DJ Cowboy Chris - From DC Stampede
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There's something beautifully unpretentious about a man who spends his days shoeing horses and his nights spinning country records for a crowd that wants nothing more than to two-step until their boots wear thin. DJ Cowboy Chris isn't trying to be anything other than exactly what he is: a genuine advocate for wild, rowdy, joyful country dancing in a place where country culture isn't always the default. His DC Stampede has become the capital's premier destination for those seeking the kind of unvarnished good time that feels increasingly rare in our curated, algorithm-driven music landscape.
What makes Chris remarkable isn't that he's reinvented country music or discovered some obscure subgenre. It's that he's created a space where the fundamentals matter: good music, skilled instruction, and a community of people who actually want to be there. The DC Stampede—line dancing, two-step lessons, western swing—sounds simple because it is. But simplicity, executed with genuine enthusiasm and respect for tradition, becomes something powerful.
I wore that shirt for about 10 years. And then I actually found four more of them on eBay because I love that shirt so much.
— DJ Cowboy Chris
By day, Chris runs Wholesome Hoof, a horseshoeing business that grounds him in honest work. There's poetry in that dichotomy: a man who tends to the practical needs of horses by daylight becomes a curator of country culture by night. He's not some transplanted DJ playing at authenticity. He's lived the life that informs his music selection. Years in Austin, Texas gave him the genuine article—not the music industry's version of Texas country, but the actual vibe of honky-tonks where people danced because they had to, because movement was the only appropriate response to the music.
What strikes you when talking to Chris is his commitment to collaboration and evolution. He doesn't work with a static roster of instructors. Instead, he brings in different talent regularly, and he's actively recruiting instructors from out of town. This suggests someone who sees the DC Stampede not as his personal project but as a living thing that needs constant infusion of new energy. Shay Ryder handles the line dance lessons while Chris focuses on Texas two-step instruction, bringing that Austin sensibility back to the East Coast where it likely feels refreshingly foreign.
It was so hard to find a brown hat in all the western wear stores. Black, silver belly—plenty of them. Not a lot of browns.
— DJ Cowboy Chris
Even his approach to the aesthetics of country culture reveals thoughtfulness. Yes, he wears pearl snap shirts and Wranglers—the uniform of the honky-tonk—but he's particular about it in ways that matter. He'll hunt down vintage Arizona Jean Company pearl snaps from eBay, buying multiple copies of the same shirt because it just feels right. He saved those for new hats and boots but doesn't mind breaking in used denim and vintage pearl snaps. He understands the difference between authenticity and affectation, and he respects both tradition and practicality. When it's ninety degrees, the boots stay home and the mocktoe slip-ons come out. That's not compromise; that's wisdom.
The specificity of his taste—Dan Post and Justin Ropers boots, desert cashmere cologne, Duke Cannon Buffalo Trace solid cologne—speaks to someone who's done the research and made genuine choices rather than simply copying a look. These aren't Instagram aesthetics. They're the actual preferences of someone who's spent years understanding what works, what feels good, and what lasts.
What matters most, though, is what Chris is actually doing in that dance hall. He's offering something the music industry has largely abandoned: a space where country music isn't a lifestyle brand or a streaming algorithm recommendation, but something you move your body to. He's creating community around fundamentals that work. Line dancing might seem quaint to those who've never actually done it, but there's something egalitarian about it. You don't need a partner. You don't need previous experience. You just need to show up.
The DC Stampede represents something worth supporting and celebrating: a genuine independent country culture enthusiast who's put in the work, earned his boots, and is building something real. In a landscape where country music is increasingly corporate and commodified, Chris represents the counterbalance—the person who remembers that country culture, at its core, is about community, movement, and having a damn good time.
Listen to the full episode to get the complete picture of what Chris is building in Washington, DC.
