Traditional Cowboy Arts Ultimate Saddles
Fay Beierbach Cypress Hills Legacy
IAL o er FIC de id OF Ro Ins ro a P ad n Ca
Branding Time What Works For Us
Experience i t!
Vacation Guide » Must-See Sites of the West » Camargue Bulls & Horses
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28 COWBOY WAY
STOCKMANSHIP
Cattle moving slow and easy is the mark of good stock-handling skills. Dylan Biggs introduces Part 1 of his six-part series on training cattle and training cowboys. Photo courtesy TK Ranches
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Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
APRIL/MAY 2019 | VOLUME 22, NO. 6
On the Cover Trail riding through a meadow high in the Rocky Mountains in Banff National Park highlights our Vacation Guide. Photo courtesy Travel Alberta
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THE WESTERNERS
Fay Beierbach Good cattle, good kids and fast horses in the Cypress Hills
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TRADITIONAL COWBOY ARTS
Making a Master An interview with master saddle makers Cary Schwarz and John Willemsma
26 TRAILBLAZERS
Everett Baker Everett Baker galvanized hundreds to mark the most telling trail in the Canadian West
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RANCHERS’ SPECIAL
What Works For Us Branding on B.C.’s Douglas Lake Ranch and Alberta’s Pierson Ranch
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cowboycountrymagazine.com
Vacation Guide Guest ranches, events and mustsee sights of Western Canada and beyond
The Lifeblood of Camargue The distinctive French bulls and horses are the jewels of the Camargue region
DEPARTMENTS 7 My Point of View 9 In the Corral 13 Western Art Review 14 Spirit of the West 16 Wheel to Wheel 18 Some Days Are Diamond 20 Reflections 47 Pro Rodeo Canada Insider 59 Clownin’ Around 62 Cowboy Poetry 5
WE’VE GOT BIG BALES. VISIT YOUR LOCAL
ALBERTA
DEALER
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April/May 2019 Vol. 22, No. 6 Editor Terri Mason terri@cowboycountrymagazine.com Copy Editor Carmen D. Hrynchuk carmen@cowboycountrymagazine.com Art Director Zuzana Benesova zuzana@cowboycountrymagazine.com Graphic Designers Raymond Burch, raymond@tanneryoung.com Erin Murphy, ads@cowboycountrymagazine.com Publisher Rob Tanner rob@cowboycountrymagazine.com Sales Manager Kristine Wickheim kristine@cowboycountrymagazine.com Traffic Coordinator Cheryl Lindquist traffic@cowboycountrymagazine.com Subscription/Circulation Marie Tanner circ@tanneryoung.com Accounting Administrator Catherine Staszkiewicz admin@tanneryoung.com Customer Relations Manager Marie Tanner marie@tanneryoung.com Columnists Dylan Biggs, Tim Ellis, “Diamond” Doug Keith, Hugh McLennan, Billy Melville, Bryn Thiessen Contributors Barb Poulsen, Phyllis Rathwell, Tom Reardon, Contributing Artists/Photographers Colleen Biggs, Chantelle Bowman, Mike Copeman, Gaelle Henkens, Roger Job, Todd Korol, Kerrie Kusler, Greg Westfall
kubota.ca | *See your dealer for details.
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PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40070720 ISSN 1701-1132 Please return undeliverable addresses to: Canadian Cowboy Country magazine #1, 9301–50 Street, Edmonton AB T6B 2L5 FREELANCE POLICY Canadian Cowboy Country welcomes freelance contributions, but will not be held responsible for unsolicited text or photographs. Direct all freelance enquiries to: freelance@cowboycountrymagazine.com PRIVACY POLICY At Tanner Young Publishing Group, we value your privacy. For our complete privacy policy go to tanneryoung.com/ privacy.html or call us at 1-800-943-7336 Canadian Cowboy Country makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. This magazine is a proud member of the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, and Magazines Canada, abiding by the standards of the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors. Visit albertamagazines.com
Specializing in Rodeo, Ranch & Humourous Fine Artworks! Now showing at our gallery in Senlac, Saskatchewan Open Sundays from 1 – 5 pm Follow Ash Cooper Art and Ranch Gallery 6
FSC logo
“This project is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada.” «Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada.»
MY POINT OF VIEW
Vacation!
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ILLUSTRATION BY LE STEVENS
t’s time for our annual Vacation Guide — truly a labour of love around here with all the possibilities to write about, and we always try to include some exotic locale and story, and this issue is no different. We trust it will resonate with you. The Camargue (pronounced cam-AGH) bulls and horses are a French treasure, and many say a French secret. The bulls enjoy a long life of breeding cows and charging running men who are trying to snatch a rosette that has been braided between their horns — this is the national sport of the area. These bulls compete in the arena for years, often close to two decades, and they are retired as legends amidst great fanfare. It’s a unique perspective on a way of life that honours these distinctive bulls and the ancient bloodlines of the Camargue horses that, for untold generations, have been used to herd these feisty animals. Speaking of unique — back in 2005, I first met Dylan Biggs and his family of TK Ranches near Hanna, when myself and a coterie of others were invited by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., to present our way of life on the famous Mall to about a billion Americans (imagine how many people are in Washington, D.C. for the 4th of July and you get the picture). It was there, within rifle range of the Washington Monument on the world-famous Mall, that I watched this remarkable man quietly train cattle. Now I am thrilled to announce that Dylan will be authoring a six-part series on
training cattle and, by association, training cowboys. He puts on cattle-handling clinics all over North America, and I am thrilled to bits that he’s authoring this series. Our Trailblazer was definitely a man who marked history for the coming generations. Everett Baker’s monumental idea would have had most folks quitting before they even started, but in this “can-do” part of the world, it ended up uniting Saskatchewan’s Deep South and the Cypress Hills as a galvanized southern Saskatchewan worked together to mark one of the most historical trails in the Canadian West — the ancient, winding path that is arguably most famous as the route the NWMP travelled from Fort Walsh to Sitting Bull’s camp. To this day, descendants of the hundreds of folks who worked on the project can lay claim to these enduring monuments. One of my favourite remarkable achievements of all is Fay Beierbach’s growing family of top-notch cowhands who also enjoy a fast horse. I thank writer Phyllis Rathwell and shooter Kerrie Kusler so much for crafting this fine biography of such a notable woman, whose legacy is as permanent as a brand seared into the history books of Canadian Cowboy Country.
Subscriber Tip Your mailing label on the magazine will tell you when your subscription expires. Right above your name is an issue date, which is the final issue of your subscription.
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— Terri Mason, Editor
XXX XXXXXX JUN/JUL’19 JOE SMITH RR 1 EDMONTON, AB T6B 2L5
@CowboyCntryMag
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CONTRIBUTORS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Phyllis Rathwell The Westeners: Fay Beierbach, page 22 Retired teacher, rancher and stillactive cowboy poet, Phyllis Rathwell, and her awesome hubby, Larry Miller, make their home at Elkwater, Alta.
Tom Reardon Trailblazers: Everett Baker, page 26 Tom Reardon is a retired pasture manager, having been with Sask. Ag for 25 years. He lives at Maple Creek and now day rides for several ranches.
Dylan Biggs Training Cattle: Part 1 of 6 Stockmanship, page 28 For over 20 years, Dylan has travelled extensively across North America sharing his knowledge of low stress cattle handling with producers through livestock handling demonstrations. Dylan, his wife Colleen and children run TK Ranches near Hanna, Alta.
Roger Job Vacation Guide: The Lifeblood of Camargue, page 40 The work of multi-award-winning photographer Roger Job has been published by Paris Match, Newsweek and National Geographic. He lives in Brussels, Belgium. museephoto.be.
Gaelle Henkens Vacation Guide: The Lifeblood of Camargue, page 40 The social documentary work of multi-award-winning photographer, Gaelle Henkens has appeared in Publication National Géographic and for the Special Olympics Belgium, 2014. She lives near Liege, Belgium. @gaelle_henkens.
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George McLean, far right
The Wild McLean’s You know how I’m always saying that everything in the West is connected? I received a call from 79-year-old retiree Shirley Ballum of Prince George, B.C., who called to correct the caption I had included on a photo I sourced out to use alongside Ken Favrholdt’s interesting Trailblazer article about John Clapperton (he arrested the McLean Gang). Turns out, Shirley is the great-great-granddaughter of Alex McLean, a half-brother to the outlaws. She also tells me she is “either a second or third cousin to the great cowboy, [1962 World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider] Kenny McLean.” In my incorrect caption, I had identified George McLean as the father of the outlaw boys. I made a mistake. As Ken had correctly pointed out in the article, HBC factor (and founder of Hat Creek Ranch) Donald McLean was the father of the outlaw boys. Why I missed that fact was beyond me. George McLean in the photo was a relative — but certainly not their father. George was the son of Allen McLean—the oldest outlaw. I apologize for the error (and it was definitely my error, not Ken’s), but I sure enjoyed my visit with Shirley, who also explained what prompted her to buy our magazine: “I saw Ian Tyson on the cover. He and Sylvia wrote “Four Rode By” about the McLean Gang [1964 Ian & Sylvia album, Northern Journey]. It’s quite the song. On the cover I also saw, “The Last Wild West Outlaw Gang in Canada,” and I knew right away that it was about the McLean’s.” Again, I apologize for the incorrect caption, but what an interesting visit we had—plus, I went and re-listened to “Four Rode By” — and was once again gobsmacked by how everything is connected in the West. —Terri Mason for Shirley Ballum, Prince George, B.C.
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
IN THE CORRAL NEWS, VIEWS & HAPPENINGS FROM ACROSS THE CANADIAN WEST
PHOTO COURTESY KRIS KRUG
Grammy Nomination First Nations artist Roy Henry Vickers of Hazelton, B.C., was nominated for a Grammy Award. Vickers, along with Doran Tyson and Lisa Glines was nominated for the presentation box he developed for the Grateful Dead presentation boxed set. Tyson and Glines work for Rhino Records, and they worked with Roy on the set. The trio were all nominated for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. Other nominations included Guns N’ Roses and “Weird Al” Yankovic boxed sets. At the ceremony in Los Angeles, Yankovic won the award. It was Vickers’ decision to house the collection in a replica bentwood box, a traditional item that was used as a treasure chest by First Nations people and played a key role in potlatch ceremonies. “In our culture, the potlatch is pre-eminent,” said Vickers, in a previous interview. “And in the beginning of the potlatch, it’s
all about honouring the dead. Those who have gone before, the ancestors, they are the grateful dead…” “When I did the work for the Grateful Dead, it was a threeyear project, and when the presentation box came out, I thought that it was one of the highlights of my entire life as an artist,” Vickers said. Vickers, a member of the Order of Canada, has enjoyed a long and successful career (44 years and counting), which has garnered the artist international acclaim. Collectors are gobsmacked to discover that in the cowboy world, he graciously creates the Kispiox Rodeo poster each year from his Roy Henry Vickers Gallery in Tofino, B.C. From left: Chief Ted Walkus, hereditary chief of Wuikinuxv Nation in Rivers Inlet, B.C., Doran Tyson, Lisa Glines and Roy Henry Vickers on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards.
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Courage Canada Trail Ride
And They’re Off!
For 16 years, hundreds of people and their horses have gathered together the last Saturday in May to raise funds for brain injury survivors and their families. This year the date is May 25, and the Courage Canada Trail Ride is once again held at the home of Curtis Anderson, arguably bull riding’s most well-known brain injury survivor, whose story began at the 2002 Ponoka Stampede where the young cowboy suffered a catastrophic brain injury. His ongoing recuperation has seen him struggle back from a medically induced coma to become a public speaker, cowboy poet and the host of this popular trail ride. The Ride begins and ends at the Anderson’s outfit near Minburn — located about halfway between Edmonton and Lloydminster, along the Yellowhead Highway (with plenty of signs and a steady stream of participants, you can’t miss it). There is plenty
The thrilling sport of Thoroughbred and Standardbred horse racing has returned close to Alberta’s capital city in Nisku, and starting in April, racing fans can once again enjoy a full race card. Situated by Edmonton International Airport, the Century Mile Racetrack is the only one-mile Thoroughbred track in Western Canada. Up to 800 Thoroughbred racehorses will go through their daily training regimen when the stable area and racetrack will open for training this spring. Along with the mile track, the Century Mile Casino is also planning its grand opening at the same time. For more, visit centurymile.com
Team Canada at PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Global Cup Going 3-for-18, Team Canada finished sixth at the 2019 WinStar World Casino and Resort PBR Global Cup, presented by Monster Energy in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Earning a collective 258 points, the team returned to Canada with $39,500. The Canuck contingent added two scores to their total on Sunday afternoon, with Jordan Hansen (Okotoks, Alta.) scoring 85 points on Check It Out (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve), and Dakota Buttar (Kindersley, Sask.) riding Accelerator (TNT Rodeo Co.) for 86 points. Hansen, who made his Global Cup debut in Texas, was Team Canada’s top performer, going 2-for-4. For the second consecutive edition of the PBR Global Cup, Team Brazil was crowned the top bull-riding nation in the world.
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of parking for horse trailers, and it’s about a 15-km circle-ride on grass, beginning and ending at the Anderson’s home ranch. Pack a scrumptious lunch, bring some water and get ready for a great day of riding to support brain injury awareness. After the ride there will be dinner, cowboy poetry, a silent and live auction at the Innisfree Rec Centre and live music featuring award-winning Laura Hayes. Over the past 16 years, the Ride has raised over $200,000 and supports the Lloydminster and Area Brain Injury Society (LABIS) in Lloydminster, the Vegreville Association for Living In Dignity (VALID) in Vegreville, and Finding Opportunities through Community Understanding and Support (FOCUS) in Vermilion, as well as the Canadian Pro Rodeo Sports Medicine Team. For more information on the Ride, visit 840CFCW/910 CFCW Radio’s Events Page at cfcw.com/events.
