Jake Riley

Writer and spoken word poet
photo of Jake Riley

Jake Riley grew up, for the most part, in the Upper Arkansas Valley of the Colorado mountains. He began roping and rodeoing as a kid, and was introduced to cowboy poetry as a young teenager, through Waddie Mitchell. Jake has always loved rhyming, publishing some of his first cowboy poetry for a high school project. Ever since, poetry has been one of his passions, but only recently has he resumed finishing poems and sharing them with others.

He prefers the spoken word medium, and has an animated and engaging delivery. Much of Jake's work involves first-hand ranch and rodeo experiences, often chronicling the contemporary, who may not cowboy for a living, but has ties to cowboy culture. He also enjoys reciting classic poetry, and is passionate about preserving and promoting western culture.

His poetry has taken him to seven states to date, including the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, NV. Jake now lives in Riverdale, Nebraska with "the best wife on planet earth" and their four energetic young children.

Website: theotherjakeriley.com