A black and white image of Kathy Moss wearing a cowboy hat and speaking into a microphone.

Kathy Moss

Cowboy Poet, Buckaroo, Horse Trainer, Rancher

What truly sets A.K. Moss (Prairie City) apart is her rich life experiences and her specialized focus on Western culture and heritage. She isn't just a Cowboy poet; she's a passionate speaker and storyteller who brings authenticity to every engagement. A.K. has delighted in traveling across the United States and Canada, reciting her original cowboy poetry and engaging not only with public audiences, and events, she has also engaged at high schools and FFA students, helping them connect deeply to Western culture. A.K.'s unique and genuine voice is one of a kind, giving her an edge in the industry that’s hard to match. Her dedication to delivering engaging, thought-provoking poetry and stories inspires curiosity and appreciation for the Cowboy lifestyle, Western heritage, and history among her listeners. Kathy aims to enhance her audience's experience through life lessons, insights into cowboy lifestyles, and the vibrant tapestry of American Western culture. With her poetry, storytelling, emotions, and captivating visuals, she captures the imagination of her listeners, ensuring that event coordinators can relax, knowing their audience will be thoroughly entertained and leave feeling more connected to the Western lifestyle and the spirit of the American cowboy. Kathy truly embodies the heart of Western heritage.

Bio

A.K. Moss's smooth voice forges a connection between horses, people, and Western traditions. Her experiences have inspired her to link individuals from all walks of life to their roots. She writes from the heart, sharing her knowledge, writing, and poetry throughout the US and Canada, earning accolades in poetry from Cowboy Idol to Keeper of the West. A.K.’s background in night calving, colt-starting, and commitment to ranch work has shaped her identity as a Western woman. Her dedication to writing about her experiences with horses has given life to her poetry, novels, and blogs, reflecting the integrity of Western living. Growing up as a horse trader's daughter allowed her to learn from the diverse horses she has worked with, from Mustangs to draft horses and everything in between. She is devoted to being both a student and advocate for horses.  As a reader, you will find the ease and depth of her words transporting you deep into the narrative, prompting a journey of self-discovery. Visit her blogs at akmosshorses/WordPress to explore the emotions she evokes in you.

Awards and Honors

  • Nominated top 5 Female Poet, Circle of Excellence  2025 International Western Music Association
  • Nominated top 5 Female Poet, Circle of Excellence  2020 International Western Music Association
  • Awarded Female Poet Circle of Excellence IWMA (International Western Music Association) - 2019
  • “Keeper of the West, - Kamloops BC  Only Poet to ever receive this peoples choice award  - 2017
  • Peoples Choice Award, Columbia River Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Washington, Only poet to receive this award -  2018
  • Nominated as top 5 female poets for five years in a row, IWMA 2016-2020, 2025
  • Album of the Year “The Truth” IWMA -  2019( #1 most played album for 23 months)
  • Album of the Year “They Come Prancin’” IWMA - 2020
  • Nominated in top 10 Female Vocalist and Western Music Album - AWA (Academy of Western Artists) - 2020


 

Programs Offered

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Reviews

“You choke me up.”  Baxter Black 1999

Until you “hear” the West, you never really know it for what it was…how then, you may ask, can we “hear” it if it no longer exists?  Great question, and I have an even “greater” answer….listen in the wind, gaze across the prairie, and turn up the volume on A.K. Moss….that is exactly how you hear the sounds of the not so modern west…oh what a gift has been bestowed on this gentle woman of Oregon, who resides right in the middle of the West..and brings together the New and the Old.  The tales she tells in this work of art… “They Come Prancin’,” must NEVER be lost…God gave us the Bible…and then, He gave us the written and spoken word of The West in … “A.K. Moss…”
 Dena Wood 2020 Academy of Western Artists

“If you haven’t yet done so, give listen to A. K. (Kathy) Moss. From her own cowboy life experiences, in well-chosen and well-presented words, she does indeed speak “The Truth.’ ”Rick Huff  - Western Way Magazine  - Best of the West Reviews"Kathy Moss keeps bringing first-hand stories to life in well-crafted poetry. Peel back the layers of her latest collection, “They Come Prancin’” and you’ll lose yourself in the old and new west - just as I have.
“Kathy’s work paints vivid pictures of trails traveled, western battles won and lost, and the pain and glory of real Western living. It’s an honor, a privilege to call her my friend, and a grave responsibility to help her bring these precious works of art to life. I hope all who will listen can feel the same passion and pain that Kathy weaves into her work that I feel."            Brenn Hill- Producer, Award-winning singer, songwriter

I have the honor and opportunity to take a writing class this winter from Kathy Moss, our Grant County nationally recognized Western poet and author. Soaking in her lessons during this inspiring writing class through Painted Sky Center for the Arts in John Day and listening to this, her latest poem in honor (and grief) of her late husband Tracy, drives home the incredible gift of prose that this writer holds in her mind, heart, and soul. She is an excellent teacher too, so if you've ever wished to put onto paper those dreams, stories, memories, or imagination that you have been toying with, now is such a great opportunity to learn HOW to write down what swirls around in your mind. I'm loving this class and I'm so impressed with Kathy Moss' talents and teaching skills. Great class---"Kathy's poetry makes people laugh, cry, think or just remember. Her love of life, the outdoors, and the philosophy of the cowboy make her writing come from the heart. Her vignettes capture on paper the unpredictable and heartwarming aspects of country living."   

Lisa Neuburger- Silent Wave Horse Rescue

“My wife and I have a monthly surprise date night, it was her turn to choose where we went. As I got in the car, she proudly said that we would listen to cowboy poetry for an hour and a half. What? Ugh!  I thought I was going to die…What an evening! I never thought I would enjoy poetry so much. Thank you so much for such a memorable evening." Bob- Bend, Oregon
 

References:
Tom Swearengen - IWMA President Columbia Chapter  503-936-1621
Dena Wood - Academy Western Artists   214.585.2055  email -  denawood@cableone.net  

Fees

The OFN recommends that artists/culture keepers receive a fee of at least $250 plus travel expenses. Please contact artist directly.

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