TEAM BRAZIL 1. Team Brazil, covered 11 of 18 bulls; earned 939.25 pts, earned $365,100 US 2. Team USA-Eagles, 10-18-867-$141,050 3. Team USA-Wolves, 8-18-691.25-$88,400 4. Team Australia, 6-18-514.25-$64,150 5. Team Mexico, 4-18-337.75-$50,300 6. Team Canada, 3-18-258-$39,500 TEAM CANADA SCORES 8. Jordan Hansen, 0-87-85-0-0-172.00 17. (tie) Dakota Buttar, 0-0-86-0-0-86.00 Tanner Byrne, 0.00 Jared Parsonage, 0.00 Zane Lambert, 0.00 Lonnie West, 0.00 Aaron Roy, 0.00 Wacey Finkbeiner, 0.00
PBR Team Canada Captain, Aaron Roy, of Yellowgrass, Sask., leads the Canadian bull riders to the centre stage of PBR Global Cup USA
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTOS COURTESY CURTIS ANDERSON ; WIKIMEDIA COMMONS; ANDY WATSON/BULLSTOCKMEDIA.COM
IN THE CORRAL
EMPTY SADDLES
William Allen “Bill” Smith 1952–2018
Proudly from Cabri, Sask., Bill had many friends in the Western music and cowboy poetry world and shared the stage many times with some of the greats. Bill was fun to visit and an aficionado of horses, poetry and motorcycles, and to honour his last wishes, his ashes will be carried back home to Cabri by an old friend on the back of his Harley.
PHOTOS COURTESY SMITH FAMILY; PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN; PONOKA STAMPEDE; MORRIS IRVINE
EMPTY SADDLES
Charlie Russell Rides Again A century after its last show, the imagery of 20 of the 24 paintings and the eight bronzes of Charlie Russell, the most famous cowboy artist in the world, will once again be displayed at the Calgary Stampede, the show that introduced the artist to Canada. How this all came about is the stuff of legends. From its origins as a local agricultural fair in 1886, the Calgary Stampede was founded by Guy Weadick in 1912 to bring together performers, athletes, showmen, and stakeholders with a vested interest in Western culture. The First World War interrupted almost all of the agricultural shows, but in celebration of the end of the Great War, Weadick again brought together a tally book of talent, including the great artist Charlie Russell, to exhibit at the 1919 Victory Stampede. Russell’s work was showcased in one of the major exhibits — a fine arts show featuring 24 paintings and eight bronzes, the majority of which were created over the course of the war. Russell accepted Weadick’s invitation, as he enjoyed great success at his showing at the Stampede in 1912.
Charles (Charlie) Marion Russell Then, as it still is today, the stunning beauty of Russell’s work continues to fuel the dreams of millions of artists and range riders and captures the soul of the West of two nations — and thanks to a great working partnership with the CM Russell Museum, we get to see the majority of the art once again at the Calgary Stampede
A teamster’s point of view on the Iron Horse Trail with the 2nd Chance Trail Ride
Vernon “Bud” Butterfield 1930–2019
Bud Butterfield only rodeoed for eight years, but in that time, he earned the record for the most Canadian championships in steer wrestling (6), and he also won steer decorating and steer wrestling at the Calgary Stampede in 1956, 1959, 1962 and 1963, a record that still stands. Bud was featured on the 2017 Ponoka Stampede poster in a painting by artist Andrew Kiss. Bud was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2016, and the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1996.
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Eighth Annual Second Chance Trail Ride How would you like to swing onto your good horse at Lindberg, Alta., ride down the old Iron Horse Trail with a bunch of other like-minded folk, stop halfway and enjoy a barbeque lunch, mount up again and ride to Elk Point where you will enjoy a scrumptious supper, bid wildly on silent auction items and then dance the night away — all as a fundraiser for one of the West’s favourite charities for organ transplant recipients? Well, get ready to saddle up and head out to the gorgeous country near Lindberg, Alta.,
(south of Bonnyville), as the Second Chance Trail Ride goes May 11. The non-profit provides support for organ transplant patients and their families. The ride traverses about 15 km of gorgeous scenery and has proven so popular that only 400 supper tickets are available. For more information, visit their Facebook site at 2nd Chance Trail Ride. And, before you head out the door today — sign your donor card — you might give someone a second chance.
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IN THE CORRAL
The Heart of the Horse
Old Sun Indian Relay team, from left: Allison Redcrow, Cody Big Tobacco, Mark Big Tobacco, Racey Redcrow
Indian Relay Director Wins Big At the glittering Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, a short documentary called Fast Horse, a behind-the-scenes look at Cody Big Tobacco and the Old Sun Blackfoot Indian Relay Racing team from Siksika, earned Edmonton-raised filmmaker Alexandra Lazarowich the Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing. Lazarowich, who is Cree herself, couldn’t hold back the emotion. “We did this film in honour of Thomas Many Guns from the Siksika; he brought Indian Relay to the community. He passed away last year and it’s
in his name and his memory that we made this film. I think it’s just his spirit and his name living on through this film.” If you are thinking this is all “ringing a bell” you’re right. In our June/July 2018 issue, freelance writer/ photographer Dorothy Lethbridge photographed and wrote War Paint & Regalia, an article celebrating the exciting sport. To view this terrific 13-minute documentary, visit our website at cowboycountrymagazine.com — guaranteed to get your blood pumping!
This fall, attend The Heart of the Horse, an event designed to recognize the heart and remarkable abilities of both horse and trainer. Created by multi-award-winning Liberty and trick rider, Niki Flundra, The Heart of the Horse highlights the true art of horsemanship and Western culture through a coltstarting competition, horse-training demonstration clinics, a Western artisan competition, a trade show and top-notch equine-industry-related highlights and entertainment. Three trainers have been invited: Dan James of Kentucky, Glenn Stewart of B.C., and Matt Robertson of Alberta. The invitational colt-starting competition offers $20,000 added prize money to the winner and is the main attraction of The Heart of the Horse, taking place this fall. The Heart of the Horse colt-starting competition, trade show and equine entertainment will take place in the Silver Slate Arena, Nanton, Alta., Sep 20–22. theheartofthehorse.ca
oneer Pl Pi
a, Dallas
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is Canadian Cowboy?
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az
Where in the World Pioneer Plaza, Dallas, Texas
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PHOTO COURTESY AARON MUNSON
Pioneer Plaza is a large public park in downtown Dallas, Texas. Installed in 1994, the large sculpture commemorates 19th century cattle drives that took place along the Shawnee Trail, the earliest and easternmost route by which Longhorn cattle were taken to northern railheads. The trail passed through Austin, Waco, and Dallas until the Chisolm Trail siphoned off most of the traffic in 1867. The 49 bronze steers and three cowboy sculptures were created by artist Robert Summers of Glen Rose, Texas. Each steer is larger-than-life at six feet high; all together the sculpture is the largest bronze monument of its kind in the world. Set along an artificial ridge and past a man-made limestone cliff, native landscaping with a flowing stream and waterfall help create the dramatic effect. As a work-inprogress, occasionally another steer is added to the herd. Next to Dealey Plaza, Pioneer Park is the second-most-visited tourist attraction in downtown Dallas and, to date, has welcomed millions, including Wendie and Geri Demyen of Dawson Creek, B.C
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
WESTERN ART REVIEW | TERRI MASON PORCH READS
Cowboy Renaissance The Traditional Cowboy Arts Association
Crow Shoe at the Glenbow Albertine Crow Shoe, an artist from the Piikani Nation of Alberta, is the Artist in Residence at the Glenbow Museum. She is perhaps best known for her jewellery, which showcases locally sourced materials such as elk antler, bison horn and pipestone. Her exhibit is titled Siksika tsi ta pi sini Sa kaiss skoo na tapiwa Kii pait ta pii sin noon, which translates to “The Blackfoot people’s way of life is still strong.” “The designs, colour and spatial placements reflect the environment from which they were created,” Crow Shoe said. She added that her designs come from images that are symbolic in the Blackfoot culture that will invoke memory, history and spiritual power. International Exhibition (Ongoing) Crow Shoe is the first The Shurniak Art Gallery houses the Indigenous woman to have founder’s private collection of original a residency at the Glenbow paintings, sculptures, and artifacts Museum. from around the world and features hundreds of artists, including Nicholas Glenbow Museum, 130 de Grandmaison and Allen Sapp. 9th Ave S.E., Calgary, Alta. Shurniak Art Gallery Artist in Residence Albertine 122–3rd Avenue West Crow Shoe exhibition until Jan Assiniboia, Sask. 5, 2020. glenbow.org shurniakartgallery.com
We’ll never know how close we came to losing the skills of some of the West’s greatest cowboy artisans. I hesitate to name any career other than “cowboy” that has more custom-made gear. The riders of the range may be living on cowboy wages, but their gear is a parade of artisan beauty — and that’s just the way it has always been. Cowboy Renaissance is the mother-of-all Western coffee-table books, which traces the beginning of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association, an artisan organization without borders, dedicated to training the next masters in the cowboy art of saddlemaking, silversmithing, rawhide braiding, and bit and spur making. Not only does the tome feature stunning photography of the breathtaking pieces, it also showcases some of the private homes of avid collectors, whose own treasure trove of TCAA pieces and other works of Western art rivals most museums. The craftsmanship is so astounding that mere words cannot do it justice — you have to feast your eyes on these works of art. Cowboy Renaissance tells this group’s story — its origins, its evolution and its impact on the contemporary West. The massive book features photographs from hundreds of the works that have been included in TCAA’s annual show — one of cowboy culture’s mostanticipated and most-inspiring offerings.
PHOTO COURTESY GLENBOW MUSEUM
UPCOMING GALLERY SHOWS Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises
Nivinngajuliaat from Baker Lake
May 17 – Dec 31, 2019 The Royal BC Museum 675 Belleville Street Victoria, B.C. royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Until July 21, 2019 Winnipeg Art Gallery 300 Memorial Boulevard Winnipeg, Man. wag.ca
Discover a powerful culture that rose in the tropical rainforests of Central America thousands of years ago. Explore Maya identity from ancient times to the present day and see how science and belief have shaped the Maya world.
The creative spirit of the Baker Lake community is epitomized in the art of wall hangings, or nivinngajuliaaq in Inuktitut. This stunning exhibit brings together twelve large-scale works that date between the 1970s and the 1990s.
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Cowboy Renaissance: The Traditional Cowboy Arts Association, by A.J. Mangum, foreword by Don Hedgpeth. Hardcover, 296 pages, $65 U.S. Distributed by Mountain Press for the TCAA. mountain-press.com
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SPIRIT OF THE WEST | HUGH MCLENNAN
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n our part of the West you can’t see your neighbours, but if you need a hand, they’ll be right there. That’s the way it’s been for us the last 30 years. Gordon and Rhona Armes have owned the Open Armes Ranch since about 1989, and we’ve shared fences, machinery, tools, horses and just about everything else. After a long career in education, Gordon was living his dream of full-time ranching. We’ve ridden a lot of miles together, working cattle for our friend Vic Piva at the Lloyd Creek Ranch and on other outfits, including the Seven O, the Lions Head, the Dalgleish, as well as our own operations, and we’ve had some cowboy adventures.
Hugh and his saddle pal, Gordon Armes
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It was the day before Christmas Eve when a hunter stopped by to tell us he’d spotted cow tracks in the deep snow way up above our places. We knew that the Seven O was missing three cows, and since we did a lot of riding for them, we decided
Cattle rancher and horse trainer Hugh McLennan and his wife, Billie, run their cattle in the beautiful rangeland outside of Kamloops, B.C. Hugh is the host of the multi-award-winning weekly radio program, Spirit of the West, heard across Canada and the U.S.
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTO BY BILLIE MCLENNAN
You Can’t Pick Your Neighbours? Maybe You Can!
to bring them home. We saddled our best horses and, wearing all the clothes we owned, rode up the trail and tracked the cows. Their heads came up, and with tails in the air, they bolted for the heavy timber. After four hours of hard riding, three hungry cows went into the big corral. We closed the gate and figured us two old cowboys still had what it takes. Steam was rising from our worn-out ponies but, by gosh, we got it done. The next day, Gord took his tractor to the pens to plow snow so we could haul the three renegades back to the Seven O headquarters, but when he got there, all he found were three broken rails and cow tracks leading right back to where we started the day before. Gord and Vic went back up and retrieved them after Christmas. I couldn’t go — Billie and I were on our Spirit of the West Caribbean Cruise. Another time, Gord had just bought a new felt hat and, for some reason, decided to wear it the day we had to find a lame bull and bring him home. We were trailing the bull through the bush, and a low branch knocked the new hat off his head. I was right behind him, and before I could react, my mare Cody stepped directly on top of the carefully creased crown. Last fall, Gord told us he was going to list the ranch for sale. After such a great partnership for so many years, we wondered who we’d wind up with as new neighbours. Would there be no trespassing signs, locked gates, guard dogs? City folks with no understanding of ranching values? It could really change things for us. A few days after we got the news, I got a call from our long-time friend, the great horseman, Jonathan Field. He was looking to relocate to a place where he could saddle his horse and ride for hours, get to some brandings and still be close to Kamloops. I said, “You’ve gotta come up and have a look.” A few weeks later, the deal was done. So now we have new neighbours, and even though Gordon and Rhona have moved to town, his horses are still just across the road, and along with Jonathan, we’re looking forward to more great rides. C
TIM ELLIS’ RODEO REPORT
WHEEL TO WHEEL | BILLY MELVILLE
From left: Champion chuckwagon drivers Kurt Bensmiller, Troy Dorchester, Jason Glass and Chad Fike were on hand for the announcement for the new WPCA World Chuckwagon Racing Finals hosted by Century Downs Racetrack and Casino
Gold at the Rainbow’s End
The World Professional Chuckwagon Association (WPCA) in cooperation with Century Downs Racetrack and Casino just outside of Calgary, have entered into a multi-year agreement whereby Century Downs will be the official host of the WPCA World Chuckwagon Racing Finals. The five-day championship event will feature the world’s premiere chuckwagon drivers, outriders and horses competing for one of the richest prize money payouts in the sport, including over $100,000 paid out on Championship Sunday. “The WPCA is a world-class organization, and we are very excited to be a part of their circuit as host of this final,” commented Century Downs General Manager, Paul Ryneveld. 16
What will make this Championship Final a little different is that in order to have a shot at the big prize, the rainbow the drivers will have to ride the entire WPCA race season, and only the top 12 drivers in the world point standings prior to the Century Downs World Finals will qualify for the four-day playoff round. The 12 qualified drivers will then race in the final three heats over the first four nights at Century Downs, with points awarded based on daily running times and their playoff aggregate time. The four drivers with the most playoff points will advance to the Century Downs “Winners’ Zone” Championship Dash, where they will be racing for $50,000, a horse trailer valued at over $30,000 and the prestige of
being recognized as the Century Downs “Winners’ Zone” Champion. Chuckwagon driver Dustin Gorst, who initiated the talks between the WPCA and Century Downs, was very enthusiastic. “I’m excited, and it’s a big step forward for the WPCA and our sport.” For the 24 drivers who won’t qualify for the playoff round, not to worry — every heat on Championship Sunday will be a dash for cash, with a total of $60,000 paid out. Over the five days, all 36 WPCA drivers will also be competing for $125,000 in day monies. Everyone has a shot of getting a little piece of the pot. As far as the WPCA is concerned, the pot of gold at the end of its rainbow is not a myth — it comes in the form of the Century Downs Racetrack and Casino “Winners’ Zone.” C Billy Melville is an author, noted historian and chuckwagon colour commentator on Rural Radio (SiriusXM Ch 147) and CBC Sports. He is the grandson of Orville Strandquist.
