! E AS S TH V EG PION OM T O FR LE AF H A M C PLE T HE
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TV Westerns Memorabilia Collection
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A Cowboy’s Cow Boss Mike Ferguson
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Tips for a Safer Calving Season
HORSE ARCHERY
Modern-Day Warriors Western Art Guide Exhibitions, Art Auctions & Must-See Museums What Does it Take To Be a Pick Up Man? PM# 40070720
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 • $5.95
the
Coeur d’Alene Art Auction Fine Western & American Art
The 2019 Coeur d’Alene Art Auction realized over $17 million in sales at the single largest event in the field of classic Western & American Art. 2
We are now accepting a limited number of quality consignments for our 2020 Auction to be held July 25 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev. Visit our website at www.cdaartauction.com tel. 208-772-9009 info@cdaartauction.com
Charles M. Russell (1864–1926), Planning the Attack (detail), watercolor on paper, 9 × 12 inches, Estimate: $150,000-250,000
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
In This Issue
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 | VOLUME 23, NO. 5
22 Features
30
Mike Ferguson
22 On the Cover Kenton Miller in full regalia competing in horse archery under the hot Arizona sun. Horse archery, or mounted archery, is an internationally acclaimed sport rapidly finding its target audience in Canada.
PHOTO BY BILL BORGWARDT
Photo by Genie Images/ Jeanne Shepherd
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Cowboy Collector TV memorabilia collection from Bonanza to Zorro and all of the cowboys in between
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Horse Archery
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COWBOY WAY
Enthusiasts around the world are polishing the skills of modern day warriors
Beat the Calving Blues Dylan Biggs outlines his methods and tips for a safer calving season
Emotion & Art The big exhibitions, the prestigious art auctions and the “must-see” art events of the season
20 TRAILBLAZERS
For years, cow boss Mike Ferguson ramrodded the herds of Douglas Lake Ranch
WESTERN ART GUIDE
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Championship Updates Highlights from the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals to the WNFR
Departments 5 My Point of View 7 In the Corral 11 Western Art Review 12 Spirit of the West 14 Wheel to Wheel 16 Some Days Are Diamond 18 Reflections 37 Pro Rodeo Canada Insider 47 Clownin’ Around 50 Cowboy Poetry 3
THE 2020 SPIRIT OF THE WEST Alaska Cruise & McLennan Ranch Visit
July 15 – July 25, 2020 Hugh & Billie’s cruise-hosting retirement
Call Cruise Vacations of Winnipeg: 204-954-2095 or toll free: 1-800-530-0131
WW W.HUG H-MC LE N N A N.CO M
February/March 2020 Vol. 23, No. 5 Editor Terri Mason terri@cowboycountrymagazine.com Copy Editor Tamara Aschenbrenner tamara@cowboycountrymagazine.com Art Director Zuzana Benesova zuzana@cowboycountrymagazine.com Graphic Designer Erin Murphy erin@cowboycountrymagazine.com Publisher Rob Tanner rob@cowboycountrymagazine.com Sales Manager Kristine Wickheim kristine@cowboycountrymagazine.com Sales Representative Kathy Kelley kathy@ cowboycountrymagazine.com Traffic Coordinator Cheryl Lindquist traffic @ cowboycountrymagazine.com Subscription/Circulation Marie Tanner circ @cowboycountrymagazine.com Accounting Administrator Catherine Staszkiewicz admin @ tanneryoung.com Customer Relations Manager Marie Tanner marie @ cowboycountrymagazine.com Columnists Tim Ellis, “Diamond” Doug Keith, Hugh McLennan, Billy Melville, Bryn Thiessen Contributors Dylan Biggs, Bill Borgwardt, CrAsh Cooper, Daryl Drew, Billie-Jean Duff, Dallas Duffy, Dianne Finstad, Clay Guardipee, Howard Halbert, Adeline Halvorson, Dan Hubble, Bruce Kiskaddon, Frederic Remington, Allen Sapp, Gary Schildt, Jeanne Shepherd Tanner Young Publishing Group #430, 8170–50 Street, Edmonton AB T6B 1E6 Tel: 780-465-3362 | Toll Free: 1-800-943-7336 Website: cowboycountrymagazine.com E-mail: askus @cowboycountrymagazine.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Call Marie at 1-800-943-7336 1 Year: $21.43 + tax | 2 Years: $35.71 + tax 3 Years: $46.45 + tax | Single Copy: $5.95 + tax Canadian Cowboy Country magazine is published six times per year by Tanner Young Publishing Group PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40070720 ISSN 1701-1132 Please return undeliverable addresses to: Canadian Cowboy Country magazine #430, 8170–50 Street, Edmonton AB T6B 1E6 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
FSC logo “This project is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada.” «Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada.»
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MY POINT OF VIEW
Hope Springs Eternal
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ILLUSTRATION BY LE STEVENS
oon, those of us fortunate enough to live near native grass will see the first gift of spring — the crocus. The wild crocus only grows on land that has not felt the bite of the plough. A few years ago, my sister, Wendy, and her husband, Bryan, came to visit me, so of course, we toured the Cypress Hills. The steep slopes and deep coulees were a riot of lavender crocus, and she realised that she hadn’t seen a wild crocus since she was a kid in tiny Sunnyslope, Alta. There’s something about this delicate-looking flower emerging from the snows of winter that brings to mind the quote, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast …” (An Essay on Man, Epistle 1, Alexander Pope, 1688–1744). Last summer I visited the Rock-NRail Ranch by Olds, Alta., to interview the freshly minted champion mounted archer, and to try my hand at the ancient sport. Once you’ve watched Disney’s Brave, archery off horseback looks easy. It’s definitely not as easy as it seems but I “get” it — there was a tremendous feeling of accomplishment as I stood maybe 20 feet away and after numerous tries, finally thunked an arrow into a target.
We are still happily following the rhythms of the range and in this issue, our esteemed cowman, columnist and clinician, Dylan Biggs, writes about some steps that ranchers can take to have a safer and calmer calving time. Also on the subject of calving, I want to thank the two accomplished ranchers I interviewed, Stephen Hughes of southern Alberta and Ryan Beierbach of eastern Saskatchewan, for sharing what works for them during this most wonderful time of the year. So here it is, months — and in some cases, thousands of years — of work encapsulated in this one issue. Soon the snows will melt, the rains will fall, and the lavender symbol of hope, the crocus, will once again be unleashed from the earth, and once again, hope springs eternal — here in 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.
facebook.com/cowboycountrymag
— Terri Mason, Editor
XXX XXXXXX JUN/JUL’21 JOE SMITH RR 1 EDMONTON, AB T6B 2L5
@CowboyCntryMag 5
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
CONTRIBUTORS
Bill Greathouse
Readers’ Survey Hey Mr Tanner, I was trying to complete this 2019 Reader Survey, but there is just so much that I cannot fill in. I thought that I’d just mention why I enjoy your magazine. I am nearly 17 years old and my goal is to own and run a large cattle ranch as soon as God allows. Your magazine gives me a lot of inspiration and advice that I am saving, for if that day comes. I read a lot on animals, ranching, and farming and your magazine is one resource I read regularly. I find most of the content very enjoyable, and eagerly await every new issue! Thanks for everything! — Anoymous Reader
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CONTRIBUTORS
I just read your article on Bill Greathouse in the Oct/Nov issue of your magazine. I had the privilege of growing up on the ranch that was once owned by Wilkinson and McCord. I do believe it was then sold to Roy Poynter and then came to end up being the Dumaresq Bros. ranch, encompassing some 17,000 acres split into two yard sites, four miles apart. My family lived on what is known as the “Poynter place” and the Poynter barn still stands. Side note: Poynter also owned the renowned bucking horse, Grey Ghost. Over the years I have had the honour and pleasure of being present while some of the local oldtimers told the Bill Greathouse story and the lifesaving medicine run and many other stories much like it. I find it gratifying to finally see these stories in print. My hat’s off to you, Mr Drew. — Darren Fischer, Rimbey, Alta. (I grew up northeast of Consort on the west shore of Sounding Lake.)
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1 Dylan Biggs
3 Daryl Drew
Cowboy Way: Part 6 of 6, Beat the Calving Blues, page 27
Trailblazers: Mike Ferguson, page 20
For over 20 years Dylan has traveled extensively, sharing his knowledge of lowstress cattle handling with producers through livestock handling demonstrations. Dylan, his wife Colleen and children run TK Ranch near Hanna, Alta. TKRanch.com
2 Bill Borgwardt Living Legends: Wytse deVries, page 22 Multi-award-winning photographer and feature writer Bill Borgwardt has been a part of the country music scene in Canada and the U.S. since 1966. He covers well over a hundred country music events each year.
Daryl Drew has been writing for Canadian Cowboy Country for over a decade. A horse trainer and historian, he has horse packed into the mountains from the Yukon to Mexico.
4 Dianne Finstad PRCI: What Does it Take? page 44 With more than 30 years behind the rodeo chutes, that’s still Dianne’s happy place, covering the sport she loves best. The muchfeted reporter is an inductee into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
IN THE CORRAL NEWS, VIEWS & HAPPENINGS FROM ACROSS THE CANADIAN WEST
PHOTO BY WILDWOOD IMAGERY/CHANTELLE BOWMAN
Lakeland Champs! Congratulations to the 2019 Lakeland Rodeo Association Champions, whose fates were decided at their Showdown Finals in St. Paul, Alta. The relatively young rodeo association was founded in 1979, with rodeos held mainly in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The association has figured prominently in some formidable rodeo careers, including Rod Warren (SB), Bill Boyd (BB), Tyler Pankewitz (BR), Riley Warren (TDR), Curtis Cassidy (SW), Stacey Ruzicka (LBR), Murray Linthicum/Rocky Dallyn (TR), Taylor Manning (Peewee Barrels), Rene LeClercq (Jr Barrels), Kevin West (Jr Bulls), Kagen Schmidt (Jr Steers), Zeke Thurston (Novice Horse Riding), Dean Tuftin (All-Around), and Travis Reay (Cowboy of the Year). The first rodeo of the 2020 season goes in April in St. Paul. For more, visit lakelandrodeoassociation.com
Top row, from left: Kale Peterson (Header & Timed Event High Point), Cory Dunlop (Heeler & Timed Event High Point), Ty Ward (Steer Wrestling), Beau Cooper (Tie-Down Roping), K’s Thomson (Saddle Bronc, Bull Riding, Rough Stock High Point and All-Around), Justin Randle (Bareback), Luke Shield (Novice Horse Rider). Bottom row, from left: Keston Loewen (Junior Steer Rider), Kallie Beebe (Junior Barrels), Grace Havens (Pee Wee Barrels), Lyric Strzepek (Ladies Barrels), and Darrion Ferrence (Junior Bull Rider).
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IN THE CORRAL
Makayla Boisjoli on her palomino rope horse, Shooter, wrapping up the Average in Round 4 of the WPRA World Finals
Congratulations to breakaway roper Makayla Boisjoli of Calgary, Alta., who now resides in Stephenville, Texas, and won the Average at the Women’s Professional Rodeo Assoc., World Championships held in Waco, Texas at the end of October. What was once a junior rodeo event has emerged as a popular, crowd-pleasing sport. Money-wise, it rapidly went big time with the top four earners in the WPCA World standings topping $50,000 in as little as 12 rodeos. In part, breakaway is proving popular due to its blazing speed. How fast is it? At the World Championships, Boisjoli roped four head in a combined 10.7 secs. Kelsie Chace of Cherokee, OK, was declared the World Champion with earnings of $51,709.24 over 19 rodeos. Boisjoli finished 13th with earnings of $12,441.44 in six rodeos and the only other Canadian in the standings was Lakota Bird of Nanton, Alta., who finished 87th with earnings of $2,650 in two rodeos.
