WHAT MAKES TEXAS “TEXAS”?

Women with Grit, Guts, and a Horse

Locally, we need only go as far as Schwertner, to Capitol Land and Livestock — one of the nation’s largest cattle dealers, to learn more. President/CEO Jim Schwertner grew up in the business alongside his father, Eugene, who founded the company in 1946 and Jim is proud to employ the most cowboys in Central Texas. His 14 full-time and 14 contract cowboys work more than 21,000 acres in northern Williamson County in much the same way Old West cowboys did.

The cowboy culture is unique, Jim says, explaining that one of the unwritten cowboy codes, Ride for the Brand, originated in the Old West, but is still well understood today. The brand — the trademark used for livestock identification — represents a cow-

by Linda A. Thornton

WHAT MAKES TEXAS "TEXAS"?

boy’s pride and dedication to the ranch owner to protect the brand as if it were his own. Jim says, “You do not micromanage cowboys, you assign them jobs, then leave them alone to accomplish them. Loyalty and honesty are a big part of the cowboy credo.”

Tom Madden, Jim's general manager, had the pleasure of hiring the company’s first full-time cowgirl. Watching Merideth Scroggs rope one afternoon, he said to himself, “She’s the real deal!” and quickly promoted her from contract to full-time cowgirl.

Merideth’s father, himself a horse trainer and bull rider, took her under his professional wing and dedicated himself to her training. By age 4, she was competing in rodeos and training mean ponies — the kind that throw and bite you. She began roping at age 10 and by 13, she and her father were making extra cash catching loose cattle for ranchers.