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTO BY BILLY MELVILLE
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e’ve all heard the myth that a pot of gold lies at the end of each rainbow. It’s often used as a symbolic phrase about a great prize at the end of a tough journey. Chuckwagon racing’s pot of gold always came in the middle of the season at the Calgary Stampede, but starting in 2019 there will be another pot of gold that professional chuckwagon racers will be gunning for at season’s end.
Don’t miss this show! Witness the true art of horsemanship at this one-ofa-kind event
cowboycountrymagazine.com
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SOME DAYS ARE DIAMOND | “DIAMOND” DOUG KEITH
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ow in case anybody has any delusions that cowboyin’, cowboy poetry and Western art are romantic and lucrative businesses, I am here to tell you they are not! You must love what you do and be able to go long periods of time without the benefit of eating. It is because of this occupational hazard that I’ve worked with some horses when others might have passed. I do love what I do; however, lack of money forces you to make some choices based on the grumbling in your tummy, rather than what is between your ears. Sometimes I’ve 18
jumped on a horse out of stupidity, as well as hunger. This story stems from one of those instances. One evening, a woman who lived in the next town over from my ranch gave me a call. She had bought a horse from a pick up man, and he had told her it only
had a couple rides on it. She was wondering if I could mount this cayuse and check the amount of groundwork on it. Basically — was it rideable for her? While I had her on the phone, I asked her if she could trailer it to my place where I could work in relatively safe conditions. She responded that she’d “prefer not to trailer it.” Generally speaking, that means that she can’t trailer it. Now a smarter cowboy would have taken this as the first sign to ride off into the sunset — but not me. She then started to expound the virtues of riding “Mr. Snuggles” (not his real name) at her place. I finally agreed. Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
ILLUSTRATION BY “DIAMOND” DOUG KEITH
Keep Off the Grass
Well, when I showed up with my saddle in hand, they walked the buckskin out and, oddly enough, it was already all tacked up. Once again, a smarter cowboy would have taken this as a clear sign to look for a sunset and spur to a lope. I had wanted to see how it took the saddle and bit, etc. With a sigh I muttered, “Whatever, let’s get on with it.” When the time came for me to say, “Where can I ride this rascal, do you have a round pen?” She replied, “No, but I thought right here would be good!” HELLO!!! We were standing in her gravel driveway! The slowest of cowboys would have set off toward that sunset at a full gallop. Trying to stay cool, I asked, “Isn’t there a nice soft piece of grass somewhere we could get this done just in case of a wreck?” She stated that her daughter’s graduation party was going to be there on Friday and that she couldn’t damage the grass. “I’ll pay cash,” she said. With a nervous gulp I replied, “Let me on then.” There was no mounting block, so I attempted to sneak into the saddle as quietly as possible. I softly threw my leg over the gelding, trying gently to find the off-side stirrup. When I did, my right butt cheek touched down and the horse exploded! Man could he fire! He could buck the whiskers off a feral cat. Every time he launched me forward, I got a good look at the gravel I would hit if I didn’t ride this rascal. I hung on for dear life. It was then that she jumped in front of the horse, waving her arms screaming, “Keep him off the grass! Keep him off the grass!” I yelled back, “Does it look like I am driving?” Well, I rode him to the buzzer and was able to dismount unscathed. I then handed her the reins. “It’s your decision whether you want to ride him or not,” I said — and headed for the sunset. c
Come feel the rush Come and experience what
70KM per hour of horse power feels like!
70KM PER Century Mile Racetrack and Casino is
opening April, 2019 and is located
next to Edmonton International Airport.
“Diamond” Doug Keith is a poet, storyteller, Leanin’ Tree cowboy cartoonist, Western painter and preacher. He offers his unique take on everyday cowboy life through poem, story and art. Doug has been featured in several documentaries.
www.centurymile.com
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PHOTO COURTESY STOCK.ADOBE.COM/ STEVE OEHLENSCHLAGER
REFLECTIONS | BRYN THIESSEN
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Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
You Can Tell a Lot About a Man by Looking at His Cattle You Just Can’t Tell a Man a Lot About His Cattle As I’m writing these words, the purebred guys are in their second cycle of calves, the farmers are starting to calve, and by the time these words are being read, the ranchers will be prowling pastures in search of newborn calves. The one thing they all have in common is a belief that what they’re raising and how they’re doing it is what works the best for them. As the days roll on, the branding season will begin, and as neighbours gather, the calves will be processed both physically on that day but also mentally, as they’re compared to other herds and other years. Everyone will tell you that your calves look good, and you might even agree. Being wise, what they won’t tell you are their personal preferences. I’ve known folks who went to raising Salers because they were quieter than the Tarentaise they started out with. I rode for an outfit that had a Charolais bull so large he couldn’t naturally breed a cow, so they used artificial insemination, which was good because the cows got used to the chute and walked right in when it was time for their caesarean (I was wise enough to not be there for calving). My personal favourite was an article I heard of in a local paper. The producer (a Simmental breeder) had designed a hot box that he could haul in his trailer to bring a newborn calf home from the vet clinic after having a side delivery (C-section). The best part? He was hoping to sell bulls but noticed none of his neighbours seemed too interested. Other folks like me are trying for a lower maintenance and, therefore, maybe a lower value cow herd, and make up the difference by enjoying what we do. In all these scenarios, your mind can draw the pictures of how the cattle look, but if you saw the producers at their
branding, you’d show respect and say, “Your calves look good.” If we set out to tighten the fence around my opening statement, the wires may sing like this. One of our greatest freedoms is the right to choose. Add to this respect, and the wires are a little tighter. Because we value both of these for ourselves, we also extend them to others. Some folks will ask what we think of their cows (advice or opinion) and will receive it. If they’re in need of help, others will step in and lighten the load, but there’s still the expectancy that you’ll saddle your own horse and fix your own fence. If we trot back to our first pasture, we find where these freedoms come from. Back in the first three chapters of Genesis, we see where they took root. After God created Adam and Eve, He showed them respect by giving them the ability to choose. All they had to do was be with Him and look after everything. His only “fence” was around two trees — the knowledge of right and wrong, and the ability to live forever. Because we could choose, and maybe because we didn’t know better, we chose wrongly. As a result, we got moved off the range God intended for us, but He never left us. Throughout our history, He allowed us our right to choose. Knowing what it cost us, it cost Him even more. We know how much it cost Him as we ponder on the meaning of Easter. I best understand it from Romans 5:8: “Even though you couldn’t saddle your own horse or fix your own fence, Christ gave his life for you, respecting your right to choose.” (My words). So maybe you still won’t let others say much about your cows, but I hope you’ll let God say something in your life. c
Bryn Thiessen is a rancher, poet, cowboy and preacher at Cowboy Trail Church in Cochrane. Bryn and his wife Bonny market grass-fattened beef from their Helmer Creek Ranch southwest of Sundre, Alta.
cowboycountrymagazine.com
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THE WESTERNERS
Fay Beierbach Ranching Legacy By PHYLLIS RATHWELL
F
ay Faulkner Beierbach is as much a part of the Cypress Hills as the native grasses, coulees, creeks and trees. A sprightly 94, Faye looks upon her life as a fantastic one, as she has been able to do what she loves, where she loves, with those she loves — for all of her life. She is truly the matriarch of the Cypress Hills, loved and respected for the many contributions she has made and continues to make to her community.
Fay Beierbach at her desk with the book that she authored
The multi-generations of the Beierbach clan stretching across the native grasslands of southwest Saskatchewan
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Fay is, herself, fourth generation in the Cypress Hills. Her great-grandmother, Isabella Burns, came to the Hills with her daughter and son-in-law, Ella and William Faulkner, in 1902. One of their eight children, Ray, married Myrtle Buchanan, and Fay was their only child. Largely home schooled until sixth grade, Fay went on to live with her grandparents at Govenlock for two years, then completed high school in Havre, Montana. She attended Normal School in Calgary, taught at Sentinel School for a short time and then happily left her teaching career behind to marry John Beierbach in 1943. They
moved to his home ranch, south of Walsh, Alta., and began their adventure. No electricity, no running water, no telephone (John wondered what anyone would want with a phone... “Who has time to sit and yak?”). “We had everything we needed — cows, horses, wonderful friends and neighbours, and a terrific family,” says Fay. “The key to having a wonderful life is to have a wonderful partner.” They raised their four children, Raymond, Roger, Ross and Rondalyn, in the same spirit. There was lots of hard work, but they loved the ranching way of life. Fay especially loved the riding and
PHOTOS BY KERRIE KUSLER
ranch work that they did in tandem. She even raised four hundred turkeys one year when cash was short. “The day was long, and we filled it with whatever needed to be done. Ranching, selling Hereford bulls, cooking and cleaning, raising the children — it was all fun,” she says. They expanded and moved to the Kundert place, just north of Elkwater, Alta. This property became part of the deal when they expanded again, purchasing the Battle Creek Ranch on the Saskatchewan side of the Cypress Hills in 1967, in order to give all of the kids an opportunity to continue to ranch. Raymond and Roger started ranching with them that year. It was the start of another adventure. Fay smiles as she recalls branding up to 800 calves in a day, with calves dragged to the wrestlers, and wood-fire-heated irons and close to a hundred folks to be fed. Tragically, Raymond died just before he was to be married. Roger, Ross and Ronda carried on ranching with Fay and John until 1986, when John decided it was time to ‘give the kids some independence.’ Not ready to move to town, John and Fay bought a small place just west of Irvine, Alta. By then, Roger and Ross were each well-established, and Ronda and her husband, Keith Reesor, were operating the ranch at Graburn. It was time for another adventure — and it all started because the kids needed fast horses on the ranch. John’s family had always raised horses, and Fay’s dad traded horses, so it was in the blood. They had always invested in fast horses to improve efficiency on the ranch, and in 1976, they were persuaded to try some of their horses at the racetrack.
“Once you start, there’s always one more race!” she says. It was a natural progression that soon found them hauling 22 horses to 37 different tracks from Tucson, Arizona to Grande Prairie, Alta. Fay allows that 22 horses are a lot when you’re mucking out stalls, but used to hard work, they just loved the life. Their most successful steed was Elgee’s Turk, who held the record for Fastest at Three Furlongs for a good number of years at Whoop Up Downs in Lethbridge. By 1988, they had slowed considerably and got out of horse racing, but they continued to winter cattle at the Irvine place. In 1995, John passed away. Fay’s strength and resilience were again tested when son Roger was killed by lightning in 1998. Roger’s widow, Heather, and their children are still ranching. Fay moved into Medicine Hat in 1999 but did not give up her cows. Fay keeps busy — helping out cooking for brandings and other events, crochets, reads and quilts. She took part in a study about senior learning capacity and developed computer skills that put many to shame. She photographs, scans, prints and collates a photo book each year, highlighting the events of the family. She creates daily calendars with witty and thoughtful sayings (Fay-isms) and has embarked on a mission to create a database and itemize photos with descriptors and explanations and to number every artifact that goes into the museum that her daughter and son-inlaw, Ronda and Keith Reesor, are creating at Sentinel Butte Historic Ranch in the Cypress Hills. The museum is another natural evolution, Fay asserts, as neither mother nor daughter can ever throw anything away.
Fay was honoured at the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede, receiving two 2017 Alberta Century Farm & Ranch Awards, one for the Faulkner family and one for the Beierbach family. These awards recognize and honour families who have owned and operated the same land for a century or more. No doubt, one of Fay’s descendants will accept a similar award one hundred years from now. Every one of Fay’s children, eight grandchildren and nineteen greatgrandchildren are actively involved with ranching. Now into the seventh generation of ranchers in the Cypress Hills, hers is an amazing legacy. c
Left: Fay Beierbach Left Group: (Red plaid) Rhett Erickson, Casey Erickson, Eve Beierbach, Jane Beierbach. John Beierbach, (plaid shirt) Sarah Beierbach, Heidi Beierbach, Shay Erickson, Heather D. Beierbach. Centre Group: (Blue jean jacket) Tania Beierbach, Ryan Beierbach, Lara Beierbach, (blue plaid shirt) Jace Beierbach, Rana Beierbach. (Back, black shirt) Donna Beierbach, William Beierbach, (striped shirt) Kate Beierbach, Georgia Howe, Tate Beierbach. (Blue plaid shirt) Ross Beierbach, Hayes Howe, (white shirt) Heather S. Beierbach, Brad Howe, Mona Howe. Right Group: (Ball cap) Justin McFarlane, Cain McFarlane, Loch McFarlane, Tara and Emily McFarlane. Craig Reesor, (twins) Logan and Brody Reesor, Camille Reesor. Travis Reesor, (striped shirt) Griffin Reesor, Tanya Jangula and Grace Reesor. Ronda Reesor and Keith Reesor.