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is Canadian Cowboy? Fort Worth, Texas
, Texas –
Where in the World
th
ort Wor –F
Embracing their cowboy past is the hallmark of Texas, and nowhere is it more evident than at Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District. The 98-acre (40 ha) site pays tribute to the stockyards, which opened in 1866. Today, The Stockyards consist of entertainment and shopping venues that capitalize on the “Cowtown” image of Fort Worth, including a boot company, Western wear stores, a nightclub, an “Opry” and a weekly rodeo. As well, volunteers trail a twicedaily cattle drive of Longhorns through the stockyards. The National Register of Historic Places listed the Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District in 1976, and the area attracts some 8.5 million visitors a year, including premiere WPCA chuckwagon driver, Obrey Motowylo and his wife, Angie, of Bluffton, Alta.
Future Super Stars The key to a successful rodeo is the rough stock. If the horses buck, then everyone agrees it was a good rodeo — it’s as simple as that. These days, stock contractors are in a far better position to obtain the best stock because of the rise in exciting bucking horse futurities. In 2019, Red Deer enjoyed their first annual Red Deer Classic Bucking Horse Futurity presented by members of the World Futurity Assoc. The small but rodeo-savvy crowd saw a great set of horses matched with a great set of cowboys and, based on its success, plans are already underway for another futurity during 2020 CFR Week. The Top Horse of the Futurity was Jarrett Jackson’s 408 bay paint filly who marked 86 pts. Jarrett also won the Top Remuda (a remuda is one bareback horse and two saddle bronc horses) with his second team with an aggregate score of 244 pts. The top six futurity horses were: 1. 408 bay paint filly (SB) Jarrett Jackson 86 pts 2. 513 Shamus (SB) Frank Wyzykoski 85.50 pts 3. 573 Dark House (BB) Barcode Buckers 84.50 pts 4. 501 bay gelding (SB) Jarrett Jackson 84 pts 5. 505 brown gelding (SB) Jarrett Jackson 82 pts 6/7. 28 Quigley (BB) Billy McDonald Rodeo Co. 81.50 pts 6/7. 647 Can’t Touch This (SB) MX Bar Ranch 81.50 pts The cowboys also earned some jingle for their jeans, and the top six test pilots were: 1. Pascal Isabelle, Okotoks Barcode Buckers, 573 Dark House 83 pts 2. Lachlan Miller, Crossfield MX Bar Ranch, 647 Can’t Touch This 77.75 pts 3. Justin Berg, Camrose Frank Wyzykoski, 480 Supercool 77.25 pts 4. Jessey Lannin, Fort Saskatchewan Jarrett Jackson, 508 red paint stallion 75.75 pts 5. Tanner Young, Eckville Frank Wyzykoski, 481 Diamond Lil 75.5 pts 6. Chance Barrass, Yellowhead County Sorken Rodeo, X71 Yellow Rose 74.5 pts Pick up men: Colin McNiven and Philip Schellenberg Judges: Ken Ullery, Chris Koening, Devin Borton and Doug Goodine
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
PHOTOS BY JULIANNA MCDONALD PHOTOGRAPHY; JAMES PHIFER; COURTESY ANGIE MOTOWYLO
Breakaway!
Jarrett Jackson’s spectacular saddle bronc
2019 CCA Champs! The 2019 CCA Finals held in Swift Current, Sask., was a big success and the future is bright for a continuation of the marquee event as the contract was extended to 2026. The CCA Finals Rodeo is one of Canada’s largest rodeo events, featuring seven major events and two junior
events. Alongside the five rodeo performances, the event also featured a trade show, rope horse futurity, breakaway roping, high school rodeo and rodeo cabaret. For more, visit swiftcurrent.ca.
The 2019 Canadian Cowboys Association Champions, from left: Brady Chappel (Team Roping, Heeler), Braidy Davies (Team Roping, Header), Brady Bertram (Bareback), Coleman Watt (Saddle Bronc), Jeff Heggie (Steer Wrestling), Adam Gilchrist (All Around), Chad Hartman (Bull Riding), Riley Warren (Tie-Down Roping), James Perrin (Junior Steer Riding), Kaybree Zunti (Junior Barrels), Dana Lovell (Ladies Barrels)
PHOTO BY CHANTELLE BOWMAN/WILDWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY; COURTESY CALGARY STAMPEDE; JAYCONTWAY.COM
EMPTY SADDLES
Unique View Jay Contway 1935–2019
Jay Joseph Contway was born Feb 13, 1935, in Malta, Montana, and passed away Nov 21, 2019, in Great Falls, Montana. During his storied life, he was a teacher, watercolour artist, champion professional roper and world traveller. He was internationally renowned as a Western artist, most notably for his bronze sculptures, which were awarded to the Calgary Stampede Champions for 31 consecutive years. It was said that “no one made a better cow horse than Jay Contway.”
cowboycountrymagazine.com
The Calgary Stampede unveiled the 2020 Calgary Stampede Poster created by 17-year-old Ariel Clipperton of Calgary, Alta. As the winner of the competition, Clipperton is also the recipient of a $10,000 scholarship, provided by the Brandon Flock Foundation. The 2020 Stampede poster will be distributed worldwide, with more than 30,000 printed and will be seen on official Stampede merchandise. Clipperton’s artwork shows a behind-the-scenes perspective of the Stampede Rodeo. The poster portrays a cowboy standing behind the bucking chutes inside the Calgary Stampede rodeo arena. His back number is 108, signifying the 108th year of the exhibition.
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IN THE CORRAL
Roy Honoured The Calgary Stampede has named one heckuva draft horseman as one of the recipients of the 15th Annual Western Legacy Awards. Congratulations to Bruce Roy of Cremona, Alta., as one of the 2019 Western Legacy Award recipients. A Calgary Stampede volunteer for 60 years, Bruce Roy has brought an international profile to the Draft and Heavy Horse community in southern Alberta. He is also one of the co-creators responsible for bringing in the Calgary Philharmonic to play during the six-horse hitch, creating one of the most popular classes among participants and spectators alike. At 82 years old, Bruce continues to make valuable contributions, sharing his knowledge and expertise locally and on the international stage and is humbled when asked to speak on his many personal and professional achievements. Congratulations, Bruce — well deserved!
Watch Fob?
Bruce Roy (cowboy hat) and his grandson, Rein, driving a 12-horse hitch of Clydesdales and Percherons
In the last issue, I showed this photo and asked if anyone knew what this was. It is inscribed: “1912 Calgary Stampede” — but there was no indication what this souvenir actually was. We heard from the well-known collector and noted historian Fred Hauck of Redcliff, Alta., who suggested this could be a watch fob that was made specifically for the 1912 Calgary Stampede. A watch fob was attached to a pocket watch by the leather strap and buckle. The fob itself hung outside of the pocket and provided easy access to the pocket watch.
The Calgary Stampede is proud to announce Falon Manywounds as the 2020 First Nations Princess. Six young women participated in the competition, which included public speaking and performances of traditional dance. Falon is 25 and a Jingle Dress dancer from Tsuut’ina Nation. Falon’s Tsuut’ina name is Lone White Buffalo Woman. It was given to her by the late Fred Eagletail. In a separate competition, the Royal Trio were also crowned — 2020 Calgary Stampede Queen Kelcey Moore and Princesses Janelle Mackenzie and Madeline Kerkovius — following the final events of their competition in horsemanship, public speaking abilities and poise under pressure. Queen Kelcey Moore is 22 and a professional dancer, Calgary Stampede Princess Janelle Mackenzie is 24 and a journeyman heavy-duty equipment mechanic, and Calgary Stampede Princess Madeline Kerkovius is 22 and is a health and benefits analyst. Throughout their reign, Calgary Stampede Royalty will make more than 400 appearances as ambassadors of the Calgary Stampede, promoting Western heritage and values in Calgary and around the world.
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Above: The new Calgary Stampede Queen Kelcey Moore, Princess Madeline Kerkovius and Princess Janelle Mackenzie Inset: 2020 First Nations Princess, Falon Manywounds
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
PHOTOS BY NORBERT STOLL; TERRI MASON; COURTESY CALGARY STAMPEDE
2020 Stampede Royalty
WESTERN ART REVIEW | TERRI MASON PORCH READS
Ranching Under the Arch Stories from the Southern Alberta Rangelands
The Autry Masters Art Exhibition and Sale The Autry is presenting their premier event, the 23rd annual Masters of the American West. Artworks of paintings and sculptures by 64 contemporary Western artists, ranging from Tony Abeyta to Jim Wilcox, will be presented. The opening weekend of Feb 7–8 includes presentations by renowned Master artists Kim Wiggins and Billy Schenck, a luncheon, and the awards presentation. Co-founded in 1988 by Jackie and Gene Autry and Joanne and Monte Hale, The Autry showcases a broad Gopher Hole Museum Torrington, Alta. spectrum of art, artefacts, cultural Jun 1–Sep 30 materials and library holdings. It’s either a salute to taxidermy or a The Masters’ artworks will tribute to the crack shots of Alberta. remain on view and be availRegardless, their quarry was not wasted able for purchase through and are displayed in touching, funny, sincere or campy dioramas. You haven’t March 22, 2020. seen Alberta until you’ve seen this. 2020 Masters of the American Check the website for hours. West, Feb 7–Mar 22. The Autry gopherholemuseum.ca Museum in Griffith Park, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, Calif., theautry.org
This book would have been a monumental task to undertake, not just because of its sheer size but because of the prodigious memories of ranch families. The author, D. Larraine Andrews, faithfully includes the history and anecdotes that make books like this such a treasure. When telling the story, she began at the beginning with the arrival of the Spanish on North American shores back in the 1500s. From there she builds the narrative year by year and trail by trail — and, more importantly (and with fabulous details), ranch family by ranch family. There’s also the salacious tale of the E.P. Ranch, once owned by the infamous King Edward VIII. The photography throughout the book is fascinating and relevant. The historical imagery, often obtained from the Glenbow Museum Archives, provides a glimpse into a time we’ll never see again, while the modern images add more anecdotes to the neverending tale of ranching in southern Alberta. If you are at all connected to ranching in the Canadian West, not just Alberta, this book will suit the most exacting of historians and is a recommended read.
