselves against the bronc who refuses to be ridden. In the process, Steamboat encounters everyone from outlaws to American presidents.
Yet one mystery nags at him through all the fame and excitement. What exactly is a steamboat anyway?
Told with humor, heart, and plenty of hoof-pounding action, Steamboat's the Name continues Spur Award-winning author Preston Lewis's beloved Old West Critters Collection, joining They Call Me Old Blue, Blanca Is My Name, and Just Call Me Uncle Sam. Like the earlier books in the award-winning series, this lively first-person tale offers an animal's-eye view of frontier life while bringing real Western history to life for young readers.
Saddle up for a bucking good story straight from the horse's mouth.
Kocher Lewis, Harriet: - In her capacity as publisher of Bariso Press, Harriet Kocher Lewis is an award-winning author and editor. Pintsized Pioneers: Taming the Frontier, One Chore at a Time, which she co-authored with her husband, earned her a Spur Award and a Will Rogers Gold Medallion for young adult nonfiction. The book's sequel Pintsized Pioneers at Play: Homemade Frontier Fun and Danger received a Spur Finalist designation in 2026.Since establishing Bariso Press in 2021, she has edited and published fourteen fiction and nonfiction works. Those books have earned nineteen awards from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Will Rogers Medallion Awards, Western Writers of America, the Independent Author Awards, the Literary Global Book Awards, and the Literary Global Children's Book Awards.A retired physical therapist and PT educator, she was an assistant clinical professor of physical therapy at Angelo State University where she taught documentation and scientific writing among other topics as the department's coordinator of clinical education.Kocher Lewis holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Baylor University, a physical therapy certificate from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, and a master's degree in exercise and sports science from Texas Tech University. She and her husband Preston Lewis live in San Angelo, Texas. They have a son, a daughter, four granddaughters and a grandson.
Lewis, Preston: - Preston Lewis is the award-winning author of more than sixty western, historical, juvenile, and nonfiction works. In 2021 he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary achievements. The Will Rogers Medallion Awards named him the 2025 recipient of the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the literature of the American West.Western Writers of America (WWA) has honored Lewis with three Spur Awards, one for best article, a second for best western novel and a third for young adult nonfiction in 2025. He has received eleven Will Rogers Medallion Awards (seven gold, two silver and two bronze) for written western humor, short stories, young adult nonfiction, short nonfiction, and traditional Western novel.Lewis is a past president of WWA and the West Texas Historical Association, which has named him a fellow and honored him with three Elmer Kelton Awards for best creative work on West Texas. He holds a bachelor's degree from Baylor University and a master's degree from Ohio State University, both in journalism. Additionally, he has a second master's degree in history from Angelo State University. He lives in San Angelo, Texas, with wife Harriet Kocher Lewis.