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TRADITIONAL COWBOY ARTS
Making a Master
THE SADDLE MAKERS By EMILY KITCHING
Cary Schwarz’ 19th century-style saddle features Scott Hardy designed sterling saddle silver. This saddle was dedicated to the memory of “Diamondfield Jack” Davis.
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Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTOS COURTESY NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM
I
n an age where overnight successes are glamourized on social networks and celebrated for their 15 minutes of fame, what can be learned from two master saddle makers who have devoted their lives to developing their art? Master saddle makers and Traditional Cowboy Arts Association (TCAA) members Cary Schwarz of Salmon, Idaho, and John Willemsma of Westcliffe, Colorado, share their insight on mentorship, saddle making and perseverance.
When asked what sets a master saddle maker apart, both have similar responses. “I think one word: dedication. You have to be dedicated, and it doesn’t matter whether you want to be a professional football player or horse trainer, whatever you want to be good at, you have to be dedicated,” says Willemsma. “I see a lot of young people out there, and they are spread very thin. I was the same way when I was young. When you get to the point where you want to master something, you have to give up those other things. Some will disagree, but if you’re brutally honest and you look at the work, you can say, if you weren’t building saddle trees or making bits, your tooling would be better. To be a master you need to be focused on one thing.” Schwarz continues in a similar vein, “In order to master anything, you need to be all-in; that’s just what it comes down to. You’re in a problem-solving mode all day, both from the artistic and the functionality standpoint. Sometimes it wakes you up at night, and often you dream about it. It just becomes you.” The modern ability to share photos instantly and to get instant “feedback” on your work has its pros and cons. The ability to follow the work of makers you admire can be a great tool to advancing your own skill; however, Willemsma has some cautions. “You can put a photo of your work up and get a bunch of likes, but that’s deceiving. The personal conversations that you have with a mentor like master saddle makers Chuck Stormes or Dale Harwood who take the time to give you real feedback… if you don’t have that, you miss a lot. There is some incredible honesty that goes on in conversations with a master. It can be brutally honest and brutally painful, but if you’re going to grow, you need that pain. That has to be there. I think brutal honesty is necessary to achieve your goals.” Schwarz agrees and adds, “The bunkhouse saddle maker from the cowboycountrymagazine.com
Cary Schwarz’ clean style of his slick-fork tree and square skirted rigging showcases the intricate carving; the sterling saddle silver was created by Scott Hardy
John Willemsma’s halfscale square skirted carved beauty includes 25 pieces of sterling silver and 14K gold pieces by Scott Hardy; the tree was created jointly by Chuck Stormes and Troy West
More on the TCAA The Traditional Cowboy Arts Association (TCAA) is an elite group of saddle makers, bit and spur makers, silversmiths and rawhide braiders who found common cause in the need to attract the next generation to take up these four disciplines and the equally important task of helping the public understand and appreciate the level of quality available today and the value of fine craftsmanship. Learn more at tcowboyarts.org.
school of hard knocks is sort of the American ideal of the self-made rugged individual. But we all need help. You’re going to try and figure all this stuff out on your own? Good luck; there’s just not enough lifetime. It’s hard enough with a bunch of help.” With careers spanning decades, both makers can speak to the amount of focus it takes to achieve high goals. John Willemsma applied to the TCAA six times before he was accepted to the prestigious association. “When the group started, I respected the saddle makers so much that I told myself I was going to do what it took to get in. In order for me to be honest with my craft and with my gift, that’s where I had to go. I still think it is the ultimate place to take your work; it’s the ultimate organization that pushes the artistic market. I wanted to be a part of that, but I wasn’t prepared when I first applied.” Schwarz adds, “When you look at our work at the TCAA annual event or in our new retrospective book, people think, ‘Wow, these guys must be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.’ But the reality is that it was all done one unremarkable step at a time. You have to be deliberate, focused; you have to be able to embrace a certain amount of monotony. You have to slug it out because life is lived in the valleys. There are no blinking lights, there is no applause, but if you keep your head in the game, the fireworks will come. It’s only a matter of time.” Both makers agree that when it comes to becoming a master saddle maker, the dedication over the long haul will lead you in the right direction. “It’s just one step in front of the other in a very focused direction,” says Schwarz, “and the ability to weather the one step forward and two steps back. That always happens no matter what — horsemanship, craftsmanship, artistry — it doesn’t matter. You have to find a way to weather that in order to get up the next day and do it again c 25
TRAILBLAZERS
PEOPLE WHO SHAPED THE WEST
Everett Baker NWMP Trail By TOM REARDON
W
In 1918 he married his childhood sweetheart, Ruth Hellebo, and the couple settled down to farm and raise a family. The farm limped along until 1924, when Baker became manager of the Aneroid Co-operative Association. The co-op was successful, and in 1937 his reward was a position as fieldman for the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. Baker was always intrigued by history. While crisscrossing the province, he realized that a lot of heritage was being ploughed under as more and more grassland became farmland. He was nearing retirement from his professional life when he was named president of the new Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society. The Society’s first project was to mark the fast-fading trail between the Cypress Hills and the Wood Mountain Uplands.
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Parts of it were already gone, and he could envision more disappearing. In his words, “The Trail between the Cypress Hills and the Wood Mountain Uplands was, at one time, as significant as today’s Number 11 Highway between Saskatoon and Regina.” First Nations people had travelled east-west between the Cypress Hills and Wood Mountain Uplands forever. By the 1860s and ’70s, the route developed distinct characteristics as Red River carts filled with buffalo hides belonging to Métis traders left a rutted trail across the sea of grass. In the mid1870s, the Trail became associated with the North West Mounted Police (NWMP), who used it to travel between their posts at Fort Walsh and Wood Mountain. An estimated 5,000 Lakota and Dakota Sioux, including Lakota Chief Th�ath�áŋka Íyoth�ake (Sitting Bull),
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTOS COURTESYSASKATCHEWAN HISTORY & FOLKLORE SOCIETY
illiam Everett Baker came to Canada in 1917 as a door-to-door salesman. He was born in Minnesota in 1893. After graduating from university, he took a passenger train to Saskatchewan, stopping periodically to peddle the People’s Home Library. He was so successful that he was able to buy a half-section farm near Aneroid.
C D E B A
had sought refuge at Wood Mountain after annihilating Custer and the 7th Cavalry at the Battle of Little Bighorn. James Walsh, commander of the NWMP at Fort Walsh, was in charge of ‘keeping the lid on the pot’ and travelled that trail countless times while he and Sitting Bull developed a relationship of mutual respect. The Mounties phased out their mounted patrols in 1912, but the Trail was not forgotten; older people still spoke of it. So, in the late 1950s, when the Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society proposed that it should be marked, there was local support. With limited funding and volunteer labour, Baker spearheaded the undertaking. Most of the physical work was done in 1960 or ’61. Some 260 plaques, set on slender concrete posts standing five feet above ground and buried three feet deep, designate the 310-kilometre trail; they are discernable from over a kilometre away. It wasn’t just a straight line from A to B, and as Baker said, “We hope people 800 to 1000 years from now will say, ‘here was the southernmost thoroughfare of the early trails across the Western Canadian plain.’ You can see the way they skirted hills and sloughs and chose the most gradual slopes for the toiling oxen and ponies.” William Everett Baker was not born in in the province of Saskatchewan, nor was he a Canadian citizen. But you could say, ‘he left his marks on the Canadian prairie.’ He died in 1981 and is buried in his beloved prairie soil at Swift Current. c
cowboycountrymagazine.com
NWMP Trail Markers Accessible to the Public A
Wood Mountain Provincial Historic Park
B
Wood Mountain Regional Park
C
Chimney Coulee Historic Site
D Eastend, near the T-Rex Interpretive Centre E
Fort Walsh National Historic Site
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COWBOY WAY
PART 1 OF SIX
CATTLE HANDLING
Stockmanship The Trustworthy Cowboy
I
n 1985 I attended a Ray Hunt colt starting clinic at Sid Cook’s place west of Nanton. That was my first exposure to a different way of handling horses. I attended two more clinics during the late ’80s. Ray’s clinics introduced me to many new possibilities, and Ray’s sayings still stick with me today. My thinking changed, and those possibilities slowly became realities. Thank goodness, too, because if I was going to spend the rest of my life working with animals, I had to find a different way than brute force when things weren’t going according to plan. I also thought that the principles Ray utilized successfully with horses could be used to work cattle. I hoped I could approach our cattle differently and that a voluntary willingness to do what I was asking would result. I worked hard at applying what I learned to herding cattle for a number of
One rider, one horse, one dog—moving cattle in a controlled manner
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years with very limited success. Then in 1989 I met Bud Williams, and he opened my eyes to possibilities when it came to herding large groups of cattle. Figuring out when, where and how to be on the back of a horse is one thing; making the jump to a herd of 200 fresh yearlings on
range is another. The underlying principles are the same, but the feel is more distant, the scale larger and the attention to detail is spread over a lot of animals. I grew up working cattle, using horses and dogs to help get the job done on our family ranch. In the 1960s when I was kid, horses were broke, cattle were chased, and dogs and kids tried to help but mostly learned to stay out of the way. It was standard when horses or cattle were not cooperating to show them, in no uncertain terms, who’s boss. I don’t recall any other consideration. One of my first challenges applying Bud’s techniques were to quit being so demanding and to start being more observant. If one is too busy telling, it is hard to see what is actually going on. To be in the right place and time, with the proper amount of pressure, one needs to read the
PHOTO COURTESY TK RANCHES
By DYLAN BIGGS
herd and take cues from the herd. We need to observe what the herd movement is telling us and adjust accordingly. Herding cattle is a dynamic feedback process that demands attention to detail. Some may interpret this as becoming a limp noodle, pussy-footing around the cattle with no conviction or intent — but that isn’t the case at all. It is a matter of understanding a progressive process of building trust and respect, with strategic use of pressure position and movement to reach the point where you gain control of the herd so that you can drive the cattle where you want, without it turning into a chase. It is all in the approach — it is about learning what to ask of the cattle, when to ask it, how to ask and how firmly to ask. In the past, I thought my job was just to tell. Effective working relationships with horses, cattle and/or dogs are built on trust and respect. Trust and respect are the two sides of the same coin. Respect can easily be confused with fear. An animal or a herd of animals consumed by fear are very difficult to control. Fear won’t allow them to behave in a trusting, respectful manner. First, we need to establish a degree of acceptance that allows them to at least stay in our vicinity. The approach, what, when, how and how much we ask, depends on the animal’s response to us, so I had to learn to
pay attention to their actions and body language to be able to adjust accordingly. Nowadays, most horse owners acknowledge the value of a process that replaces fear with trust. They value a calm, trusting demeanor in their horse as a good starting point. There are few horsemen left who will simply resort to restraining a terrified horse and immediately get on, consequences be damned. Most realize that is ill-advised, at the very least, and potentially suicidal, at
the cattle would be to blame. If we were lucky, we could gather them and get them to the gate. Once at the gate, we could figure out how much control we really had. Typically, we had very little. We could protest and make noise and get aggressive, but regardless, cattle would start spilling, and it wouldn’t take long before we would lose the whole bunch. Just a bunch of crazy yearlings was our conclusion. We now use a step-by-step approach to gaining control of a herd of cattle. The goal is the same as with a horse: to build acceptance and trust first, then a respectful yielding by using one’s position and movement in a strategic manner. For cattle, the first step is to reach the point where I can ask for movement and they don’t bolt. Instead, they turn and walk away calm and quiet, and I can get out to the side of the herd and walk along with them. That calm, relaxed kind of movement is our foundation, as it reflects the desired attitude. I learned the hard way that if you can’t control cattle at a walk, chances are slim you can control them at a run. It is easy to blame the cattle, horses and dogs when things go awry, but it starts with us, and in the final analysis, we must take responsibility for the outcomes or nothing with our livestock handling will ever change. c
“I learned the hard way that if you can’t control cattle at a walk, chances are slim you can control them at a run.” worst. A terrified animal is very difficult to control and very dangerous as a result. It is worth spending time on the ground, most often in a round pen these days, using position and movement in concert with the horse’s movement to develop a level of trust and acceptance so that we can then start to ask for respectful yielding. Applying a settling process to cattle has value as well. We used to go to the pasture to move fresh spring yearlings and immediately start moving them with the expectation that everything would go as planned — and when things got Western,
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RANCHERS' SPECIAL
What Works For Us By TERRI MASON
E
ach year we interview ranchers from across the West about what works best on their place. Understandably, the terrain, weather patterns and ranges all differ, so it’s interesting to read how each outfit has adapted to their unique circumstances. In this issue, we are discussing branding.