PHOTO COURTESY THE AUTRY
UPCOMING GALLERY SHOWS The Russell Exhibition and Sale
Wells Fargo Phoenix
March 19-21, 2020 C.M. Russell Museum 400 13th Street North Great Falls, MT
Year-round exhibitions Wells Fargo Museum 145 W Adams St, Phoenix, AZ
The Russell is much more than a western art exhibition and sale; it is a three-day western art experience. cmrussell.org/the-russell-event
cowboycountrymagazine.com
The museum showcases works by N.C. Wyeth, Frederic Remington, Frank Schoonover, and others. wellsfargohistory.com/museums/phoenix
Ranching Under the Arch; Stories from the Southern Alberta Rangelands by D. Larraine Andrews. Softcover, 302 pages. Published by Heritage House Publishing, heritagehouse.ca
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SPIRIT OF THE WEST | HUGH MCLENNAN
A Close Call On the Trail Less Travelled
By now, I’d been taking dialysis treatments three days a week for nearly three years. As I rode out of the yard, Billie reminded me to be home before noon — my treatment started at 1:00 p.m. in Kamloops. By mid-morning, I had about forty pair trailing nicely ahead of me. The Paul Creek Canyon was between us and our destination and it was a tricky place to get cattle across — especially if you’re alone. Two trails lead up out of the canyon on the other side of the creek and the one we use is steep but fairly wide. To the left is a narrow gorge leading out of the canyon. Windfalls had made it impossible for a horse and rider to navigate, but cows could still get through. I was late getting to the spot where I could turn the cows up the wide trail and instead, they headed up the gorge. I tried following them and that was a big mistake! 12
The good news was that the windfalls were gone. The bad news was that halfway up that narrow passage, the cows started running up the creek bed. Then Cody started to buck. The cows had stirred up a nest of hornets and my mare was getting stung in the belly by the angry mob. I tried to bail off before I got bucked off, but, in the fracas, I ended up on my back watching her hind feet thrashing around, inches from my head. “Well this is ironic,” I thought. “Nearly three years with end-stage kidney disease and this is how I might check out?” Apparently, my time wasn’t up. When I finally caught Cody, she was covered with welts and I’d been stung about four times. When I got home I couldn’t hide the evidence — mud on my jeans, my hat was caved in and my hair was full of sediment. Billie took a few pictures as I related our big adventure.
Later, when I settled into the chair for dialysis, the nurse had the usual list of questions: “Any chest pains?” she asked. “No,” I replied. “Any vomiting or nausea?” “No.” “Any shortness of breath?” “No.” “Any recent falls?” That was the question I’d been waiting for. “Yes!” “How long ago?” she asked. “About two hours,” I replied, and told her of my adventure. Nowadays, thanks to a priceless gift of a kidney transplant from fellow broadcaster Louis “The Big Rig” McIvor, dialysis is no longer required. Later I told Billie, “I never ride up that trail. If I hadn’t of made it back, you’d have no idea where I was.” “Sure I would,” she replied. “I’d just follow the vultures!” c 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 February/March 2020
PHOTO BY BILLIE MCLENNAN
O
n September 11, 2017, I rode up the trail to the summer range on my good mare, Cody, to start bringing pairs off the mountain and into what we call “the Bell Place.”
REMOTE BIDDING AVAILABLE Make plans to be part of the excitement this year!
Charles M. Russell, Following the Buffalo Run, c 1894, oil on canvas, 23 ⅛ x 35 inches
M A RC H 19 ‒21, 2 02 0 The Russell is recognized as one of the most prestigious Western art events, attracting collectors, artists, and patrons from around the country. It is the premiere fundraising event for the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana. Full catalogue available online at cmrussell.org. For details regarding remote bidding options, please contact Duane Braaten at dbraaten@cmrussell.org or (406) 727-8787. Much more than a Western art exhibition and sale, The Russell is a Western art experience!
400 13 th Street North | Great Falls, Montana | (406) 7278787 | cmrussell.org cowboycountrymagazine.com
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The Dream Team Equine Outfit of Excellence By BILLY MELVILLE
I
n chuckwagon racing, success is a team sport. You have the drivers, the outriders, the barn crew, the sponsors, and of course — the horses. What makes chuckwagon racing unique is that the driver is not only a competitor but must also wear the hats of team owner, head scout and head coach, especially when it comes to the horses. Drivers are tasked with recruiting and developing the talent, plus determining where the horse is best suited for the team. For the most part, it can be an expensive, time-consuming and trying
process. Like many sports, the number one draft pick doesn’t automatically become a star. But when a driver can bring a horse through the program, the horse finds its home on the team, realises its potential,
and ultimately becomes a star, there’s a lot of gratification. If a horse gets formally recognised, there is a tremendous feeling of satisfaction and pride. The drivers will tell you that the real stars of the sport are the horses, but until the WPCA Equine Outfit of Excellence was created, chuckwagon horses were never formally recognised. Back in 2005, this award was the idea of veteran outrider Eddie Melville, and he also developed an objective system for selecting the horses. If the honour was to be embraced by the drivers, the recognition had to be credible for it to be meaningful. The impartiality of the award is the key not only to its credibility but its longevity as well. “As a horseman, you take a lot of pride when your horse wins,” explains Melville. Each year, the best six horses of the WPCA season are honoured. A point system is used to determine which horses will ultimately be named to the Equine Outfit of Excellence. To earn a point, a chuckwagon outfit must crack the top five on any given night for their horses to gain points. One horse in each of the four positions on the chuckwagon (right lead, left lead, right wheel, left wheel) and two outriding horses are eligible to earn a point. In short, it’s not a popularity contest; the horses get the job done — or they don’t. Drivers see their horses much like parents see their children, and continuously demonstrate that their horses are appreciated. A tremendous amount of time, money and love are invested in each horse. Like proud parents, chuckwagon drivers like to bask in the glory of their horses’ accomplishments. Still, it’s not just the drivers who take pride — the barn crews, who are primarily responsible for the care and well being of these horses, are just as impressed and sentimental. Now 15 years later, the drivers continue to recognise the WPCA Equine Outfit of Excellence as one of the most prestigious awards they, or more appropriately, their horses can win. Adds Melville, “The enthusiasm I get from the drivers when their horses win has never diminished.” 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.
2019 Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby Champion Logan Gorst’s Jack, named the WPCA Equine Outfit of Excellence Champion — Right Leader. The driver receives a framed photo and a cash award for each of their horses honoured to the dream team.
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
PHOTO BY SHELLIE SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY/DESIGN BY BILLY MELVILLE
WHEEL TO WHEEL | BILLY MELVILLE
Kamloops Cowboy Festival --- March 19th - 22nd, 2020 This will be the 24th Anniversary!! www.bcchs.com
presented by
The BC Cowboy Heritage Society Featuring the Best in Cowboy Poetry Western Music
Check our web site for special accommodation rates at the Coast Kamloops Hotel
1-888-763-2221
A Cowboy Trade Show with quality exhibitors displaying western products
The Art of the West Show and Sale proudly sponsored by Canadian Cowboy Country ~ flatwork ~ sculptures ~ photography Traveling from Alberta or Saskatchewan? Take a motor coach & don't worry about the driving. See our web site for details!
a full Festival weekend pass is only $80
ItIt is is not not what what we we have have in in life, life, but but who we who we have have in in our our life life that that matters. matters.
S M S Y ST E M A C W O C L SON I P DI GITA LVING SEA Y FOR CA GET READ
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SOME DAYS ARE DIAMOND | “DIAMOND” DOUG KEITH
his friend of many years fits the description of “one of a kind.” He is a cowboy singer/songwriter and a cowboy poet. However, his greatest asset is the size of his heart — it is three sizes too big. 16
At a camp or gathering he hauls everything to take care of other folks. He cooks, shares a cold drink and a great conversation… heck, you may even hear a song. He knows hundreds of them and will play them on one of his many, many different musical instruments. Just to emphasise his uniqueness, he and his wife at the time, as well as two small kids, lived in a tipi he built north of
Cowley in the Porcupine Hills. His tipi even had a phone in it (installed on one of the poles by a head-scratching phone company employee.) The historic tent was dug two steps down with the kitchen a further two steps down — making it a split-level twostorey tipi with a phone and stereo. Now Noel, my buddy, decided to have a small cowboy gathering in Coalhurst, Alta. He phoned me up and said, Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
ILLUSTRATION BY “DIAMOND” DOUG KEITH
In Lieu of Payment
“Diamond, we really would like you to come and perform your cowboy poetry and storytelling at our gathering. There is just one thing, we don’t have the money to pay you. But we can put you up and fill your belly while you’re here and then we’ll fill your truck up with gas when you leave.” Well, he has helped everyone and their dog, so of course, I said, “Excited to do it, I’ll see you then.” It was an excellent weekend of cowboy culture with unmatched hospitality. After it was over it was time for me to leave. All I needed was that full tank of gas. So my friend says, “We have to go to the wreckers.” You see, to fund his cowboy culture addiction he worked at the auto wreckers. And that is where we were getting the gas. I thought they must have a tank I could pull up to, but no. He had yanked out about twenty gas tanks before the vehicles were crushed. He had a fuel pump from a rusted-out Ford half ton and pumped the gas out of these tanks into my truck. No telling what is in those tanks… and it took two and a half hours to make the exchange. Nervously I headed down the highway. East of Moosejaw is where my troubles started. The truck would not go above 50 kph. I was pretty sure the fuel filter was severely clogged. I drove for what seemed like an eternity from Moosejaw to (the hotbed of romance and intrigue) Domain, Man. I recited poems, wrote a few more, sang, cussed at all the drivers whipping by me and did my best to stay awake. I finally arrived at my ranch, went into the house and immediately phoned my buddy and said, “There’s nothing worse than a cowboy with bad gas!” c “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.
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REFLECTIONS | BRYN THIESSEN
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
The Difference Between Genius & Stupid Genius Has its Limits “Genius” is a strange word even for me, but as I’ve been trying to write this column, I was looking for inspiration, to the point of perspiration, fueled by determination, thwarted by procrastination. I realised my situation was causing agitation, so with some hesitation, I received a revelation. I need no restoration, nor excessive salutations, the simple explanation is I needed excavation. I just needed to take the time to let some things go. As I’m writing these words, I’m glancing back over my day. I’d spent it shipping some cattle, both calves and cull cows. It’s been a few rough winters back here on the Helmer, and my cattle genetics and numbers are not what they once were. That, combined with my theory that I don’t raise cattle based on anyone else’s preference but my own. (Even a politician can start to see the title making sense.) Add to this that I’d given up some rented land farther out, taken on a more pastoral role with some folks and by the time you’re reading this column I will have achieved my goal of “60 is the new 80.” (In other words, I celebrated a big birthday and I’ve decided that I’d rather be a young 80 than an old 60.) As I’d stated some months back, “It might be time to run less cattle and have less battle.” So I’m trying to let go of what I don’t really need — including my unlimited ability to be “stupid.” If we trot down through the timber collecting the stray thoughts on the way, we might find some of these: “A ship doesn’t sink because of the water around it, it sinks because of the water that gets in it” (Unknown). “A man has got to know
his limitations” (Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry). Jesus then said to the crew, “Don’t put all your energy into building your cowherd or acquiring more gear. Life consists of more than what you have, it’s about who you are and where you’ll end up” (Combination of Luke 12:15, Mark 8:36 and my words). It’s in bunching those words together that I find the pasture I’d like to graze in a while. A wellknown nugget of cowboy wisdom says, “Hang on to your cow’s tail, she’ll pull you through.” I always add, “That’s true, but you might look like you’ve been under a cow.” Cattle or any possession takes time and energy. Throw in some Dirty Harry logic, and you have to decide what’s best for all. Is the recompense worth the required effort, for both you and the possession? Ride the circle a little wider. It’s not the cost of the cattle that sinks me, it’s what the cattle cost me of me, and what being me entails (with no limit on stupidity), that weighs me down. Just as it was time to ship some cattle, it’s time to bunch up these words and send them to town. At this time as we celebrate with hearts and chocolates, let us look at where our hearts are, for where our “treasure” is, our hearts are (Matthew 6:21). Consider the cost of what you’re doing, and remember, if there’s no limit to our ability to be “stupid,” how much more unlimited is God’s ability to make things right? We just need to let Him be the one who leads. 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.
