24 year-old Taurus Chad Nittler is the genuine article — an authentic American cowboy raised on a cattle ranch in Lake City, Kansas. The week before this interview Chad was back home, working 200 head of cattle with his father in snow-covered fields to separate out 50 bulls for castration.

And at his side throughout the entire process was his dog Cassius Clay, a 75-pound boxer: "He doesn't really help, but he likes to think he does," Chad tells me with a sheepish grin one afternoon at our offices.

Straight from rustling cattle on the plains of Kansas to the runways of Milan, Chad Nittler set out on a journey of discovery little more than a year ago that has captured the attention of photographers Richard Phibbs, Arnoldo Anaya-Lucca, Bruce Weber, Aldo Fali and Jean-Paul Barbieri to name a few. Clearly a face to watch, he rode into New York last fall with an impressive season of shows already under his belt: Armani, Vivienne Westwood, Miyaki, Gianfranco Ferrare, Ferragamo, Levi's and the Gap.

In the few months since, he's already shot campaigns for Polo Sport, Bloomingdale's and Abercrombie and Fitch. And if you check out recent editions of Maxim and Out magazines, you'll find he's also in demand for editorial. Is he every agents dream — the vaunted triple threat — in demand for runway, catalogue and editorial? Only time will tell, but he's already begun making his mark and it's going to be a pleasure watching this captivatingly earnest, straight-shooting young man pursue his star.

What was it like growing up on a ranch?

Well, there was just my mom and dad and me and two older sisters. Being the youngest and the only boy, I figure I had it pretty easy.

What about school?

School was alright. I played a lot of sports — basketball, football and baseball. I did a lot of hunting and fishing, I was always out on the sand dunes on my ATV, I loved carpentry, stuff like that. I've always got to be active.