TERRIL PIERSON
We start to brand around the first of June; we pretty much have the same crew and make the same circle every year. At our place, I like to gather early and be done branding before it gets real hot in the afternoon. But it seems like we’ve had a bit of a switch in this country in the last, say, 10 years — some of our crew have jobs off of the place, and they can’t get there until late, so sometimes we’re gathering in the afternoons and branding at four or five o’clock. I don’t like that. If you look around any waterhole, the cattle are lying around in the afternoon. In the morning, they’re usually moving and eating —they’re easier to handle in the morning and, yes, everything’s done a’ horseback. Not everything is done to the calves on branding day. When the calves are three or four days old, we catch them, dehorn them and put an ID tag on them. On branding day, they are branded, castrated and given an eight-way shot. I do the least amount of doctoring as I possibly can. Our vet bill is not very big because we don’t buy a lot of 30
Terril and Linda Pierson
Terril Pierson
East of Wardlow, Alta. Cattle brand: T quarter
Elevation: 2,180 feet (664 m)
medicine. I’ve been sayAverage annual precipitation: circle on the right rib ing this for years — I’m 10 to 12 inches Registered Herefords / not into shooting these Established: in the Pierson commercial herd cattle full of drugs and family since 1940 implants. It’s not necessary — and you can print that. I’m not very politically correct, and I ropers to slow down a bit because things get into a lot of arguments. happen pretty fast when the crew and Most of the time, we brand here at home. horses are fresh, and that’s when mistakes Sometimes it depends on moisture condican be made. But we’ve got a good branding tions and how we used our grass last year crew in this country. and where our cattle are — and I want to Something that I’ve really seen change brand in a grass pen. It’s a lot cleaner for in my lifetime is the number of women in the calves you are cutting and for your crew. the branding corral now. We lost a lot of They’re fairly big pens [half a football field]; our young guys to oilfield and other jobs, a guy’s got to reach a little to rope. but when I was a kid, there was never a We used a wood fire for years, but now woman in the corral. The girls didn’t start it just seems at branding time it’s pretty dry, showing up until the late ’60s, and now we so nobody’s wanting to light a wood fire wouldn’t have a branding crew if it wasn’t because the risk of fire is just too great. So for the women. we use propane, but I know that a wood fire The best part of any branding is the meal sure is the best heat for a good brand. when you’re done. Always has been in this I think the most important job is to get country. It’s kind of nice when you get with the calves vaccinated. I’ve got two responthe same crew and you can get the women sible women who come every year, one competing a little bit on the meal; it’s pretty on each side of the fire. We can have up to good grazing — and that’s what works on six calves stretched out, but I try to get the our place.” Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTO BY LINDA PIERSON
THE BEST PART
Pierson Ranch
Douglas Lake Cattle Co. Douglas Lake, B.C. Elevation: 2,600 to 6,000 feet Douglas Lake branding crew
(800 to 1,800 m) Average annual precipitation: 17 inches Established: 1884
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK
About 500,000 to 600,000 acres 7,000 head Hereford / Black Baldie
STAN JACOBS
PHOTO COURTESY STAN JACOBS
The brandings have changed since I’ve been here,” says well-known cow boss Stan Jacobs, who has been with the Douglas Lake Ranch for 31 years. “Working in the trap [corral] it has gone from flat-assers [a cowboy manually immobilizing a calf ] to Nord Forks. Then, of course, vaccination programs have changed, plus the use of pain medication, RFID tags — yes, it has changed. We start branding in late April, so when we’re doing an in-field brand, we gather the field to a trap [the ranch has facilities spread throughout the ranch] and brand about 450–500 calves a day. But if it’s a day where we are pairing out of a pasture and moving them to a different location to brand, then we’ll do about 250–300. In total, we’ll brand in excess of 6,000 head each spring. cowboycountrymagazine.com
A typical day for an in-field brand is simple: we gather the field into the trap, light a fire and go to branding. For a branding where we are moving: we gather a chunk of that country and pair off what we’re going to do that day — around 250 — move them, put them in the trap, brand them, let them out and pair them up. Generally, we’ll switch ropers about halfway through to give the horses a break and to give the guys a break, too. We only use wood heat for our fires. When we’re having those bigger brandings, we’ll have four Nord Forks on the ground, so it takes about 10 irons. It would take a pretty big propane fire to heat that many irons. I’ve never used propane. We keep 16–18 full-time cowboys here. We run the ranch with a few divisions: the North and the South. The day we’re branding doesn’t mean all the cowboys are there;
Cattle brand: III on the right hip (called “one-eleven”)
they might be working at something else. We can run our smaller brandings with 12 guys, and the larger brandings take about 16 guys. We have a fellow whose job is to deliver the vaccines and RFID tags to the site, and then he bails in and helps. Lots of times our fencing crew helps out when we brand too, but that’s not all that’s going on at the ranch that day. If we’re quite aways away, the cook will send a bag lunch, but generally once we’re done, we just go home and have a hot lunch. We’re usually done branding for the day by lunchtime. And, yes, all of the horses we use here on the Douglas Lake are bred, raised and trained here — and that’s what works for us.” c 31
Welcome   to the West
There are living cultures to experience in the Canadian West. The Indigenous cultures of the West Coast of B.C. have a thriving culture of potlatches, totem poles and unique art. The culture of the Plains First Nations shares its unique customs through award-winning centres and sought-after arts. The ranching culture, while not as old, has traditions of hospitality. What all of these cultures share is a deep pride in who they are — deep in the Canadian West. 32
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTO COURTESY GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA
Heritage Park Historical Village, Calgary, Alta.
CULTURAL CENTRES
First Nations Culture T
‘Ksan Historical Village and Museum Hazelton, B.C. Stunning structures, artifacts and ancient culture at ‘Ksan Historical Village. ksan.org
Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump Fort Macleod, Alta. This multi-award-winning World Heritage Site explores the buffalo hunting culture. headsmashedin.ca
Haida Heritage Centre at Kay - Llnagaay Haida Gwaii, B.C. Multi-award-winning centre features the ancient Haida culture of Haida Gwaii. haidaheritagecentre.com
Métis Crossing Smoky Lake, Alta. Métis Crossing is the first major Métis cultural interpretive centre in Alberta. metiscrossing.org
he ancient Aboriginal cultures of the plains and mountains in Canada celebrate their traditions with a wealth of festivals and multi-awardwinning cultural centres.
Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre 1000 Rancher Creek Road Osoyoos, B.C. The fascinating stories of Canada’s only desert and the rich culture of the Okanagan First Nations people. nkmipdesert.com
Wanuskewin Heritage Park Saskatoon, Sask. Multi-award-winning cultural centre featuring the historical and contemporary Indigenous culture. wanuskewin.com
FESTIVALS
Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre 4584 Blackcomb Way Whistler, B.C. Multi-award-winning cultural centre celebrating the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations. slcc.ca
14th Annual Manito Ahbee Festival May 15–19 Various locations. Winnipeg, Man. Celebrating Indigenous arts, culture and music in Winnipeg. manitoahbee.com Calgary Stampede July 5–14 Elbow River Camp, Calgary, Alta. The full camp set in peaceful surroundings offers a fascinating immersive culture and a powwow competition. calgarystampede.com
Duck Lake Regional Interpretive Centre Hwy #11 between Prince Albert and Saskatoon, Sask. Features the Willow Cree First Nation, Métis and Pioneer cultures, stories and artifacts. ducklakemuseum.com
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park South of Cluny, Alta. (well-marked signage). World-renowned cultural centre features the Siksika Nation Peoples’ culture and traditions. blackfootcrossing.ca
PHOTO COURTESY ABORIGINALBC.COM
31st Squamish Nation Youth Powwow July 12–14 2019, 100 Mathias Road West Vancouver. B.C. A powwow celebrating the First Nations youth. indigenousbc.com Annual Kamloopa Powwow August long weekend Tk’emlups te Secwepemc Powwow Grounds, Kamloops, B.C. Popular and exciting powwow and dancing competition. tourismkamloops.com Thundering Hills Powwow Aug 27–29 Maple Creek, Sask. Powwow dance competition and celebration. maplecreek.ca cowboycountrymagazine.com
Haida cultural tours, Haida Gwaii
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Guided tours on the grounds of Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre, Osoyoos, B.C.
Historic Sites & Ranches
T
he Canadian West is defined by the First Nations people, fur traders, miners, NWMP and cowboys who made this land their home and created a legacy and history that we honour.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Barkerville Historic Town Barkerville, B.C. A 19th century gold-mining town with Theatre Royal shows, exhibits, entertaining street theatre during the summer, and unique shops. Special events each summer. barkerville.ca Fort St. James National Historic Site Fort St. James, B.C. This restored, authentic Hudson’s Bay Company post comes alive in the summer with history guides recreating the 1896 fur trade era. fortstjames.ca Fort Steele Heritage Town Fort Steele, B.C. A Historic ghost town with preserved buildings and historic displays. Enjoy dramatic re-enactments of the town’s gold rush history of the 1890s. fortsteele.ca Historic Hat Creek Ranch Cache Creek, B.C. Explore the original buildings and the long-standing partnership between the Shuswap Nation First Nations. historichatcreek.ca Historic O’Keefe Ranch Vernon, B.C. Discover 19th century ranch and community buildings and heritage livestock. Visit their website for the full slate of cowboy and ranch events hosted onsite. okeeferanch.ca Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin Williams Lake, B.C. Features the history of the Secwepemc, Tsilhqot’in, and Dakelh First Nations, and the B.C. Cowboy Hall of Fame. cowboy-museum.com
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ALBERTA Glenbow Museum 130 9th Ave S.E. Calgary, Alta. Discover Western Canadian art and culture. glenbow.org Royal Alberta Museum 9810 103a Ave NW Edmonton, Alta. Enjoy Canadian and World culture. royalalbertamuseum.ca Heritage Park Calgary, Alta. Explore the largest heritage park in Canada; open year-round. heritagepark.ca Áísínai’pi Writing On Stone Provincial Park Milk River, Alta. Enjoy the nature preserve, vision- quest site and more. albertaparks.ca
Bar U Ranch NHS Longview, Alta. Tour this historic ranch and visitor centre in the foothills. pc.gc.ca Rocky Mountain House (NHS) Rocky Mountain House, Alta. A historic site of rival fur trading posts, pc.gc.ca Fort Calgary Calgary, Alta. Explore the original site of NWMP fort, with interpretive centre. fortcalgary.com Fort Museum Fort Macleod, Alta. Visit the home of the First NWMP Musical Ride. nwmpmuseum.com Fort Whoop Up Lethbridge, Alta. Trading post and centre of the illegal whiskey trade. fortwhoopup.com
SASKATCHEWAN Batoche NHS Batoche, Sask. Discover and learn about this Métis community and site of the 1885 North West Rebellion. pc.gc.ca
Motherwell Homestead NHS Abernethy, Sask. Explore a 1882 farmstead, with stone farmhouse from Western Canada settlement period. pc.gc.ca
Fort Walsh NHS Cypress Hills, (Maple Creek) Sask. Enjoy the costumed interpreters, activities and tours. pc.gc.ca
Western Development Museums Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Sask. Three museums, each celebrating Saskatchewan. wdm.ca
Fort Battleford NHS Battleford, Sask. Explore original NWMP buildings and enjoy tours. pc.gc.ca
RCMP Heritage Centre Regina, Sask. An independent museum encompassing the history and lore of the NWMP to today’s RCMP. rcmphc.com
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTO COURTESY SEAN FENZL
Echo Valley Ranch & Spa ~ Lose Yourself in the Magic
evranch.com • info@evranch.com • 1.800.253.8831 Located in the heart of BC’s Cariboo Country, 5 hours from Vancouver. cowboycountrymagazine.com
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MUSIC FESTIVALS Country At The Creek Ness Creek Festival Site June 20–23 Ness Creek, Sask. countryatthecreek.ca
Boot Hill Country Jamboree Aug 1–5 Bothwell, Ont. boothilljamboree.com
Cavendish Beach Music Festival July 5–7 Cavendish, PEI cavendishbeach music.com
Blueberry Bluegrass Festival Aug 2–4 Stony Plain, Alta. blueberrybluegrass.com
Back to Batoche Days July 18–21 Batoche, Alta. gdins.org Country Thunder Saskatchewan July 11–14 Craven, Sask. countrythunder.com The Gateway Festival July 26–28 Bengough, Sask. gatewayfestival.com Dauphin’s Countryfest July 27–30 Dauphin, Man. countryfest.ca Rockin’ River Music Fest Aug 1–4 Merritt, B.C. rockinriverfest.com Big Valley Jamboree Aug 1–4 Camrose, Alta. bigvalleyjamboree.com 36
Ivan Daines Friends & Heroes Pick-Nic Aug 8–11 Daines Ranch Innisfail, Alta. Facebook see: Ivan Daines Boots and Hearts Music Festival Aug 8–11 Burl’s Creek Event Grounds Oro-Medonte, Ont. bootsandhearts.com Extreme Mudfest Aug 15–18 Bonnyville, Alta. Extrememudfest.com Havelock Country Jamboree Aug 15–18 Havelock, Ont. havelockjamboree.com Country Thunder Alberta Aug 16–18 Prairie Winds Park Calgary, Alta. countrythunder.com
The Queen’s Cowboys
R
espected and admired around the world, and a favourite of Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, the RCMP Musical Ride is performed by a full troop of 32 riders and their horses. These men and women aren’t just “riders” but full-fledged members of the most famous police force in the world. Their stunning performance consists of intricate figures and drills choreographed to music. The Musical Ride performs in up to 50 communities across Canada between the months of May and October and helps raise thousands of dollars for local charities and non-profit organizations.
2019 RCMP MUSICAL RIDE TOUR May 11 Shawville, Que May 15 Ottawa Ont May 19 St-Albert, Ont May 26 Wendover, Ont May 31–Jun 1 Brome, Que Jun 5–6 Sorel-Tracy, Que Jun 7–9 Princeville, Que Jun 11 La Pocatiere, Que Jun 13 Ayer`s Cliff, Que Jun 16 Sainte-Catherinede-la-Jacques-Cartier, Que Jun 18–19 St-Felix-d’Otis, Que Jun 23 St-Elzear, Que Jun 27–30 Ottawa, Ont Jul 4 Blainville, Que Jul 5–6 Trois-Rivieres, Que Jul 10 Brigden, Ont Jul 12–13 Lexington, Ky Jul 18 Cochrane, Alta Jul 20 Stettler, Alta Jul 21 Beaumont, Alta Jul 23 Three Hills, Alta Jul 27 Pincher Creek, Alta Jul 28 Nanton, Alta Jul 31 Medicine Hat, Alta
Aug 2–5 Strathmore, Alta Aug 7 Westlock, Alta Aug 8 Fort Saskatchewan, Alta Aug 10–11 Fort McMurray, Alta Aug 13 Lac La Biche, Alta Aug 16 Blackfalds, Alta Aug 17–18 Rocky Mountain House, Alta Aug 21 Valleyview, Alta Aug 23 High Level, Alta Aug 25 Hay River, NWT Aug 26–27 Peace River, Alta Aug 29 Whitecourt, Alta Sep 1 Stony Plain, Alta Sep 8–9 St-Tite, Que Sep 15 Plantagenet, Ont Sep 19 Montreal, Que Sep 21 Ottawa, Ont Sep 27–29 West Springfield, Mass Oct 14 Brant, Ont Nov 1–3 Toronto, Ont
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTO COURTESY ANDREA_44/WIKIMEDIA
Summertime is music festival time, and here are some fun events to attend!