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TRAILBLAZERS
PEOPLE WHO SHAPED THE WEST
Mike Ferguson A Cowboy’s Cow Boss By DARYL DREW
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An effective cow boss establishes an efficient pattern for the daily operations of a ranch. To do that, you have to balance the vagaries of weather, grass, markets, cowboys and management. It helps to have ranching in your blood and the skills to be the cowboy’s cow boss. Born in 1918 and raised in the southern Cariboo, Ferguson was the grandson of Johnny Wilson, who was known as the “BC Cattle King” in the late 1800s. Ferguson began cowboying at age nine for his uncle Harry near Savona, B.C. During WWII he served mostly in Italy as an army mule and horse supply packer and took up the cowboy life again when the war ended. He worked for a number of B.C. ranches and competed in rodeo before settling down at the Douglas Lake Ranch in 1949. In 1952 he was offered the job of cow boss, but he literally had to fight for it. Five men
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in camp wanted the job, and a fight broke out when one of the men tried to run him off. Ferguson dished out more than he got but was sent out to ride fence until things cooled off. A short time later he was promoted to cow boss. For Ferguson, the interest in the job came from the daily changes and challenges. Back then, the ranch did not artificially inseminate, and the cows had to be constantly watched in case any came into heat, meaning not pregnant. For this, he needed to be mobile, and as ranching changed, so did his approach. For the first 25 years he spent 10 hours a day in the saddle; by the 1980s he worked mostly from a truck. “The closest way I can come to being in two places at the same time,” he once said. The herd of nearly 16,000 head — including five per cent bulls — were kept up in the timber in the summer, saving the grass at lower elevations for fall
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
PHOTOS COURTESY BCCHS
ack in the mid-1950s when Mike Ferguson was the cow boss of the Douglas Lake Ranch, he was responsible for one of the most productive areas of prime grazing land in all of North America.
in a transhumance pattern. The terminal crossbred herd was 60 to 70 per cent Hereford, with Charolais, Simmental and Angus comprising the rest. Douglas Lake was known for producing top cutting horses, and when working cattle, Ferguson rode a Peppy San-bred stud named Sanctuary. As cow boss, he was relied upon to grade replacement heifers and sale stock in the fall. A keen judge of an animal’s weight, health and finish, he could accurately access the amount of feed in a field by riding through it. He could also recall the life history of particular cattle and was well known for sorting cattle in pens of identical finish, conformation and weight. Mike also had to deal with disasters. On December 1, 1975, nearly 400 cows wandered out onto the ice of Salmon Lake. When Mike arrived at the scene, over 100 head had broken through and were floundering in the frigid waters. Ferguson called in his crews and neighbours, organizing them into teams of six so they could walk out onto the ice, rope each cow and pull it out. They saved 97 of the 121 head. Hiring and mentoring are also part of a cow boss’s job, and every year a few young
people showed up with the idea that they wanted to be a cowboy. Often, the nature of the job sorted out who would make it and who wouldn’t. Sometimes the sweat, smoke and dust of spring branding would make the decision about cowboy work. Regardless, if they had “try” they got a chance. His view was that cowboy skills are mostly learned on the job and not from a book, and you have to start your apprenticeship somewhere. Working for Ferguson meant giving 100 per cent, even when a young hand was just learning, but sometimes things could go sideways. He remembered when one young cowboy missed a cow and roped Ferguson’s leg, pulling him from the saddle. That kind of mistake comes from inexperience, and that kind of inexperience can get people hurt. Ferguson always told new men what he was looking for in top hand material. First, you really had to like the work and cowboy lifestyle. As he said, “Life is too short to work at something
you don’t like.” Second, you had to be able to stand all kinds of weather and take whatever comes — including early mornings and heavy rain. And third, a cowboy needed to be very dependable — all traits that described Ferguson himself. Mike Ferguson passed away in 1994. His ashes were scattered by some of the top hands of his day on a hill overlooking the Douglas Lake Ranch, where he had been known for about 40 years as the cowboy’s cow boss. c
An early photo of Douglas Lake Ranch
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LIVING LEGENDS
Wytse deVries Cowboy Collector By BILL BORGWARDT
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It began with William Boyd, an actor who had starred in some four dozen Hopalong Cassidy movies. After the studio dropped the series in 1948, Boyd, being a shrewd businessman, managed to scrape up $350,000 to buy the rights to the films and his character and began putting together half-hour shows, utilizing footage from his old movies along with new footage shot to fill in new storylines. The series was a hit and a shrewd Boyd began licensing Hopalong Cassidy merchandise. In total, over 2,200 different “Hoppy” items were authorized and produced, making Boyd the king of the television merchandisers. His success inspired two other former 22
movie cowboys who took to television and began selling merchandise linked to their characters, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. The 1950s and ’60s saw the heyday of the television Western. By 1959 there were more than 30 different Western series airing in prime time, with Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Have Gun — Will Travel, and The Rifleman being the top four TV shows of that year. The Western genre continued to dominate television until the end of the ’60s when interest began to drop off, but it has always had a place in the hearts of many viewers. Close to 200 different television Western series have aired from 1949 through to
the present day. One of the recent popular series was the Alberta-produced Hell on Wheels (which was covered in the Oct/Nov 2013 issue of Canadian Cowboy Country Magazine). Many of the television shows spawned at least a few collectable items, as toy and game manufacturers realized there was a ready market in young viewers. This wasn’t just a North American phenomenon, for viewers in Britain were also enthusiastic cowboy fans and British manufacturers produced their own products, often having bolder, flashier graphics than the U.S. or Canadian counterparts. Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
PHOTOS BY BILL BORGWARDT
t was 1949 when original Western films, produced and edited for half-hour time slots, began appearing on the new, small-screen medium — television.
OPPOSITE PAGE: Wytse deVries in his 1,000-square-foot private museum OPPOSITE PAGE INSET: There was a wide array of products available for branding RIGHT TOP: Dusty Rogers (the son of Roy Rogers and the leader of the Sons of the Pioneer Band) and Wytse deVries backstage in 2019 when the Sons came to Western Canada on tour RIGHT CENTRE: When possible, Wytse has his collections grouped, so all of the Lone Ranger collectibles will be found in one area RIGHT BOTTOM: Roy Rogers and his famous horse, Trigger, are still highly collectible, including these Roy Rogers alarm clocks LEFT BOTTOM: From left, action figures Little Joe and Pa, part of the Cartwright family of Bonanza fame. The series ran from 1959 to 1973.
Growing up on a farm in west-central Alberta, Wytse deVries has been a television cowboy fan for as long as he can remember. He began collecting comic books but was soon collecting other Western television memorabilia, something he has been doing now for close to 50 years. As his collection grew, he showcased it in his basement, but when he got married, his wife Loreen got tired of the whole basement being overtaken by cowboys, so it was time for a new building — dedicated to all things television cowboy. The collection is now housed in his nearly 1,000-square-foot private museum and is now even outgrowing that space. As an enthusiastic cowboy fan, Wytse has attended cowboy memorabilia and fan gatherings across North America, adding scarce items to his collection and meeting many of the actors who were involved in the shows. When he’s not working on the collection, you can find him watching episodes of the many TV Westerns he has in his extensive DVD collection or showing them to the younger generation, keeping the Western tradition alive. c cowboycountrymagazine.com
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Horse Modern-Day Warriors By TERRI MASON This ancient artwork depicts a circa 1300 A.D. Mongolian horse archer shooting backwards. The Mongols are credited with creating steel stirrups, and by standing in their stirrups, the archers could shoot even while retreating, a revolutionary battle tactic at the time.
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Some of the Mongols’ “secret” weapons were innovative — advance and retreat warfare tactics, incredible amounts of practice and the invaluable invention of steel stirrups, which provided a stable platform needed for the horse archers to stand in their stirrups and shoot at the enemy, even while retreating. For over the past 800 years in many parts of the world, the requisite skills required of horse archers is still practised, especially in China, Japan, and Mongolia. Here in North America, the “most feared invaders” tactics have been transformed into a sport and are enjoying an upsweep in popularity. Unlike many events created to get or keep folks in the saddle, in this multi-faceted art the 24
majority of the work, skill and training are placed on the rider. Hours and hours of practice and competent coaching is needed to accurately fire a horse bow, let alone fire an arrow hard enough to embed it in a target. From there, the enthusiast graduates to nocking the arrow and shooting from the back of a walking horse. As their skills increase, so does their speed. While becoming a competent archer is paramount, so is training the horse to respond directly to knee and leg pressure. The sport is conducted without the use of reins, as the archer is too busy rapidly shifting position while nocking and firing arrows at a myriad of targets on either side, overhead (called qabaq) and behind the rider along the staked-out course. Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
IMAGE FROM TECH HISTORY/ESTHER INGLIS-ARKELL
n the 13th century, Genghis Khan, an illiterate horseman with a relatively small army, conquered the largest consolidated land empire in history. At its peak, the Mongol Empire covered some nine million square miles (23 million sq km) of territory, and it was captured by a force of almost entirely horse archers.
FIND A CLUB
POSTAL MATCHES
In Canada, mounted or horse archery clubs affiliated with Canadian Federation of Mounted Archery exist in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia, while internationally, there are clubs in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, China, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Jordan, Russia, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, South-Africa, The Netherlands, Ukraine and USA. To learn more about the sport, visit KaspianEquestrian.com. To find a club near you or internationally, visit Canadian Federation of Mounted Archery at canadian-federationof-mounted-archery.com or the International Horse Archery Alliance at horsebackarchery.info.
Because the horse archery clubs are spread out and it’s difficult to travel abroad to compete in person, the International Horseback Archery Alliance have created a postal match series to keep enthusiasm high and give competitors an idea of how they are progressing. To participate in a postal match, a club sets up the required course, timers record the times and scores are recorded. Participants shoot the number of runs required and the scores are submitted online. This way, archers can compete at their local club and on a familiar horse. There are no prizes, but it is a verifiable record of a shooter’s progress as an archer. Each match is set by a club from the affiliated nations. All postal matches have Walk, Trot and Canter divisions.
PHOTO COURTESY KASPIAN MOUNTED ARCHERY
Kenton Miller utilizing the same posture as a circa-1300-A.D. Mongol warrior at a recent mounted archery competition in Arizona. Kenton captured Reserve Grand Champion with shots like this.