I'll help you. I'll help you start a revolution for this Monday morning love situation. What's up, Rugged Revival? I'm here with my friend Chris and uh we're going to talk about all things that involve Chris and his world. So, Chris, what's what's your DJ name? >> I am DJ Cowboy Chris. And during the day, I run a full-time horseshoeing business called Wholesome Hoof. and I am also the founder and creative director of the DC Stampede, which is a wild and rowdy and fun country dance night. That's a good time for all. >> So, what kind of um dancing does DC Stampede focus on? >> Uh, we have a lot of line dancing. We have an amazing line dance girl named Shay Ryder. Okay. >> And she does our line dance lessons. I am going to be doing a lot of twostep lessons in the style of like Texas twostep. >> Okay. and uh kind of bringing uh that Austin, Texas vibe that I enjoyed so much when I lived down there for many years and you know just bringing some more of that around town. >> That's awesome. Now, do you keep a a roster of regular dance instructors or do you work with different people every time? >> I try to work with different people every time and there's a lot of talented people around here and I'm also working on bringing people from out of town, too. So, it's exciting. >> Okay. Very cool. Now, when you're um getting ready for a night of being DJ Cowboy Chris for DC Stampede, what is your go-to stage outfit? What do you like to wear? >> Basically, something like this. Okay. >> Western vest, Pearl Snap. >> I really love old school Wranglers, the really old school ones that you buy stiff at the store. >> You can usually get them on Cavenders for like 23 bucks. Okay. >> Which is a great deal. >> Yeah, it's a great deal. And in the during Christmas time, they're usually $20. >> Okay. >> So, I have I have loads of these and uh of course my boots. Can't forget my boots. >> Fantastic. So, all right. So, who makes the Pearl Snap that you have on now? >> I have a wide variety, but actually back in the I would say late 2000s, mid 2000s, Arizona Jean Company that you would get at uh J C Penney, okay, >> made killer pearl snaps. And I bought this one a long time ago in like 2009. And I wore that shirt for about 10 years. >> Nice. >> And then I actually found four more of them on um eBay. >> And so I have about five of the same one because I love that shirt so much. But I also have Wrangler Pearl Snaps, Levis's. Oh, my other go-to jean would be Levis's 501s. Can't go wrong with 501s. >> Yeah, I do that, too. I like to find um nice worn in shirts and and jeans, you know, let someone else do the dirty work. >> Yeah. Yeah, it helps. And then so tell me about your hat. What what do you have on right now? What is this? >> This is a resist George Straight model actually in driftwood color. >> Love it. >> It was so hard to find a brown hat, believe it or not, in all the western wear stores. Black silver belly. >> Plenty of them. Not a lot of browns. And I found this one. I was like, perfect. >> Yeah. So, this was brand new off the shelf or what was this? >> It was I like to buy my hats brand new. >> Yeah. >> Hats and boots I buy new. >> Okay. jeans >> and shirts I can buy used. >> Okay, very cool. So, do you do you prefer to wear uh cowboy boots or what do you have on right now? Are these >> I am actually not wearing my boots today cuz it is too hot. I'm wearing my >> uh floor shime mocktoe slip-ons. It's nice um >> what is it >> what's the color? Conac leather. >> Nice. >> And I I'm keeping the boots at home today when it's above 90°. And I'll put those I'll save those for the air conditioned dance hall. >> Perfect. What And what is your favorite pair of boots? >> Dan Post. Well, >> Dan Post. >> Dan Post. Justin Robers. >> Dan Roer. >> Yeah. When I grew up in town, all the cowboys in town were wearing Justin Robers. Okay. >> I remember. >> Right on. So, >> very cool. Um, all right. So, you're getting ready for your day. What's on your your countertop? Your go-to fragrances, your hair products. What What do you like to use to kick your day off? >> Oh, man. Well, when I when I'm at work, it's uh horse pugy. >> Mhm. >> But um no, uh I really love Suaveceto products lately. >> Um I was always a big fan of their pomade when I was using pomades. It's the original old school stuff. >> And I really like uh I love the desert cashmere cologne. >> Yep. Love it. >> It's got some excellent. I also use the Duke Cannon Buffalo Trace solid cologne. >> Yes, that stuff. >> Love that stuff. It is very manly, very masculine, but not overbearing. >> Yep. >> I also have a rusal uh wood and spice solid cologne >> that I love as well. And then um as far as soaps, Swavisto, too. They have an amazing whiskey bar soap >> that I use. And you can get like three bars for 11 bucks. >> Very cool. Very cool. Okay. Uh Chris, before we wrap up, is there anything you want to plug real quick? >> Hey, come on down to the DC Stampede. Our next date is tomorrow, the 13th, actually. It's going to be at Pearl Street. And then we have another DC Stampede event at Union Stage on the 27th. And we got some exciting stuff in the works for that that we'll be announcing pretty soon. And more more to come. >> That's right. So, where can we find you online? >> Uh Instagram DC Stampede. >> All right. Very cool. Thanks, Chris. Thanks for the time. Thank you.
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