NATURE DEFINES US Just east of Edmonton is an island of nature. These forests, lakes and wetlands are known as the Beaver Hills. This special place has a rich conservation history and it contains some of the oldest protected areas in Canada. It was set aside as forest reserve in 1892 and was official designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2016. The Nature Conservancy of Canada will connect a natural corridor across this landscape by conserving private lands and connecting protected areas. Join other Albertans in creating a conservation legacy and ensuring this natural landscape is protected and accessible to future generations. Help us to connect and conserve the Beaver Hills.
Get involved, donate today at:
ConserveBeaverHills.ca www.natureconservancy.ca/ab
cowboycountrymagazine.com
1-877-262-1253
37
GUEST RANCHES
Enjoy the music and humour of the West COWBOY FESTIVALS 23rd Annual Kamloops Cowboy Festival March 14–17 (Mar 12–15, 2020) Coast Kamloops Hotel and Conference Centre Kamloops, B.C. bcchs.com
Cimarron Cowboy Music & Poetry Gathering Aug 23–24 Cimarron, New Mexico cimarroncowboygather ing.com
2019 Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival Apr 11–14 Old Town Newhall Santa Clarita, Calif. cowboyfestival.org
8th Annual Cowboy & Drover Jubilee Sep 7–8 Barkerville, B.C. barkerville.ca
Trail’s End Spring Preview April 12 Wild Wild West Event Centre Calgary, Alta. albertacowboypoetry.com
Trail’s End Gathering Sept 20–22 Wild Wild West Event Centre Calgary, Alta. albertacowboypoetry.com 30th Maple Creek Mustering Sep 20–22 Maple Creek, Sask. maplecreekcowboy poetry.com
Willow Creek Cowboy Gathering June 14–16 Stavely Arena. Stavely, Alta. wccowboygathering.com Montana Cowboy Gathering August 15–18 Lewistown, Mont. montanacowboypoetry gathering.com Stony Plain Cowboy Gathering Aug 16–18 Pioneer Museum Stony Plain, Alta. stonyplaincowboygather ing.com
Racing the wind, Cypress Hills, Sask.
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Bar Diamond Guest Ranch Buffalo, Alta. Experience ranch riding, jetboating and Badlands adventures in Cowboy Country. bardiamondguestranch.ca Bear Claw Lodge Kispiox, B.C. Enjoy sports from riding to heli-skiing at the small luxury lodge in the British Columbia wilderness. bearclawlodge.ca Brewster Adventures Banff, Alta. Enjoy a trail ride, a longer pack trip, sleigh rides and the Cowboy’s BBQ and Dance. brewsteradventures.com Copper Cayuse Outfitters Pemberton, B.C. Specializing in horseback tours ranging from one hour to the Great Sea to Sky Adventure. coppercayuseoutfitters.ca
Centre Peak High Country Adventures Burmis, Alta. Experience guided trail rides and ranch getaways on the slopes of the Livingstone Range. centrepeakhighcountry adventures.com Echo Valley Ranch & Spa Clinton, B.C. Luxurious retreat features a range of spa and guest ranch amenities. evranch.com La Reata Ranch Kyle, Sask. Enjoy full-on ranch activities, plenty of riding and water sports in Lake Diefenbaker. lareataranch.com Montana Hill Guest Ranch Bridge Lake, B.C. Discover a four-season experience of ranch activities, plus hiking in nearby Wells Grey Park. montanahillguestranch.com Sundance Guest Ranch Ashcroft, B.C. Relax and enjoy horseback riding, massage, swimming pool, and games room. sundanceguestranch.com Moose Mountain Horseback Adventures Bragg Creek, Alta. Enjoy adventures ranging from day rides to 10-day wilderness pack trips. packtrips.ca
PHOTOS COURTESY ANDY BEST; REESOR RANCH
Fly fishing at Landslide Lake, Clearwater County, Alta
Anchor D Guiding & Outfitting Black Diamond, Alta. Enjoy cabin rental and horseback mountain adventure vacations in Kananaskis Country. anchord.com
cowboycountrymagazine.com
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The Lifeblood of Camargue
Translation, interpretation and research by TERRI MASON Original article written and photographed by ROGER JOB and GAELLE HENKENS
I
magine yourself staying in a home built by the Knights Templar, and in the afternoon sitting with 20,000 people high in an ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans, watching age-old races between a bull and a man in a competition that dates from A.D. 1402. The ancient city of Arles in the Provencal region of France is the home of incredible history. This is the city where the Romans built, among other projects, the amphitheatre (les Arènes d’Arles) in A.D. 90, which is still in use today. The city is on one of the routes of the Camino de Santiago (Path to Santiago), a pilgrimage route to the tomb of the apostle St. James in the city of Santiago, dating back to A.D. 40
814. Arles is also the city that inspired over 300 of Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings (and the place where he severed his own ear, but that’s another story). It’s the home of the fantastic flamenco band, the Gipsy Kings, and most importantly for us and this tale — Arles is the central home of the Camargue bulls and the Camargue horses (pronounced cam-AHG).
Estelle Lescot sorting bulls at Lescot’s bull farm
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
COME CELEBRATE OUR RAILWAY TIES!
RV Campground • Garden Centre Historical Dining Car Restaurant • Gift Shop Caboose Cabins • Escape Rooms • Tavern Take a step back in time aboard a heritage railway, complete with live entertainment and a fun train robbery! Aspen Crossing is an award-winning tourism destination, less than 1 hour from Calgary. Canada’s 2nd location for The Polar Express™ Train Ride! A magical journey to the North Pole!
1 Km West of Mossleigh, AB on Hwy 24
1-866-440-3500
aspencrossing.com
WELCOME TO BAR DIAMOND
BAR DIAMOND IS THE HOME OF THE ONLY TWIN MEDICINE WHEELS SITE IN NORTH AMERICA, REPRESENTING AN IMPORTANT BLACKFOOT SPIRITUAL SITE.
Jim & Carol Hern 403.504.9743 • stay@bardiamondguestranch.ca bardiamondguestranch.ca cowboycountrymagazine.com
Experience Bear Claw Lodge, in the Kispiox Valley, in North Western B.C. Enjoy trail rides through river meadows, canyons, and pack trips into the surrounding mountains. We offer river rafting, kayaking, fly fishing, snorkelling with salmon, Totem Pole tours, and hiking. Relax in luxury at Bear Claw Lodge with your hosts, Gene & Joy Allen & family.
bearclawlodge.ca 41
The Bulls, the Horses, the Herdsmen
Raised for centuries in semi-feral conditions in the Camargue marshlands of southern France (designated a World Heritage Site in 1986), the black Camargue cattle are critical to the health of the grasslands and wetlands. The cattle are used for the traditional sport of course camarguaise. The cattle are kept in manades and herded by mounted gardians. Unlike the Iberian-style bullfighting where the bull dies, the Camargue bulls can have a career spanning 20 or more years.
Course Camarguaise (Camargue Races)
From the beginning of April until the end of October, the major races take place in Arles, in the Arles Amphitheatre. The course camarguaise is a bloodless bull-running where runners, called raseteurs, compete to snatch a rosette off the horns. It’s safe for the bulls, but hellishly dangerous for the raseteurs. The bulls are herded through the streets to the arena (the abrivado) by mounted gardians 42
and returned to the manade in the same way (the bandido) amidst a great deal of ceremony.
Camargue Horse
France has long been famous for her horses, and the tough Camargue is one of the reasons. An ancient breed indigenous to the area, it is considered one of the oldest breeds of horses in the world. The creamy white Camargue horse has always been central to the culture, from leading religious processions to the famous games. For thousands of years, these small horses have run wild in the harsh Camargue wetlands of the RhĂ´ne delta. There they developed the stamina, hardiness and agility for which they are known today. Mature Camargue horses are always white with black skin. They are born black or dark brown, and by the time they are around five, their hair is white. They are small horses, standing 13.1 to 14.3 hands and weighing 770 to 1,100 lbs. They are tough, intelligent and prized for their calm nature.
Every year the Camargue horses are blessed on the forecourt of the church Notre-Dame de la Major in Arles. Every two years the horsemen and their mounts make the pilgrimage to Lourdes.
CAMARGUE LINGO English Term
Term in Provençal Dialect
Camargue stallion
Grignon or grignoun
Branding in Camargue area
Ferrade
Semi-feral herd of cows or horses
Manade
Herder Gardian Apprentice herder
Gardianou
First of May in Arles. The new Queen of Arles rides into the ancient amphitheatre to acknowledge the crowd. The horsemen enter the arena via the same corridor once trod by the gladiators.
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
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As the master of ceremonies told the crowd of his long career, the famous bull, Sparagus, was brought into the Maugio Arena for his official retirement to the Camargue marshes, never to race again. When the exit door opened, Sparagus lingered in the arena a few minutes like an actor who does not want to leave the stage.
The Gardians
France has cowboys—damn good ones known as gardians — who are steeped in the ancient traditions of the region. Like Canadian ranchers, these people are in the fight of their life to save their critical ranching region from developers. Unlike Canadian ranchers whose main tool of cattle handling is the lariat, gardians use a long pole with a fixed trident on the end to control the cattle. Legend says this trident was a gift from Poseidon (God of the sea, earthquakes and horses). The gardians have their origins in the gardo-besti (cattle
keepers) of the Middle Ages (A.D. 500–1350) and follow a code of honour like the chivalry and courtesy of the knights of old. The Confrérie des Gardians (Brotherhood/Order of the Gardians) was founded in 1512. To diversify their income, the ranchers, called manadiers, take in paying guests, treating them to tours of the region on the white Camargue horses, plus many other events. These ranches are generational treasure troves, and like the prized Camargue cattle and horses, owe their very survival to these protective manadiers.
Experience the Camargue Region In this famous region of Provence, many of the bull and horse breeders offer the opportunity to explore areas from the back of a Camargue horse. It is possible to stay at family-owned ranches where you can ride the famous horses and experience this ancient culture. For more info, visit arlestourisme.com
“In the south of France, 100 herds are devoted to the breeding of Camargue bulls. It has nothing to do with the Spanish bullfighting culture where the bulls are killed in an arena. In the Camargue region, the bull is a star and it lives a long life.” In order to diversify their income, bull breeders organise a wedding at the farm following the Camargue’s traditions. Notice the trident-tipped poles carried by the gardians.
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Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
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CANADIAN COWBOY COUNTRY
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Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
Pro Rodeo
CANADA
INSIDER
PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL
RIDE ON, COWBOY! How busy is Orin Larsen’s accountant? We tallied his winnings from CFR to The American: CFR $44,465, WNFR $82,076.92, San Antonio $29,500 and The American $100,000. That’s over a quarter million dollars since November! As well, Larsen is the first Canadian to win The American, and the new PRCA rule states that $50,000 counts towards the PRCA World Standings. Image: Orin Larsen of Inglis, Man., winning the first round of San Antonio with 90 points on Calgary Stampede’s Zulu Warrior. More on page 50.
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Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
C.P.R.A.
2019 CPRA Schedule APRIL
Spring News With April upon us and a few events already complete, we’re about to move into a busy spring rodeo season. 2019 will see the return of over 50 established rodeos and events, and the CPRA is excited to welcome a number of new events.
PHOTO COURTESY CPRA
Several new bull ridings are on tap, including Picture Butte, Calgary and Lacombe in Alberta and Swift Current in Sask. Quesnel, B.C., will also be hosting a new saddle bronc event, and Rodeo Canada rough stock members can now enjoy the Glencross Invitational Charity Roughstock Event under the CPRA flag. Of note as well, is an expanded Finning Pro Rodeo Tour roster. The Grande Prairie Stompede has joined the Tour ranks once again while the existing Teepee Creek Stampede and a new venue, Regina, Sask., offer two new Tour stops … making the Pro Tour 11 rodeos strong. Thank you to everyone who attended the CPRA Annual General Meeting in Cochrane Feb 23. Members will see a few changes on the Board as we move into 2019. Keith Marrington from the Calgary Stampede is a new stock contractor director; Braidy Howes comes onboard as the ladies barrel racing representative and Jared Parsonage is now the bull riding rep. Other board positions remain unchanged, though the Association voted to return to an eight-and-one board voting configuration. I would also like to pass on a special thank you to Shane Franklin for the countless hours he has contributed to the CPRA Board. Your time and efforts are appreciated. The new Maple Leaf Circuit designation is starting to appear on the 2019 rodeo approvals. Look for more information soon, including a complete list of Maple Leaf Circuit rodeos and a location for the inaugural Maple Leaf Circuit Finals. Thank you, as well, to CPRA sponsors for your continued support of Canadian Professional Rodeo. If you or your organization would like to discuss partnering with Rodeo Canada, we have a number of opportunities available. Please feel free to contact us — we’d love to chat with you.Finally, the 2019 Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame (HOF) inductees were announced a few weeks ago. Congratulations to Rod Hay, Leon Laye and Bob Phipps in the contestant category, the late Dr. Gary Harbin, DVM as a builder and Franklin Rodeo whose bareback horse, Blue Ridge, will join the ranks of HOF animal inductees. In the meantime, enjoy the long-overdue spring weather. See you on the rodeo trail!