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North of Olds, Alta., is the Kaspian Equestrian Training Centre, located on the Rock–N–Rail Ranch. The multi-zone equine facility includes a massive, spotless arena, outdoor pens and rings that run the gamut from sand to grass, and pristine barns and outdoor pens. Kenton Miller built the place literally from scratch and the facility offers boarding as well as instruction and coaching in working equitation, dressage and mounted archery. Kenton, himself an international competitor who recently was crowned the Overall Champion of the 2019 Texas International Archery Festival, is as enthusiastic as he is skilled. The archery club has attracted a broad cross-section of people whose skills have rapidly gone from “How to Hold a Bow” to scary-good shots. Kenton is a precise coach heavily laced with kindness. He is encouraging to newcomers, and clearly enjoys teaching and watching his students progress. Kenton is also an enthusiastic and popular international competitor who takes pride in his skills and his appearance, paying homage to the great horse archers before him. His horsemanship is as exacting as his shots on target, and the combination has earned him many awards. In a nutshell, horse archery is a martial art — and like all martial arts it’s not easy. However, if it’s worthy of your pursuit and if you have the passion to develop the skills, then this might be the game for you — a sport that has literally won empires. c
NOCK, NOCK, NOCKING… Specialized equipment ranges from horse bows to quivers, thumb guards to arrows. Some clubs will have equipment for a beginner to try or even rent longterm. As with all specialized equipment, try before you buy as each archer will find an affinity for a specific type of bow, whose design goes back thousands of years. Modern arrows are made of fiberglass and many are custom-made, while the unusual quivers that hold the arrows on the thigh or the back are leather and often elaborately decorated. Kenton Miller in competition in full regalia shooting the qabaq, a drum cymbal mounted on a 23-foot high (7m) pole
IMAGE COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS; PHOTO COURTESY KASPIAN MOUNTED ARCHERY
See more photos on our website: cowboycountrymagazine.com
It’s in Your Blood An international group of geneticists studying Y-chromosome data have found that 0.5 per cent of the world’s male population, or roughly 16 million men, are descendants of Genghis Khan.
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
COWBOY WAY
PART 6 OF SIX
CATTLE HANDLING
PHOTOS BY COLLEEN BIGGS
Beat the Calving Blues By DYLAN BIGGS
Tips for a Calm Calving Season 27
COWBOY WAY
C
alving season may be underway on some outfits; for others, it isn’t too far off. 2020 will be my 44th calving season. I started being given the responsibility of calving the ranch cows when I was in my teens. Back then we calved up at the yard. For the last 30 years, we have calved later and on pasture. Over the years, I have seen quite a variety of situations, though I know I haven’t seen it all. You never know what new twist may be lurking around the corner. One thing I am sure of is that a herd of cows that don’t mind being handled horseback and on foot, that yield to pressure without getting anxious and upset, makes
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everything easier during calving season. Cows that you can ride through or walk through without disturbing when checking them is a pleasure. If your cows trust you, it's much easier to tag calves and assist a cow if she needs help having her calf. That being said, I acknowledge that some cows simply have very poor dispositions. To what extent it is inherited and/or a result of poor handling is difficult to say. Some cows are extremely protective after they give birth. If these behavioural issues are extreme enough to compromise your safety, then culling them makes the most sense. Handling is cumulative. Every time we move, process, sort or work our cattle in any manner we are teaching them something about us today, something they will remember tomorrow, next week, month or year. We are continually setting the stage for how our cattle are going to respond to us in the future by how we deal with them today. What I find curious are the very skilled horsemen that develop very trusting,
effective, working relationships with their horses, then turn around and throw that approach entirely out the window when it comes to working their cattle. So as difficult as it may be with time pressures and all the rest of the demands and stresses of ranching, I always try to keep in mind that every time I work cattle I have the opportunity to make them easier to handle tomorrow. Assuming your constant handling goal is a calm, quiet, trusting herd, then you are in an excellent position to make the calving season both easier and more enjoyable. Once you have calved enough calves and heifers, you should know that, regardless of ideal management, it is inevitable that a cow or heifer will require assistance to give birth to a live calf at some point. Once you’ve made the decision to help, the first thing required is for you to keep calm. Anxiety and/or panic never helps ensure a positive outcome. In fact, it is highly probable that it will contribute to a less favourable outcome. The risk of getting the
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
cow bothered, panicked or even worse, getting her on the fight will not help expedite the assistance procedure. I always do my best to keep the cow at a walk, let her continue to think about calving — not about having to flee for her life from someone who is chasing her in a panic. The thing about driving singles, horseback or on foot, is that maintaining correct position and pressure is critical. Getting them to yield their head so you can turn them both directions and then pressuring the hip to drive forward once they are pointing the right way requires that you pay full attention to that animal’s every move. The trap that lots of people fall into even when they aren’t dealing with a calving issue is instead of reading the cow and responding to what she is doing, people position themselves based on what they “think the cow is going to do” not what she “is” doing. When driving a herd or a single, it is never, I repeat never, a good idea to position yourself based on what you anticipate. Your job is to read what the cow is doing right here and now and respond accordingly. Attempting to drive a cow in a calm, controlled fashion when panicked and anticipating rather than reading the cow
cowboycountrymagazine.com
in the moment is going to end up looking more like drunk driving, a lot of oversteering, over-braking and over-accelerating. The other consideration is that, when you do get the calf delivered and need it to be mothered, the chances of immediate successful mothering are reduced significantly if the cow is all worked up or on the fight. We calve on pasture, some years many miles from a set of corrals or a squeeze. When the occasion arises that we need to restrain a cow or heifer to assist her, my preferred way of doing so is to rope a hind foot. Roping a single hind foot is relatively easy, and if you position yourself to set up for a hip shot or scoop as the cow walks by you, there is no need to chase her to catch her. In my experience, neck roping a cow is the surest way to get a cow upset and quite possibly on the fight and takes her mind and body off having her calf. Taking away oxygen is frightening for most breathing creatures. On the other hand, with a single hind leg catch you can stop them gradually — don’t let them start running but don’t demand a stop on a dime. It usually only takes a few minutes before most cows learn to yield to the rope if you let them have
their foot when they quit pulling on it. Then if you have someone on the ground and the cow can stay on her feet, they can slowly get chains on and start assisting and the cow will still want to keep pushing. No chasing, no choking and the cow will help you help her by continuing her contractions. Then when the calf is out keep ahold of her until she starts mothering the calf, talking to it and licking it. Over all these years of doing this I have not had a cow or heifer that didn’t claim her calf if handled this way on pasture. I grew up helping my dad calve through the 70s when he was using A.I. to breed cows to the new exotic European imports. Excessively large birth weights and calving difficulties resulted even on mature cows and panic was the norm during calving season. It was a hard habit to break. c
We also weigh the newborn calves — here I have just completed that task. This mother cow is attentive but not aggressive, so I let her be.
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WESTERN ART GUIDE SPECIAL FEATURE
Cheyenne — “The Daddy of ’em All”
&
EMOTION ART
When it comes to art — especially Western art — we love what we love. These galleries, museums, exhibitions and auctions all cater to us and know what appeals to us the most. To some, serene watercolours attract, while to others, it’s the vibrant oils that capture our imagination. In our world, that’s what art is about — imagination, emotion and recognition. Read on to find out what’s coming up at some of the favourite exhibitions happening this year across the West.
CFD 2019 Museum Purchase Award Winner Little Red Man by Howard Halbert; 18.5" x 15" graphite drawing
It all began in 1897, and to this day, Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) is famous for presenting the rich traditions of the Western way of life, rodeo, and the spirit of community involvement. The visual hallmark is the Western Art Show, featuring the nation’s top Western artists. The on-site Old West Museum is open year-round. Exhibits include an extensive collection of western carriages, a permanent display on the history of Cheyenne Frontier Days, and during Frontier Days, the Western Art Show and Sale. The museum also hosts the CFD Hall of Fame. Inductees include legends such as Lane Frost, Chris LeDoux, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels, Reba McEntire, George Strait, and Garth Brooks. x cfdrodeo.com
Cowgirl Up! In 2006, the Desert Caballeros Western Museum created their annual exhibition showcasing the brightest contemporary female Western artists and turned the spotlight squarely on women’s voices and perspectives, serving up a more profound understanding of the American West. Cowgirl Up! is a crossroads where artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts come together to explore what it means to be a Western artist and to freely ride the range of techniques, styles and mediums. An exhibition first and a sale second, the art featured remains on display until the exhibition closes in early May, allowing viewers to experience the art “all in one place, at one time.” x westernmuseum.org Photo courtesy Caballeros Western Museum Desert/Tim Zeltner
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
WESTERN ART GUIDE
The Coeur d’Alene
Frederic Remington (1861–1909) Casuals on the Range (1909), oil on canvas, 18” × 26”, signed and dated lower right. Sold at the 2019 Coeur d’Alene Art Auction for $981,750.
Renowned in Western art circles, the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction was named one of the Top 25 auction houses worldwide. They are also the largest auction house in the country specialising in Western and American artwork. The auction principals have over 100 years of combined experience in selling fine art and have netted their clients over $325 million in the last fifteen years alone and hold over 160 actual world record prices — the highest of any auction in the field. The Coeur d’Alene is the auction house of choice for major museums, corporations, and notable private collections. They also handle extensive collections and individual works in a highly professional manner to maximise their value. x cdaartauction.com
Allen Sapp Self-taught Aboriginal artist Allen Fredrick Sapp (1928 – 2015) lived a life of incredible hardships and loss — later followed by a chance encounter with a benefactor and a life of international fame, achieving awards and merits beyond his wildest dreams. The Allen Sapp Gallery features The Gonor Collection, a permanent selection of many of Sapp's works. Leah Garven, Curator and Manager of Galleries for the City of North Battleford has created an exhibition called Landscape Perspectives, inspired by a national project about magnificent Canadian landscapes that produced a book called The Good Lands: Canada Through the Eyes of Artists. The Good Lands project began in 2016 when a group of curators and writers gathered to discuss how we see Canada and the land through art; the project included a work of Allen Sapp, The Caboose. “This made me look at our collection and the unique viewpoint that Allen Sapp cowboycountrymagazine.com
Loading Hay by Allen Sapp, 24" X 36", acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the Allen Sapp Gallery — The Gonor Collection
would choose for his work,” said Garven. “Allen Sapp is a self-taught artist whose work is created by the eyes of his youth. He is well-known for his bird's-eye-view perspective, but this exhibition will also look at other unique vantage points of his work
and the sense of place and feelings that the juxtaposition evokes.” Canada is blessed to have the extensive collection of Allen Sapp’s works in the Allen Sapp Gallery in North Battleford. This is a must-see gallery. x allensapp.com 31
WESTERN ART GUIDE
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
SPECIAL FEATURE
Outfitters, Gateway to the Rockies Exhibition, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Photo courtesy Whyte Museum
The Whyte Museum has a long-standing tradition of respect with the mountain culture of the Bow Valley and beyond. The founders themselves hosted international clientele, friends, mountain climbers, artists and photographers, as well as collected a vast catalogue of art relevant to the region. Today the Whyte Museum is home to some of the more diverse collections relative to the area’s 10,000-year history of inhabitants and those who call the Banff area home. Along with their impressive permanent exhibitions of masterful artworks, the Whyte is hosting upcoming exhibitions, including the photography of Danny Singer and Projecting Illusions, a showcase of lantern slides. These exhibitions are a part of Exposure: Alberta’s Photography Festival and run from January – April. x whyte.org
Gary Schildt (b. 1938), The Parade, 1997, Oil on canvas. Collection of the C.M. Russell Museum; Gift of Dan R. and Mary Ann R. Fiehrer.
