My Friend, Larry Mahan

The first time I met Larry Mahan I had just turned 21 years old. We met at the brand new Cowboy Channel studio, before it was even finished. I was interning that summer and Larry Mahan came into the studio to record the voice-over for the opening of our very first live broadcast, the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo. 

I had never heard of him before. I was pretty new to the rodeo world. I was told by my producer that he was the “Babe Ruth of Rodeo.” When I met him, he didn't speak to me as the Babe Ruth of Rodeo. He spoke to me like an old friend. 

After that summer, I went back to Kansas to finish my last year of college. I called Larry Mahan as he had mentioned after our meeting, “Stay in touch young lady, and let me know if there's anything I can do to help you as you go on your way.”

He didn't answer my call for months. And his voicemail was always full. But one day, he finally answered. And from that day forward I considered him a dear friend.

I wish I had recorded every phone call we ever had. He was magnetic and filled with wisdom that I didn't know I needed to hear.

In May of 2020, when COVID struck, I kept calling him, thinking perhaps I would write an article about him, telling his story, just for my own practice. But each “interview” turned into a friendly conversation, with him asking me more about my hopes and dreams, my parents health and how I was doing than I was even given the chance to ask about him. 

In September of 2020, I moved to Texas out of desperation to land a job. In October of 2020, I started a new job in marketing and I hated it. One day I called him to tell him all about it. He listened, offered his advice, and then said he had to go, he was about to attend his son’s funeral. 

In November of 2020, I had the opportunity to meet Nolan Ryan, assist in the filming of a piece being shot at Ty Murray’s ranch, shoot guns with a Texas Ranger, and ride horses with Larry Mahan - all in the same week. But the highlight, was riding alongside Mr. Mahan.

Driving down Larry Mahan’s driveway to his ranch was like entering an old western movie set. While we were saddling and circling his arena, I asked him so many questions that I had been waiting to ask, about his career, life, and stories I’d heard about him being a musician. He answered all of my questions politely and then eagerly redirected the conversation back to horses. 

In December of 2020, I was hired by Resistol to do interviews for the first NFR to take place in Texas at the brand new Rangers Stadium, Globe Life Field. I saw this opportunity as my “big break.” My nerves got the best of me. I called Larry Mahan probably twice a day for a week leading up to it. I exhausted myself for those 10 days, showing up at every dinner, concert, and party hoping I would meet someone who would offer me something more permanent than freelance work.

In February of 2021, I moved to Hawai’i to take some time off from checking my email every 5 minutes, hoping for a job offer. Of course I called Mr. Mahan to let him know.

In July of 2021, I was hired by a stock contractor to help with their marketing and assist in the production of the St. Paul Fourth of July rodeo. This of course being Larry Mahan’s hometown rodeo, I made sure to call him often. 

During that rodeo was my 23rd birthday, on July 1st. After the rodeo that night, I went to celebrate with friends and found myself at the end of the night alone, in tears, and overwhelmed. The next morning, I called Larry Mahan and he listened to me cry my eyes out, offered to pray for me.

I later found grace and forgiveness for myself in the midst of a situation I didn't incite on that night. I called Mr. Mahan to tell him about the work God was clearly doing in my heart and he said he was proud.

I lived in Hawai’i for almost 4 years. Larry Mahan called me often just to check in, when I’m easily a person he could’ve forgotten to stay in touch with. He’s Larry Mahan after all. 

The last time I spoke on the phone with him, we talked about when I might come back to the mainland. I said I’d come back when I had a clear purpose for coming back and then I jokingly said maybe I could start writing the story of his life. He said he would be thrilled for me to and that he would start gathering articles and things that had already been written for me to use. 

When he passed, I felt selfish sadness. He had become a legendary cowboy grandfather figure to me. That might seem a little strange seeing as we were only together in person for a handful of times. He didn't watch me grow up. And he had no real reason to have interest in the person I was or becoming - yet he always answered my calls and always had an ear to listen and wisdom to offer. 

4 years later, here I am back in Texas. I see cowboys everywhere, but none of them carry the class and “cowboy cool” that Larry Mahan had. I think everyone who knew him would agree that he wasn’t a cowboy for what he did in the arena, but who he was outside of it. 

He truly was, the greatest American cowboy. 

I have thought of him often since my return to the cowboy state, my friend Larry Mahan. But I know he is in the sky, riding the rankest broncs with Jesus, just where he said he’d be. Where he wanted every person he called a friend to be someday. And I can’t wait to catch up with him when I meet him there.

Until I see you again Mr. Mahan 

All of my aloha, 

Jasmine

“As far as I can see, mistakes are only horses in disguise

no need to ride them over because we could not ride them different if we tried.”