Terry Cooke, President, CPRA
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Medicine Hat, AB....................................... Apr 5–7 Picture Butte, AB * (BR)........................... Apr 12 Tofield, AB * (BR)........................................ Apr 13
MAY Drayton Valley, AB.................................... May 3–5 Stavely, AB................................................... May 9–11 Crowsnest Pass (Coleman), AB........... May 10-12 Innisfail, AB * (BR)..................................... May 11 Falkland, BC................................................. May 18–20 Swift Current, SK * (BR)........................... May 25 Grande Prairie, AB–Finning Pro Tour ........ May 30–Jun 2 Leduc, AB...................................................... May 30–Jun 2
JUNE Wildwood, AB * (SB)................................. Jun 1 Hand Hills, AB............................................. Jun 1–2 Brooks, AB................................................... Jun 7–8 Rocky Mountain House, AB.................. Jun 7–9 Lea Park/Marwayne, AB........................ Jun 7-9 Bonnyville, AB............................................. Jun 14–15 Innisfail, AB.................................................. Jun 14–16 Wainwright, AB–Finning Pro Tour ........... Jun 20–23 Sundre, AB................................................... Jun 21–23 High River, AB............................................. Jun 22–23 Ponoka, AB–Finning Pro Tour ................... Jun 25–Jul 1 Williams Lake, BC–Finning Pro Tour ...... Jun 27–30 Airdrie, AB.................................................... Jun 28–Jul 1
JULY Calgary, AB * (BR)...................................... Jul 2–4 Coronation, AB........................................... Jul 5–6 Benalto, AB.................................................. Jul 5–7 Taber, AB pending..................................... Jul 5–6 Teepee Creek, AB-Finning Pro Tour ........ Jul 12–14 Oyen, AB * (BR)........................................... Jul 17 Morris, MB -Finning Pro Tour ................... Jul 18–21 Quesnel, BC (SB)........................................ Jul 19–21 Kennedy, SK................................................ Jul 20–21 Medicine Hat, AB -Finning Pro Tour ....... Jul 25–27 Lacombe, AB * (BR)................................... Jul 27 Pollockville, AB * (SB)............................... Jul 27 Bowden, AB * (BB)..................................... Jul 27 Bruce, AB...................................................... Jul 28 High Prairie, AB.......................................... Jul 30–31
Canadian Pro Tour rodeos * Refers to special events All dates are subject to change Please visit rodeocanada.com for up-to-date information 49
Pro Rodeo Canada Insider
The Short Round
By TERRI MASON, BARB POULSEN
SOUTH OF THE BORDER SAN ANTONIO STOCK SHOW & RODEO, FEB. 7-23 Orin Larsen of Inglis, Manitoba, spurred out a spectacular 92.5-point score on Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage in the championship bareback riding final at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo to pocket $29,500. This is the second time Larsen has won the iconic Texas event; the CFRNFR qualifier was also the San Antonio Champion in 2016. Several other Rodeo Canada connections were among the well-paid money winners at the home of the Alamo, including a trio of Albertans — Larsen’s fellow bareback colleague, Connor Hamilton ($12,250); bronc rider, Zeke Thurston ($18,250) and steer wrestler, Tanner Milan ($16,500). Reigning Canadian Champion Bareback Rider Richmond Champion from The Woodlands, Texas, finished a half-point behind Larsen for a second-place haul of over $22,000.
Another Canadian titlist— three-time and reigning Tie-Down Champion, Shane Hanchey, of Sulphur, Louisiana, earned his first San Antonio win and $23,500, while CFR qualifier and World Champion Bronc Rider, Wade Sundell, captured the San Antonio title and earned $26,500 for his Iowa bank account. A number of Canadian bucking horses lit it up at San Antonio, as well. Go-rounds were won on Calgary Stampede buckers Soap Bubbles (2), Zulu Warrior (2),
Youngstown Rocket, Welcome Delivery, Y U R Frisky, Xavier Joan and Xecutive News, along with C5 Rodeo’s Oney and Makeup Face. Richmond Champion’s second-place 92-point ride in the bareback riding finale was aboard C5 Rodeo’s World and Canadian Champion, Virgil. And, it was great to see multi-awardwinning Hall of Fame pickup man, Gary Rempel, back in the arena. For complete San Antonio results, head to prorodeo.com
2019 Miss Rodeo Canada, Jaden Holle, is a force to be reckoned with. With two previously-won impressive crowns on her shelf — 2018 Calgary Stampede Princess and 2018 Claresholm Chad Besplug Invitational Queen — the accomplished rider from High River, Alta., is thrilled to be sharing her Métis and First Nations heritage and passion for rodeo with fans from around the globe. Wherever she is, chances are the future teacher will not need an interpreter. With an ear for languages, Jaden is accomplished in Spanish, French and English, and she is also getting back to her roots by learning Cree, the language of her grandparents. Jaden has also studied Mandarin and Portuguese and 50
encourages you to teach her a word or phrase in your native language! As Miss Rodeo Canada, Jaden’s prayer is that she can inspire people to have the courage to follow their calling and to become the best versions of themselves. For Jaden, this title not only represents being an ambassador for the sport and a role model for the littlest rodeo fans but also carrying on the Western spirit that makes this way of life special. Folks will have the opportunity to meet Jaden at professional rodeos and many other events. To invite Miss Rodeo Canada 2019 Jaden Holle to your event, visit missrodeocanada.ca.
2019 Miss Rodeo Canada, Jaden Holle
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTOS BY GREG WESTFALL; COURTESY MISS RODEO CANADA COMMITTE
2019 MISS RODEO CANADA
C.P.R.A.
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Congratulations to the 2019 Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Inductees
Rod Hay Contestant 19 CFR qualifications, 8 x Canadian Saddle Bronc Champion, 4 x Aggregate Champion, 6 x Season Leader, 19 NFR qualifications, 2007 NFR Aggregate Champion, and CPRA Career SB Earnings Record Holder (These are just a few of Hay’s accomplishments in the rodeo industry).
Leon Laye Contestant
Bill Boyd on Blue Ridge at the 2003 Bruce Stampede
2000 Canadian Steer Wrestling Champion and Season Leader, 15 CFR qualifications (14 in SW, 1 in TDR), and owner of the 1997 SW Horse of the Year, Tuffy.
BLUE RIDGE
PHOTO BY KEN MARCINKOWSKI
FRANKLIN RODEO COMPANY, BONNYVILLE, ALTA. “It was sure good news to hear Blue Ridge is getting inducted,” says Shane Franklin. “That little guy sure deserves it.” Blue Ridge was chosen as Canadian Bareback Horse of the Year in both 1995 and 1999. He was named Bareback Horse of the CFR in 1996. Blue Ridge was also recognized at the NFR for Bareback Horse of the Finals. “Them kind of horses go as long as they do at that level, and then get inducted into the Hall of Fame; that’s another notch on the wall that you’re doing something right after all that trial and tribulation,” says stock contractor Shane Franklin. “After all the years of riding around in them trucks, booming around at the rodeo grounds — I never think them top quality horses get enough recognition,” says Franklin. “He was down south quite a bit and, yes, he went often to both playoff games. He wasn’t really a buck-off cowboycountrymagazine.com
horse; he was a money horse. He did buck some guys off, but if you were really good — the calibre of Robin Burwash or Bill Boyd and you could ride at that level — if you weren’t first, you were damn sure second.” “There were plenty of record-setting rides on Blue Ridge,” says Franklin. “I remember Scott Lund getting 90 at Falkland, but the best bareback ride I ever seen made on that horse was Davey Shields Jr at Merritt — but he missed him out. Oh my God, other than Bruce Ford on Spade at the NFR — that Davey was going to be a record that was going to be hard to beat. God Almighty, that was good.” Blue Ridge was retired in the early part of the new century and enjoyed nearly a decade of retirement on the wild Franklin Ranch. He is buried alongside Hall of Famers Kingsway and Airwolf.
Bob Phipps Contestant Qualified for the very first CFR in 1974 and won the Canadian Bull Riding title in 1979. Bob went on to judge rodeos and work at the CPRA as Rodeo Administrator, Judging Director and CRES Manager, over a 10-year period.
Dr. Gary Harbin, DVM Builder A director on the Ponoka Stampede committee since 1974, Gary Harbin also sat on the CPRA board from 1985 to 1991. Gary was a founder of the Ponoka Stampede Youth Foundation and has served as president from 2016 – present. Gary is also a respected mentor in the Alberta veterinary community across Canada and into the U.S.
Blue Ridge, Franklin Rodeo Animal 1995, 1999 Canadian Bareback Horse of the Year; Bareback Horse of the 1996 CFR.
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Pro Rodeo Canada Insider Winston Bruce behind the chutes at the Salinas Rodeo in 1967
CONGRATULATIONS! KACE FLUNDRA
For over a decade, professional bronc riders have enjoyed vying for the Duane Daines Saddle Bronc Riding Series title. And rodeo committees have benefited from additional entries in the saddle bronc event, courtesy of their participation in the Series. The Series was originally initiated by Jeff Bryde of Kelowna, B.C., (and later administered by Jack Daines and the CPRA) after he witnessed Canadian and Calgary Stampede Champion, Duane Daines, suffer a careerending injury at Armstrong IPE. The award has been a staple at numerous CPRA rodeos ever since. Now the award will celebrate the memory of the late Winston Bruce. Bruce, a PRCA Hall of Fame inductee, was the 1961 World Champion and two-time Canadian Saddle Bronc Riding Champion who wore his buckles on his saddle’s breast collar and parlayed his rodeo prowess and prodigious memory into a lengthy second career as the arena director at the Calgary Stampede. Bruce was also known in rodeo circles for mentoring young bronc riders and for taking the Stampede Ranch’s bucking 52
horse program to a high level of excellence. CPRA saddle bronc riding director and many-time CFR-NFR qualifier, Dustin Flundra — who was instrumental in ensuring the popular series remained active — commented on the change in the Series’ name. “The Duane Daines Series has been a super rodeo series for years, for both cowboys and committees. With Duane stepping away from the award, it’s nice to honour Winston’s memory and contributions to professional rodeo. The two names associated with the Series have both cast large and impressive shadows on our sport.” One cowboy who capitalized on the Daines Series over the years was veteran bronc rider, Jim Berry. The Rocky Mountain House, Alta., cowboy will stand as the all-time winningest competitor in the Series, with six Daines’ titles to his credit, including one in 2018. The Winston Bruce Series, based on a point system, pays 10 places and offers a handcrafted buckle to the winner. For details, visit rodeocanada.com
Deb Copenhaver on Miss Klamath, Ellensburg Rodeo; 1952
EMPTY SADDLES DEB COPENHAVER, CRESTON, WASH. JANUARY 21, 1925–FEBRUARY 7, 2019 Deb Copenhaver, 1955 and 1956 World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider and three-time Calgary Stampede Champion, was a WWII vet and inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City and the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs. He was also honoured by the American Quarter Horse Assoc., as he also founded three QH racetracks, including Meadow Creek Racetrack in British Columbia.
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTOS COURTESY NATIONAL COWBOY HALL OF FAME/DICKINSON RESEARCH CENTER/DEVERE HELFRICH; BY TRESSIE SMITH
WINSTON BRUCE HONOURED
Congratulations to Dustin and Niki Flundra on the birth of their third son, Kace John Daniel, on January 14, 2019. Dad Dustin is a three-time Canadian Saddle Bronc Riding Champion and Mom Niki is an eight-time CPRA Dress Act of the Year and six-time NFR trick riding and Liberty act entertainer. The young couple ranch around the Pincher Creek area. Kace is the now youngest brother to Ridge and Shade.
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Pro Rodeo Canada Insider COMPETITOR PROFILES
Green’s Big Bang By TERRI MASON / BARB POULSEN
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Logan Biever celebrates his win at the Alpha Bull Chad Besplug Invitational Bullriding event in Claresholm, Alberta Feb 23, 2019. Photograph by Todd Korol
Biever Wins Besplug Invitational By TERRI MASON / BARB POULSEN
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othing beats a hometown hero winning the hometown event in front of a sold-out crowd. Describing it as “A dream come true,” moments after bull rider Logan Biever clinched the win at the 5th annual Chad Besplug Invitational, Biever had just turned in an 88-point ride on Outlaw Buckers’ Home Grown to finish in a 2/3 split in the short-go and first overall with 171 points on two rides for a $3,457 payday. It was the biggest win of Biever’s career to date. “You can’t wish for anything better,” the 20-year-old acknowledged. “I knew the crowd was pretty much on my side, and I was thinking this is one place you don’t want to fall off.”
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The southern Alberta talent dominated two excellent bulls — another Outlaw Buckers’ product, Village Idiot, for 83 points and second place in the long round before his roof-raising effort on Home Grown, the black white-face with CFR credentials for the winning ride. Biever is on a hot streak; he has ridden nine of his last ten bulls, and the confidence that comes with that kind of success is clearly building. “It’s never been better than it is right now,” Biever acknowledged. “I just want to keep it going.” For complete (unofficial) Chad Besplug Invitational Bull Riding results, visit rodeocanada.com c
arrett Green of Meeting Creek, Alta., has always enjoyed starting his bull riding season with a bang, and his win at Rebel Energy Services Bull Riding in Red Deer in mid-January added one more star to Green’s galactic career. “I know I’ve had a lot of success early in the year,” the four-time CFR qualifier acknowledged. “Now I just have to keep it going for the whole season.” Green compiled 170 points on two rides, the first, an 84-point effort on Vold Rodeo’s Corona Lite; the second, an 86-pointer on a Sawyer Pro Rodeo bucker called Blue Monkey, good for third in the short-go and enough to edge Jared Parsonage and rookie Riley Gagnon by just one half point for a win that netted Green $3,153. His shortround ride wasn’t without its challenges.