Charlie Russell The C.M. Russell Museum is dedicated to the art and life of the iconic Western artist, Charlie Russell, and friends. Charlie Russell is, without a doubt, the cornerstone, the patriarch, the end-all-and-be-all of Western artists. If you are not familiar with his works (and who isn’t?), then this is the museum that you must see to understand Canadian songwriter Ian Tyson’s famous lyrics in “The Gift,” the song he wrote about Charlie when he sings, "He could paint the light on horsehide shining…” The museum is host to fantastic permanent exhibitions plus the sizeable sculpture garden and the exciting annual events and exhibitions. 32
Coming up in June, visitors can also experience Andy Warhol: Cowboys and Indians and Billy Schenck: Myth of the West. The Warhol exhibit explores how the father of American pop art highlighted classic Western archetypes and called attention to myths of the American West. Billy Schenck: Myth of the West illustrates how the “Warhol of the West” fashioned a new movement — Western pop — inspired by Andy Warhol’s techniques. Also beginning in June will be Forever Glacier: A Legacy Project by Nancy Dunlop
Cawdrey who created a series of large, colourful silk paintings honouring the large mammals who live or have lived in Glacier Park. And of course, the much-anticipated Sundance Series by Gary Schildt begins in October. This remarkable series of 42 paintings by Blackfeet artist Gary Schildt represents the most meaningful aspects of the annual Medicine Lodge ceremony. x cmrussell.org
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
WESTERN ART GUIDE
EVENTS Just Long Enough
by Adeline Halvorson. Oil on gallery wrapped canvas, 12" x 10" adelinehalvorson.com
Calgary Stampede: Western Showcase JULY 3–12, 2020
Western Oasis, BMO Centre Halls D & E 1410 Olympic Way SE Calgary, Alta. x calgarystampede.com
Celebrating Western Arts & Culture Internationally known as “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” the Calgary Stampede has also earned an international rep as Canada’s “go-to” Western art show and sale. For the 10 days of the Stampede, this massive area known as the Western Oasis offers a respite to the frenetic rodeo and midway. Its cool and relaxed ambience is the welcoming home to the artists and the art lovers.
Featuring multiple disciplines of arts and culture ranging from photography to oils, watercolours to bronzes, here collectors and fans can meet the artists from throughout North America and purchase original artwork. The Western Oasis also features non-stop music and entertainment at the Window on the West Stage and a Wine Garden. x calgarystampede.com
Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum Exhibits, Extended Hours JULY 17–26, 2020
CFD Old West Museum 4610 Carey Avenue Cheyenne, Wyo. x cfdrodeo.com Coeur d’Alene Art Auction, 35th Annual JULY 25, 2020
Grand Sierra Resort, Reno, Nev. x cdaartauction.com Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West MARCH 27–MAY 10, 2020
Desert Caballeros Western Museum 21 N Frontier Street Wickenburg, Ariz. x westernmuseum.org
The Art of the Cowgirl! The Art of the Cowgirl is a fresh, new annual gathering primarily of like-minded women. This part event, part mentoring opportunity and part lifelong friendshipmaking soiree, feature events to learn, to be entertained, and many opportunities to shop. First on any cowgirl’s shopping list would be the Elite Ranch Horse Sale that offers a select group of horses from some of the handiest women in the ranching industry. There is also a trade show featuring hat makers, silversmiths, home décor and clothing. The big gala is all about fabulous art and will feature a live art auction of original art. Equine events include the World’s Greatest Horsewoman, the Ranch Rodeo, and clinics ranging from stock dogs to riding side-saddle. x artofthecowgirl.com cowboycountrymagazine.com
Great Western Living & Design Exhibition MARCH 19–22, 2020
Montana ExpoPark, Four Seasons Arena Great Falls, Mont. x thegreatwesternshow.com March in Montana, 33rd Annual (Coer d'Alene Art Event) MARCH 19-21, 2020
Great Falls Elks Lodge, Great Falls, Mont. x marchinmontana.com x cdaartauction.com The Art of the Cowgirl is a multi-faceted event that focuses on cowgirl skills and a whole lot of fun while learning. Photo by Nicole Poyo
The Art of the Cowgirl JAN 22–26, 2020
Buckeye, LaVeen Village, & Gilbert, Ariz. x artofthecowgirl.com
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WHAT WORKS FOR US
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Fresh Grass, New Calves I By TERRI MASON
’ve never met a rancher yet who didn’t look forward to calving time. Sometimes there are tragedies — horrific storms or predators — but all in all, this season is the reason they got into the business in the first place. This time we’ve asked two top ranchers who march to the beat of their own drum to speak about what works on their outfits. The Chinook Ranch is snugged up against the Eastern Slopes, and the High Plains Ranch is dang near in Manitoba — but it’s uncanny how closely these two ranches operate in terms of breed and style. And like always, we’re not here to tell anybody how to ranch, but we’re sure interested in finding out what works on their place.
CALVING IN POTHOLE COUNTRY RYAN BEIERBACH
We start calving by May 10 and finish the first part of July. After the first of May, we’re usually safe when it comes to weather. It’s warm enough that you don’t have to worry about the calves getting cold. Plus, the green grass is starting so they can spread out and graze.
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four times a day; the cows we check morning and evening. The crew is me, Tania and our three kids; Lara is 15, Rana is 14 and Jace is 12. We’ve found that by calving in May we don’t have scours or sick calves. They are healthy. For sure it adds pounds to them, and it also makes them grade better, and their health is better in the feedlot. The bred heifers we sell do better because they’ve never had that stress from being sick. The terrain over here is called pothole country. We have rolling hills, with little sloughs in the low spots with some willows, and the odd poplar bluffs, but a lot of the fields don’t have much for shelter. If they’re calling for a storm, we’ll move them to a field with shelter. We move them
High Plains Ranch Owners: Ryan and Tania Beierbach, Lara, Rana, Jace Nearest Town: Whitewood, Sask.
Established: 2002 Elevation: 598 m (1,963 ft) Annual Precipitation: 24 inches Cattle: Commercial, black Angus/ Hereford cross Cattle brand and location: slash T (Left Hip)
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
PHOTO BY TANIA BEIERBACH
We calve the heifers two weeks earlier so they have a little time to breed back. We keep them on an 80-acre field near the yard, and we watch them a little closer. We also keep the heifers separate from the cows until after they’ve calved so we can watch them, as they might have trouble — whether they need some help calving (we don’t pull many calves), or sometimes a heifer will leave her calf or get mixed up and want somebody else’s calf. With our cows, we don’t have to do anything with them. Having the Hereford/Angus cross, they can do it on their own because they’re hardy and they’re sound. We typically check the cows and heifers on horseback, but sometimes we drive through. The heifers we try to check about
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WHAT WORKS FOR US year-round because the grass doesn’t have enough nutrients. When we first moved here, there were a few people that were sure I was doing things the wrong way. Maybe some of it was wrong, but I learned a little faster because I was willing to do some different things than the guys that kind of got stuck in the ‘this is the way things have always been done’ attitude. Plus I also came with some different ideas because things were done differently south of Maple Creek than the way they
CALVING ON THE EASTERN SLOPES
pair them out; we move everything as a herd from midApril to mid-June. Hopefully, by June 1, we’re on the new years’ grass. The two-yearolds calve at home. Somehow I haven’t got over that hurdle yet to have them calve out on the range. We supplement them a little better, with a little more protein and watch them closer but as soon as they calve they’re back out on grass. We’re pretty ‘no frills’, and we’re not touching them when they calve; ear tags and such are added at branding. We don’t intervene at all unless they need colostrum and I don’t fault anyone for that. I make a cull list throughout calving, but I’m entirely handsoff, and I’m all right with that. As long as they don’t need help and I can see the calf is up and sucking, they’re good to go. That’s one thing about my cowherd, after 23 years of year-round grazing they’re pretty capable. The first three weeks of calving, I try to go through them three times a day, and then I ease off. They are well-supplemented; I’ve got a good handle on the plane of nutrition, but the cows do the vast majority of the work. I’m pretty pleased with our cows and how they go about their business. It’s funny, when you back off and let a cow be a cow at calving, just how capable they are. We intervene so little. If you’ve done your job, and I think we have, they get a lot of that calving done, and I just see it after, and that’s how
STEPHEN HUGHES
We turn our bulls out July 15, which to me is a due date of April 26, and it’s generally on cue that the first calf shows up April 14–15. Then we trickle along until about April 20th, and then we get really busy until mid-May, which is when most of our calves come. Our heaviest snowfall months are March and April. I try to get us calving in the back half of April because where we are it’ll snow until June, but once we get past mid-April, we shouldn’t have killing temperatures, but we can sure get snow. That’s the one thing that pushed our herd from being more Hereford to more Angus was that dark pigment and not [bag] burning cows. That timeline seems to work best for us. I find our cows are re-breeding OK, and the flip side is, I don’t want to take our calves into winter too light. This year, I’m pretty much the only one checking cows; my kids [Kayla, Josie and Erin] are in school or university. Last year my middle daughter, Josie, took some time off and helped out a lot, and my dad’s wife, Karen, helps out too. I’ll check on horseback, or if I’m in a hurry, I’ll use the Japanese horse. Back in 1996, we set out to graze yearround, so our cows rotate fields all the way through calving. We range calve on rough fescue; it’s more important to me to try and make sure they’ve got lots of cover. We don’t 36
are done out here. I’m not afraid to try new things. Sometimes they work; sometimes they don’t. And there is one other thing — good horses and the ability to rope or load a cow to deal with a problem if we do have one. If we couldn’t do that, we wouldn’t be able to move them and calve them away from the yard — and that’s what works for us.”
Chinook Ranch Owners: Stephen and James Hughes Nearest Town: Longview, Alta.
Established: 1950 Elevation: 1,240 m (4,068 feet) Annual Precipitation: 491 mm (19 inches) Size: 6,000+ acres Cattle breed: Commercial, Angus/ Hereford; Simmental terminal cross Herd size: 500–550 mother cows Cattle brand and location: Hay knife brand (left rib)
it should be. I love calving time. It’s a hard way to spend your life if you don’t love it — and that’s what works for us.” c
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
PHOTO COURTESY STEPHEN HUGHES
every three or four days during the grazing season. It’s easy to move them; we just open the gate, and they head to the next field. It’s different ranching over here because the grass starts a little later in the spring and a lot of the guys that are running cows are mixed farmers. But there are a few guys like me who just ‘do’ cows. We had some poorer farmland, so we seeded it to grass around the wetlands. Over here, the grass grows a whole lot more than where it’s dry, so we need to supplement mineral
Pro Rodeo
CANADA
INSIDER
WORLD CHAMP AGAIN! Two-time World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Zeke Thurston of Big Valley, Alta., earning his second World Championship one buck at a time at the 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nev. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Clay Guardipee
RODEOCANADA.COM
CANADIAN COWBOY COUNTRY FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020
PROUD TO BE IN OUR COMMUNITY
1-888-Finning | Finning.com 346-6464
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
C.P.R.A.
Outstanding! The 2020 Canadian Professional Rodeo Season is underway after an outstanding 2019 season that was capped off with an exciting and successful 46th edition of the Canadian Finals Rodeo, held for the second year at Westerner Park in Red Deer, Alta. Congratulations to our Champions! Fans also enjoyed cheering on CPRA competitors at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December. Congratulations to all — with special compliments to Zeke Thurston of Big Valley, Alta., who captured his second World Saddle Bronc title. Shout out as well to Tie-Down Roping Champion, Haven Meged, and Bull Riding Champion, Sage Kimzey, both of whom competed at CFR in November 2019. Canadian stock contractors had a stand-out year on both sides of the border as well. A particular highlight was seeing Northcott-Macza’s 242 Get Smart, earning top saddle bronc in both Canada and the U.S. The inaugural Maple Leaf Circuit Finals presented as part of Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, Sask., at the end of November, officially kicked off this year’s event roster. In addition to providing Champions and overall Circuit Winners with an opportunity to compete at the RAM National Circuit Finals in Kissimmee, FL., later this spring, money won at the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals counts toward the 2020 CFR. Bull riders enjoyed the Rebel Energy Xtreme Bull Riding on January 11 in Red Deer and are looking forward to competing at the Chad Besplug Invitational on February 29. April will see a return to a busier rodeo schedule for all competitors. Breakaway roping has been approved as a CPRA optional event for 2020. Fans and competitors can look forward to seeing the addition of this women’s event at a number of rodeos. (Contestants interested in competing in breakaway roping at CPRA rodeos can contact the office at 403–945–0903 to find out about obtaining permits or memberships.) And thank-you to our sponsors, our fans, our rodeo committees and their volunteers. We very much appreciate your support and look forward to having you as part of our 2020 season. Wishing everyone a happy and successful 2020. See you on the rodeo trail. Terry Cooke, President, CPRA
cowboycountrymagazine.com
2020 Canadian Professional Rodeo Association Schedule FEBRUARY Claresholm, AB * (BR).............................. Feb 29
APRIL Picture Butte, AB * (BR)........................... Apr 10 Tofield, AB * (BR)........................................ Apr 11 Medicine Hat, AB....................................... Apr 17–19 Camrose, AB pending.............................. Apr 24–26 Crowsnest Pass (Coleman), AB........... Apr 24–26
MAY Drayton Valley, AB.................................... May 1–3 Stavely, AB................................................... May 7–9 Innisfail, AB * (BR)..................................... May 9 Falkland, BC................................................. May 16–18 Swift Current, SK * (BR)........................... May 23 Grande Prairie, AB FINNING.................. May 28–31 Leduc, AB...................................................... May 28–31 Hand Hills, AB............................................. May 30–31
JUNE Brooks, AB................................................... Jun 5–6 Lea Park/Marwayne, AB........................ Jun 5–7 Rocky Mountain House, AB.................. Jun 5–7 Innisfail, AB.................................................. Jun 12–14 Wildwood, AB * (SB) date change....... Jun 13 Wainwright, AB FINNING....................... Jun 18–21 Sundre, AB................................................... Jun 19–21 High River, AB............................................. Jun 20–21 Williams Lake, BC FINNING................... Jun 25–28 Ponoka, AB FINNING................................ Jun 25–Jul 1 Airdrie, AB.................................................... Jun 26–28
*Indicates Special Event Finning Canada is the Title sponsor of the Pro Tour All dates are subject to change. Please visit RodeoCanada.com for up-to-date information
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Pro Rodeo Canada Insider CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE
CHAMPIONS CROWNED 61ST WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO By CPRA/BARB POULSEN
Zeke Thurston is first and foremost a winner, and he proved it again at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo en route to his second world title. In the final go-round, the Big Valley, Alta., saddle bronc rider posted an 88.5 score on C5 Rodeo’s Kitty Whistle to split 3/4/5 in the round to add $11,141 to his round earnings. And Thurston added a fourth-place average payout of $31,431 to
give him WNFR earnings of $170,064 and an overall season total of $347,055. “I wanted this one even more than I wanted that first one,” the 24-year-old second-generation bronc rider admitted. “I’ve had more fun this year than I ever have. This is awesome, just awesome.” It was also a terrific week for Thurston’s travelling partners, bronc riders Jake
Watson and Dawson Hay. Watson was second in the final round with an 89.5 point ride and $20,730. He finished sixth in the average, won over $127,000 during the tenday Finals and checked in at $236,406 for the year — sixth overall. Hay, a WNFR first-timer, completed the Canadian trio’s tremendous showing as he was part of a 3/4/5 final round split with Thurston and Ryder Wright; Hay added an eighth-place average cheque of $6,346 for an NFR total of $97,435 and season earnings of $197,747 — good for seventh place. California bareback rider Clayton Biglow came to the WNFR with a commanding lead, increased that lead in the first nine go-rounds and in the tenth round, tied the arena record he set a year ago; this time the 93-point score was recorded on the Canadian Bareback Horse of the Year, Northcott-Macza’s Stevie
World Champion TieDown Roper Haven Meged roping off his spectacular black mare, Beyoncé. “I bought her off Facebook a couple of years ago,” said Meged in an interview. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Dan Hubbell
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
C.P.R.A.
Knicks. The $26,230 first-place cheque, coupled with his win in the average ($67,269) gave the four-time qualifier a record season total of $425,843. 2019 Canadian Champion and fivetime WNFR qualifier Orin Larsen finished fourth in the final go-round ($11,000) and held on to fourth place in the average for another $31,731 to bring his season total to $296,403, second only to Biglow. The second of the Canadian bareback riders, Cadogan, Alta., cowboy, Clint Laye, rode all ten of his WNFR horses and finished 6th in the average for $16,500 to take home almost $79,000 at his second WNFR and a season total of $170,415. It was a dream season for 21-year-old tie-down roper, Haven Meged, The Miles City, Montana WNFR rookie prevailed with a season total of $246,013, just $1,182 ahead of 2013 World Champion Shane Hanchey. Hanchey split the final round with a 7.1 second run with Texan Adam Gray, each man collecting $23,480. The Meged-Hanchey 1-2 finish was the exact reverse of the Canadian Championship battle they staged at CFR 46 in Red Deer. Bull rider Sage Kimzey had set his sights on tying the great Jim Shoulders’ record of six consecutive world titles, and the 25-year-old Oklahoma sensation did it with authority. Kimzey was 88 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s River Monster to win second in the last round, finish first in the average ($67,269) and put a ribbon on a season that saw him top $480,796 in earnings, another record. 2016 Canadian Champion Jordan Hansen topped the field in round ten with an 88.5 point ride. That $26,230 payday, along with an eighth-place average cheque of $6,346, gave the Ponoka, Alta., bull rider an NFR total of $100,044 and a season total of $214.792. It came down to the final performance before defending Champion Hailey KinselLockwood was declared 2019 Ladies Barrel Racing Champion. Seven placings through the week, including two round wins, gave the Cotulla, Texas cowgirl $141,153 in NFR earnings for a grand total of $290,020. It was third time lucky for Helena, Montana steer wrestler Ty Erickson. The lanky bull dogger came to the Thomas & Mack Arena twice before in the lead and was unable to seal the deal. While Erickson did not place in round ten, he clocked a 4.4 cowboycountrymagazine.com
Jordan Hansen of Okotoks, Alta., scoring 90 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Jive Turkey to win second in round three WNFR action. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Dan Hubbell
to maintain fifth in the average ($22,846) to win his first World title with $234,491 in total. Two-time and reigning Canadian Champion Scott Guenthner pocketed $46,102 for his 2019 WNFR efforts for a 12th place $148,853 overall. In the Team Roping event, it came down to the final round with Oklahoma’s Clay Smith taking home his second consecutive World Heading title. The five-time WNFR qualifier and his partner Jade Corkill placed in six of ten rounds ($118,307 total NFR earnings) with Smith earning a season total of $268,819. And it was Texas heeler, Wesley Thorpe, who enjoyed his first World
Heeling Championship with an impressive $249,180 for the season, $161,884 of which came from earnings garnered at this year’s Finals with California heading partner, Cody Snow. The WNFR Top Stock Awards saw four Canadian horses get the nod. C5 Rodeo’s F13 Virgil and Northcott-Macza’s X81 Spilled Perfume split Reserve Bareback honours. In saddle bronc, Ward Macza took home another prize with a tie for Reserve Champion between NorthcottMacza’s 242 Get Smart, Calgary Stampede’s T-65 Tiger Warrior and Frontier Rodeo’s Medicine Woman. c
41
Pro Rodeo Canada Insider CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE
MAPLE LEAF CIRCUIT FINALS A SUCCESS
Wills was especially impressed with the overall production at the Finals. “The people in Regina ran the rodeo great, they were very professional, and it was cool to see all those fans in the stands.” The 24-year old’s outstanding performance wasn’t the only one that highlighted the $149,678 Regina-based Finals. Carbon, Alta., bareback rider Cole Goodine won three go-rounds en route to his Maple Leaf Circuit Finals aggregate title and the secondhighest payout of $6,123.20. Other champions include Kolby Wanchuk of Sherwood Park, Alta., in the bronc riding with $5,612.93; five-time Canadian Steer Wrestling Champion Cody Cassidy of Donalda, Alta., ($5,442.85); Glentworth, Sask., tie-down roper Jesse Popescul and Dawson Creek, B.C., bull rider Jacob Gardner — both with $5,102.69; and team ropers Clay Ullery (Two Hills, Alta.), and heeler, Riley Warren (Stettler, Alta.),
who garnered $4,252.22 each from the four-day event. Overall Maple Leaf Circuit winners include Ky Marshall of Bowden, Alta., in bareback; Ben Andersen of Eckville, Alta., in saddle bronc; Kyle Brown of Didsbury, Alta., in bull riding; Layne Delemont of Chauvin, Alta., in steer wrestling, Keely and Logan Bonnett of Ponoka, Alta., in team roping; Blair Smith of Wimborne, Alta., in tie-down roping and Brooke Wills in barrel racing. In addition to having their money count towards the 2020 Pro Rodeo Canada season, all of the Finals Champions, along with the overall Maple Leaf Circuit winners, earn qualifications for the RAM National Circuit Finals April 2-4, 2020 in Kissimmee, FL. (Official RNCF qualifiers will be confirmed later this week.) For complete results, see rodeocanada.com c
By CPRA/BARB POULSEN
MONTH (ACTUALLY 34 DAYS) FOR BARREL RACER BROOKE WILLS.
The Kamloops, B.C., cowgirl followed up her Canadian championship title and $35,640 in CFR earnings with an equally impressive win at the inaugural Maple Leaf Circuit Finals at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, Sask. Wills and her eight-year-old mare, Fames to Blame (Famey), won two of the four go-rounds at the Brandt Centre and finished second in the other two to capture the aggregate title and $6,803.65 — the largest paycheque of the Finals. “The last month has been incredible,” Wills acknowledged. “The win here in Regina, the awesome way the competitors were treated and qualifying for Kissimmee, FL (the RAM National Circuit Finals) capped off this dream month we’ve had.” Wills also made the point, “And the money we won here gives us a really nice head start for the 2020 rodeo season.” Wills was confident in her mare heading into the Circuit Finals. “I didn’t run her between Red Deer and Regina, and I figured she might need one run to really get going here. She just loves her job and loves to win and gets stronger at these multiplerun events.”
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Canadian Champion and Maple Leaf Circuit champ Brooke Wills of Kamloops, B.C., on her eight-year-old mare, Fames to Blame (Famey).
PHOTO BY WILDWOOD IMAGERY/CHANTELLE BOWMAN
I
T’S BEEN A FANTASTIC
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
C.P.R.A.