“Dennis [Halstead] had just finished an act, and the building was still pretty much in the dark,” Green explained. “They told me to nod, so I did, but the first couple of jumps were in the pitch black. Then the lights came on, but those first couple of seconds… that was a little different.” Coupled with a secondplace finish at Regina’s CPRA season opener [Agribition Pro Rodeo] in December, the lanky central Alberta athlete moves comfortably to first place in the Canadian standings, with $6,751 in earnings at press time. “I’m really looking forward to 2019,” he added. “Especially with getting off to a good start like this.” For complete Red Deer results, visit rodeocanada.com c
Garrett Green riding for the win Photo by Wildwood Imagery / Chantelle Bowman
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
102 Benalto Pro Rodeo nd
FAIR & STAMPEDE JULY 4 – 7 2019
WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS » Fire Works » Wild Pony Races » Daily Pancake Breakfast » Cowboy Church » Jr Rodeo » Bench Fair » Beer Gardens & Entertainment » Stock Contractor: Bar C5 Rodeo
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF OUR FANS DURING OUR ACTION PACKED, ADRENALINE PUMPING, FOUR DAY RODEO. Benalto Pro Rodeo would like to extend a special invite to past champions & competitors: Please call John @ 403-588-4231, or Neal @ 403-588-5772 for details.
Benalto Fair and Stampede, 1945
benaltoagsociety@yahoo.ca | benaltoagsociety.ca
Joining the PRO TOUR this year with $8000 added per event!
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Pro Rodeo Canada Insider ROAD TO THE CFR
CONNOR HAMILTON CANADA FIRST By TIM ELLIS
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ONNOR HAMILTON IS NO STRANGER TO THE BIG STAGE, AND HE’S HOPING FOR THE CHANCE TO
BE ON CANADIAN PROFESSIONAL RODEO’S BIGGEST STAGE COME LATE OCTOBER.
“It would be awesome,” says Hamilton of qualifying for the Canadian Finals Rodeo. “I got a little taste of it in the Novice, but they did such a good job in Red Deer last year, and I think it will only get better.” Hamilton qualified for the CFR in the Novice Bareback Riding and won the Canadian title in his only appearance in Edmonton in 2017. That championship came after winning back-to-back Novice trophies at his hometown Calgary Stampede in 2016 and 2017. 56
Connor Hamilton scoring 80 pts and winning the Round 1 in Novice Bareback of the 2017 CFR in Edmonton Photo by Mike Copeman
“That first one was a huge shock,” admits the 23-year-old who grew up a few kilometres away from the Stampede grounds in northwest Calgary. “It was the biggest event I’d ever been to.” But the winning has continued for Hamilton, who had competed at only a handful of rodeos prior to his first Calgary Stampede appearance, after making the switch to rodeo from junior hockey. “It’s been a lucky experience for me to switch over and be accepted in the rodeo world,” says the former member of the Calgary Mustangs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. “I’ve still got really close friends that I grew up playing hockey with, and I’ve made so many new, lifelong friends in rodeo.” Two of those new friends, Clint Laye and Ty Taypotat, are now Hamilton’s travelling partners for 2019. All three have their sights set on Red Deer in the fall. “They take care of me pretty good,” laughs Hamilton. “They’re two of the guys I’ve always looked up to. They say, ‘take care of Canada first and then take care of the U.S.’”
Last season, the approach was different, precipitated by Hamilton’s early success in his first season south of the border. “I started out the season with a few goals — make the CFR, the Circuit Finals and win the PRCA Rookie of the Year Award,” begins Hamilton. “Around the July 4th weekend, I started to win a bunch of money down south. Then I won close to $8,000 at the Caldwell Night Rodeo (in mid-August) and was second in the rookie standings, so I thought I better make a run at it. It didn’t look like I was going to make the Canadian Finals at that time, so I had a decision to make.” That decision was to continue entering in the U.S. in hopes of winning the Rookie of the Year Award. He ended up second and finished 36th in World Bareback standings. “My hope is to have the Canadian Finals Rodeo made early this season, so I don’t have to worry about it,” suggests Hamilton, who won the CPRA’s first event of the 2019 season in Regina, Sask. “To have $4,500 won already is a huge advantage for me. That’s almost as much as I won in Canada in all of last year.” C
Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
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Saturday Night Cowboy Cabaret featuring Jamie Woodfin!
HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO RIDE AT THE 2019 CALGARY STAMPEDE?
4 thrilling Pro Rodeo Performances with world class stock from Calgary Stampede, Franklin, & Chute 9 Award-winning rodeo clown Dennis Halstead
The Calgary Stampede is accepting entries for Novice Events on May 22 - 23, 2019.
Niki Flundra - specialty act NEW! Indian Relay Races
NEW! Saloon on the grounds And Much More!
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Novice Saddle Bronc - Novice Bareback Riding - Junior Steer Riding For full details: Calgarystampede.com/noviceentries bmcgrath@calgarystampede.com
Show office: 403-638-3055 Email: info@sundrerodeo.com Get your tickets!
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CANADA Did you miss any fascinating back issues of Pro Rodeo Canada Insider?
Dedicated to professional rodeo, the PRCI is available for free digital download, beginning with our Apr/May 2016 issue.
To read (or re-read!) about some of Canada’s greatest professional rodeo competitors, visit
cowboycountrymagazine.com/ pro-rodeo-canada-insider … and be sure to support your rodeo sponsors!
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Canadian Cowboy Country December 2018/January 2019
CLOWNIN’ AROUND | CRASH COOPER
Ash Cooper Art and Ranch Gallery
ur Prime Minister is covering up faster than a tomcat with diarrhea cowboycountrymagazine.com
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Branding Day Fare CREAMY SAUSAGE STEW This stew is even better the next day! 30 medium potatoes, cut into 1-1/2” pieces 6 large onions, cut into quarters 3 large green peppers, cut into 1” pieces 3 large red peppers, cut into 1” pieces 6 lbs smoked Polish sausage, cut into 1”pieces 1 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp. dried basil 6 tsp. salt 3 tsp. pepper 3 pints whipping cream 9 tbsp. cornstarch 9 tbsp. water
Directions Place potatoes in roaster, add onions, peppers and sausage. Toss gently. Combine oil, basil, salt and pepper, and pour over the meat and vegetables and toss well. Cover and bake at 350˚F for 45 min utes, then stir. Add the cream, cover and bake 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Combine the cornstarch and water, and stir it into the stew. Turn up the heat on the roaster to 450˚F and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Feeds 36. Use a large electric roaster.
As with many brandings, you can count on quite a spread. In fact, sometimes we think folks just show up for the food! Shirley Horricks of the Bar HA Ranch whips up this recipe for Creamy Sausage Stew, and her sister, Shelley Hamende, does up the Perogies. Both recipes are met with rave reviews. Recipes contributed by Shirley Horricks from Bar HA Ranch in Ministik, Alta.
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gra eese Perogies (907 5 bags of Potato Ch bags or 10 lbs) lf cream 2 Litres Half & Ha am cre 2 Litres whipping
o smal l pieces
2 lbs bacon, cut int 4 large onions 1 lb butter
r 15-20 minutes in a 350°F oven fo ke ba d an s eet sh baking the onions, and rogies on sprayed until crispy. Chop con ba y Fr and r). ste Layer the frozen pe roa in the er perogies, onions n’t stick together king spray, then lay coo of th wi re lit er (this is so they do 1 st d roa an ya half cream 1 lb of butter. Spra ur 1 litre of half & Po . ip etc wh cook them in the d con an ba r, lf ning half & ha ies, onions and butte ve pour in the remai mo en ly th , butter, bacon, perog nt ge tle s; set ur it ho about 2-1/2 the perogies, let for er 5°F ov 32 am at cre ke g in Ba whipp st covered. e perogies are almo ping cream until th gh cooking time. rou th y wa about half the perogies around use foil pans. ster, but you could roa ic ctr ele e rg la a Feeds 70. We use
Directions
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Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTO BY ALEKSANDAR MIJATOVIC/ADOBE STOCK, IMAGES COURTESY PEXELS
nding Perogies For Bra
COWBOY CHURCHES
Camp along the historic Cowboy Trail, Hwy 22
Nechako Valley Cowboy Church Last Sun. of every month, 7 p.m., Nechako Community Church Building, Hwy 16 E, Vanderhoof, B.C., 250‑567‑4960 Open Valley Cowboy Church Every Sun., 6:30 p.m., Head of the Lake Hall, past the O’Keefe Ranch on Hwy 97, Vernon, B.C., 250‑503‑0707 Boomtown Trail Cowboy Church 2nd and last Wed. of every month, 7 p.m., Elnora Drop‑In Centre, Elnora, Alta., 403‑749‑2047
900 Griffin Rd E, Cochrane, AB 403–932–4675
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Clearwater Cowboy Church Every Thur., 7 p.m., Dovercourt Hall, Hwy 22, north of Caroline, Alta., 403-844-6641 Community Cowboy Church Every Tue., 7-8 p.m., Niton Community Hall, Main St., Niton, Alta., 780-795-2326 Cowboy Trail Church Every Tue., 7 p.m., Cochrane Ranche House, 101 Ranchehouse Rd., Cochrane, Alta., 403‑638‑4254 Heartland Cowboy Church 1st and 3rd Tue. of every month, 7 p.m., Stettler Agriplex, 4516‑52 St., Stettler, Alta., 780-877-2331 James River Cowboy Church Every Wed., 7 p.m., James River Community Hall, 2.5 km S of James River store or 11.5 km N of Sundre on RR 53, Alta., 403‑638‑6439 Pipestone Cowboy — Cowgirl Church 2nd Mon. of every month, 7 p.m., Pipestone Café, Hwy 795, 11 km north from junction Hwy 13 and 795, Pipestone, Alta., 780-312-8653 St. Albert Cowboy Church Every Fri., 7 p.m., 60 Liberton Dr., St. Albert, Alta., 780-459-2222 The Cowboy Church Every Fri., 7:30 p.m., Centre Park Church, 52 Peacock Dr., Sherwood Park, Alta., 780‑918‑5530 Viking Cowboy Church Last Fri. of every month, 7:30 p.m., Viking Auction Market, junction of Hwy 26 and 36, Viking, Alta., 780‑384‑2114 Willow Valley Cowboy Church 2nd Sun. of every month 10:00 a.m., 26016 Hwy 595, 15 km east of Red Deer, Red Deer County, Alta., 403-347-0206 Battlefords Cowboy Church 1st and 3rd Thur. of every month, 7 p.m., Legion Hall, 22 St., Battleford, Sask., 306-937-2733 Diamond C Cowboy Church Every Tue., 7:30 p.m., 208 Sidney St., Maple Creek, Sask., 306‑662‑3431 Cowboy Valley Church 4054 PR 432 Morden, Man., 204-822-9909
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COWBOY POETRY
Lost in the Dark By MATT ROBERTSON
Have you ever ridden on a night so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face? Much less a fence—but your pony stops, so you get off to find the gate That colt you’re riding is plenty tired, the darkness has made him tense He shies to the end of the bridle rein and he bounces off the fence By the grace of God you hold on, and he settles down some You’re wishing now you’d a started sooner, ‘cause you’re not sure the way you come. But you’ve been out visiting neighbours, and you know how that can go Time flies when you’re having fun, and it’s after one before you know There must be a front moving in. There’s no wind but it’s dang cool You think of your coat hanging on the round corral gate back home like a danged fool Well, you get the gate shut and you slip back on, he’s moving before you sit You slide in there nice and easy, ‘cause he’s about as green as they get. You go a ways; you think you hear a cow bawl, then you think you hear a crick But dang, you think you hear a lot of things when the darkness is so thick You could wear it like a blanket, almost feel it on your skin You’re wishing you’d rode an old horse that knows just where he’s been Every hole, every rock, every bush and every ledge seems to trip up that colt and set you right on edge You take holt your reins and rope; no one will see you ride this way But if he was to lay you down out here they wouldn’t find you til the light of day You sure don’t enjoy riding in this dark embrace You been working less than a month in this one particular place And you don’t really know the country, your colts only got a few rides The cold and dark starts creeping in and tightens up your insides You can’t tell up from down, much less West or East, You’d like to lay your hand down, you’d like to trust the beast
“Lost in the Dark” is recorded on Matt Robertson’s music CD, The Old Roan Horse.
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Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019
PHOTO BY MATT LEE/ UNSPLASH
He’d probably pull you through, probably get you home Or you could find yourself covered by a morning dew all cold and alone It’s funny how life can sometimes turn out like a short little ride And you get caught out in the dark and fear starts to creep up inside And you can let it take control, leaving you cold and alone Or you can let that pony have its head and let the Lord guide you home.
y w here
t h e Wo r
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is Canadian Cowboy?
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Where in the World er
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Years ago, a friend sent in a photo of Canadian Cowboy Country at the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We published the photo, and “Where in the World” was born. Hundreds of photos later, we created the “Where in the World” page on our website so each image is appreciated. Thank you to everyone for contributing — and please, keep those photos coming!
M Debbie
arrie C e n o Sim ica Jama
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ewan h c t a k s e Sa k a L u o t i n, Man rrin e P g r a M land Grace ess c n i r P n India f China e d e p Stam Great Wall o y r a g l a 2012 Cia Crowshoe, Amel
zon, u a L k c Ja m Willia tcheon, McCu ergeant and Sse Quesnel Tyler Maryke, B.C. e Soo t i k n o r K Jamaica
Charles Keyer Kenya
tie” d r e B “ a t Roberence, Scotlan Lawr
Through Every Season The Wrangler Cowboy Cut Denim Jacket You layered it this winter, and now you’ll welcome this unlined classic for Spring. An iconic look, this jacket just gets better with age.
Live your own west
Calgary • Cochrane • Edmonton • Fort Saskatchewan • Spruce Grove • Red Deer • Lethbridge • Camrose • Olds 64
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Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2019 Medicine Hat • Lloydminster • Strathmore • West Kelowna • Kamloops • Prince Albert • Regina • Saskatoon