ROAD TO THE CFR
ORIN LARSEN NO MORE BORDER BLUES
Orin Larsen riding NorthcottMacza's multi-award-winning mare, X81 Spilled Perfume
By TIM ELLIS
P
ERFORMING WELL AT THE CANADIAN FINALS RODEO HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM FOR
BAREBACK RIDER, ORIN LARSEN. THE WORRY HAS BEEN FINDING A WAY TO COMPETE AT THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF REGULAR SEASON RODEOS TO
PHOTO BY BILLIE-JEAN DUFF
QUALIFY FOR THE CFR. “I finally have my green card,” reveals Larsen, who now lives in Gering, Nebraska. “I can now cross the border without any trouble for a few years.” That issue has been hampering Larsen’s ability to move freely from the United States to Canada during the rodeo season. He’s entered just 16 CPRA events in each of the last two seasons, one more than the necessary fifteen rodeos used as a benchmark for qualification for the Canadian Finals. “The problem was I had to be in the U.S. for six consecutive months,” begins the 28-year-old. “I only have one very small cowboycountrymagazine.com
window each year to do that and I wasn’t able to do it. I had to go to Omaha to get a special document signed by Homeland Security so I could cross the border while my green card was being processed. Then my wife and I had to go back to Omaha for interviews to make sure our marriage wasn’t a sham. It was two years of spending money and fighting with the help of a lawyer. I’m glad it’s done and over with for a few years.” Despite his limited appearances in this country, Larsen has averaged wins of over $1,100 per Canadian regular-season rodeo over the past four years. He’s also won over $178,000 at the CFR in those four appearances while winning or splitting the win in 11 of 24 go-rounds. And this year, Larsen won his first Canadian Bareback Championship. “I couldn’t have asked for a better CFR,” says the two-time College National Finals Rodeo Champion. “I was very fortunate. All those guys that were there in Red Deer are just as deserving.
“Horsepower played a role, but when I rode Spilled Perfume on Wednesday night, it gave me a whole new level of confidence. I’d been on that horse about seven times before and rode it once. I’ve had that horse make me look plum stupid before. “Everybody was riding so good and we brought the buckers. There were no big, fluffy hoppers that anyone could spur. It was so good that it literally came down to a drawing contest.” Larsen went on to win the last three rounds of the Finals with scores of 87.5, 90 and 89.5 points, giving him his second straight aggregate title and the championship buckle. Of his 11 CFR go-round wins, 10 have come in rounds four through six. He’s hoping to be able to add to that impressive resume in 2020. “It will be the same plan for this year,” suggests Larsen, who lists Inglis, Man., as his Canadian address. “My travelling partners and I have a pretty good system. If I can make it up for a few more, that would be more than great.” c 43
Pro Rodeo Canada Insider
PICKING UP
WHAT DOES IT TAKE? By DIANNE FINSTAD
S
Wade Rempel picking up bareback rider Dantan Bertsch from Calgary Stampede’s T-17 Twin Cherry at 2019 Strathmore Stampede OPPOSITE PAGE Pick up man Terry Leeder giving Colton Ouellette a helping hand off of Duffy Rodeo's bareback horse, 42 Scrufty
OME OF THE BEST COWBOY ACTION AT A RODEO OFTEN TAKES PLACE IN THE SECONDS AFTER THE WHISTLE BLOWS. THAT’S WHEN THE PICK UP MEN,
THOSE UNSUNG HEROES OF THE SPORT, RIDE TO THE RESCUE AND HELP THE CONTESTANT GET SAFELY TO THE GROUND.
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
C.P.R.A.
Canadian pro rodeo is fortunate to have some of the most talented and experienced pick up men in the world. It’s a specialized skill set, and those who know it best say it takes a couple of key factors for anyone wanting to join their ranks: practice and good horses. Plenty of both. Wade Rempel of Kyle, Sask., has logged thousands of hours in the rodeo arena in his 45-year career. He’s been helping rodeo cowboys, often with his brother Gary, since they were kids at the Matador community pasture in Saskatchewan. They got started when stock contractor Jerry Myers spotted them and began to call when he needed an extra hand. That led to work with other contractors, including a still-regular gig for the Rempel brothers at the Calgary Stampede. “You’ve got to know how to ride, that’s one thing for sure,” emphasizes Rempel. But that’s no ordinary ‘sit-in-the-saddle-on-a-sunnyday’ horsemanship ability. It’s more of a ‘ride-into-a-thunderstorm-and-pull-someone-out’ kind of riding. “You need to get to a practice pen first, and have horses that want to work,” he adds. Terry Leeder of Buck Creek, Alta., lives not far from stock contractor John Duffy, and that’s how he got his entrance into the game. “I got going to practice pens with him and started picking up there,” Leeder recalled. He’s been working at rodeos for more than 20 years now, mostly in the amateur ranks at first, and now mainly in the pros. The positions don’t open up often, but you need to be ready if they do. “There are so many good pick up men in Canada,” Leeder points out. “You’ve kind of just got to wait your turn until someone retires and you can get in there.” The horsepower quotient is huge for a pick up man, and while a good, strong horse is an immeasurable asset, Leeder says another quality is even more important. “They’ve got to have a big heart. They’ve got to get in there and stay in there, do their job. Sometimes you’ll go through some horses that just don’t want to do it.”
At an average rodeo, Leeder uses three horses in a perf — more if it’s a bigger rodeo. He has six head he can rotate through, while Rempel has nine in his remuda, including a young one he’s bringing along. Approaching a bucking horse in close range isn’t something all saddle horses aspire to — some can learn, others take to it more naturally. But both cowboys know it takes lots of training to get one to the reliable stage. For both horse and rider, the task requires intense concentration and antici-
PHOTOS BY BILLIE JEAN DUFF; DDD PHOTOGRAPHY/DALLAS DUFFY
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For both horse and rider, the task requires intense concentration and anticipation throughout the entire rodeo.” pation throughout the entire rodeo. Plus, good ‘stock sense’ is another critical asset. “You’ve got to be able to read things,” Rempel explains. “If you can see somebody getting in trouble, you can take two or three steps and be that much closer.” “So, you’ve got to be ready, maybe look ahead a bit, yet stay out of their road. They (the contestants) own those horses for eight seconds ‘til the whistle goes. You get in there too early and bugger them up, it’s no good for anybody.”
It also takes some cowboy smarts to know when to push and when to get out of the way of the bulls. Being handy with a rope is another prerequisite for encouraging wayward stock to head in the right direction or for securing a horse if a bareback rider gets hung up. Unlike rodeo competitors, pick up men are guaranteed a paycheque at the end of the day, a responsibility that requires true professionalism. “You have to pay attention to your job,” Rempel emphasizes. “The contractors look after their horses, and we have to treat everyone the same — get the flank off as quick as you can. It’s their money bucking. Treat every cowboy, every horse, with respect.” At most rodeos, there are two pick up men in the arena, but at some larger shows, there can be double that. “It’s a team effort,” adds Leeder. “You can’t do it by yourself because you’ve got to work as a team with one guy on each side, usually. When they come out, if the horse goes one way, it’s that guy who goes in, and you fall in behind. If it comes your way, you go for it, and the other guy comes in behind.” Despite the padded chaps they wear, pick up men are still in the line of fire, and Leeder laughs that sometimes you don’t see all the bruises until the shirt comes off at night. Both have had their share of broken bones from flying hooves over the years. But they wouldn’t change it for the world. Especially the times when they can sit around the campfire after a flawless performance of great rodeo action. “We enjoy it,” states Leeder. “You don’t get rich doing it, so you’ve got to enjoy what you do. It’s nice to be there for the cowboys. Everybody knows everybody, and it’s just fun to hang out.” “I’ve probably got the best seat in the house for watching the guys ride bucking horses,” says Rempel. “I’ve seen some good rides, good horses, and met a lot of good people.” c
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020
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The Ol’ Ugly Special Ol’ Ugly — aka John Glawson — is a great comedian and storyteller from Nanton, Alberta. He will send you into a good belly laugh or sometimes bring a tear to your eye, but you’ll always find a grain of truth in his tales. Be sure to take in his performance if he’s in your neck of the woods, and you can also follow him on Facebook. This is one of his favourite recipes because, according to Ol’ Ugly, “You can never have too much pie!”
Shoo Fly Pie 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/8 tsp. salt 1/3 cup cold butter 3 to 4 tbsp. cold water
Directions
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Filling
3/4 cup hot water 1 tsp. baking soda 3/4 cup mild-flavoured molasses or dark corn syrup 1 cup flour 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. cold butter 1 large egg (room temperature), beaten 1 tsp. vanilla
a pastry fork t in the butter with en to 400˚F. cu ov e en th th , t ea wl bo eh a Pr in B and salt moisten the flour, combine the flour in enough water to x mi , xt Ne s. B For the crust, mb minutes. resembles coarse cru d refrigerate for 30 until the mixture wrap it in plastic an transfer it into a ll, ba en a th o , int cle h cir ug h dough into 12-inc then shape the do ed ill ch e crimp or flute th l en rol ured surface, m and sides, th flo tto ly bo ht st lig ain a ag n y O ml B fir te. Press the dough 9” deep-dish pie pla a until dissolved. x in the baking sod mi d the edges. an , wl bo sugar, then a in e flour and brown pour the hot water d bowl, combine th con se B For the fil ling, lf the a ha In . rve ide se as Re rse crumbs. lasses, and set xture resembles coa B Stir in the mo mi e th til un ing bin ur cut in the butter, com until well mixed. Po . ide as set d an e, d vanil la, and stir ur an g 10 eg mixt for s, se ke ba las d mo an e mb mixture, ing crumbs, add th (or with the reserved cru e re B To the remain kl mo s rin te sp nu st, mi cru to 40 prepared 350°F, and bake 35 the fil ling into the oven temperature to e th e . uc rve red , se d xt an Ne minutes. whipped cream ). Let cool, top with until fil ling has set
PHOTOS COURTESY STOCK.ADOBE.COM/NATALLIA; STOC.ADOBE.COM/ NEILLANGAN; PIXABAY.COM/ PONCE_PHOTOGRAPHY; ILLUSTRATION BY ERIN MURPHY
Crust ( for a 9” single pie crust)
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COWBOY POETRY
Her Her Colt Colt By BRUCE KISKADDON
By BRUCE KISKADDON
Other hosses takes an interest in a colt that’s young and small The way they act you’d think they’d never seen a colt at all They would nip him and torment him if his mother wasn’t there But they don’t do much inspectin’ when they meet up with the mare It’s her that makes ’em savvy not to monkey with that colt She backs her ears and peels her teeth; you bet she’ll take a holt If that don’t make ’em understand, they’ll learn the way it feels When she lashes out and takes ’em in the ribs with both her heels
Other hosses takes an interest in a colt that’s young and small The way they act you’d think they’d never seen a colt atall They would nip him and torment him if his mother wasn’t there But they don’t do much inspectin’ when they meet up with the mare It’s her that makes ’em savvy not to monkey with that colt She backs her ears and peels her teeth; you bet she’ll take a holt If that don’t make ’em understand, they’ll learn the way it feels When she lashes out and takes ’em in the ribs with both her heels She must watch the other hosses, she must teach that colt to mind And there’s times perhaps the bosses gits a little out of line She knows he ain’t no problem child. He’s just like all his brothers And she’s a mare that’s got a colt, the same as all the others Of course she hasn’t read no books how children should be raised She doesn’t keep a record of her family’s birthdays But if you watch from day to day you’ll find she’ll make it through And do about as good as job as anyone can do.
Bruce Kiskaddon (1878–1950) is one the most admired and recited classic cowboy poets. Most of his works are in the public domain.
She must watch the other hosses, she must teach that colt to mind And there’s times perhaps the bosses gits a little out of line She knows he ain’t no problem child; He’s just like all his brothers. And she’s a mare that’s got a colt, the same as all the others Of course she hasn’t read no books how children should be raised She doesn’t keep a record of her family’s birthdays
And do about as good as job as anyone can do.
Bruce Kiskaddon (1878–1950) is one the most admired and recited classic cowboy poets. Most of his works are in the public domain.
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PHOTOS COOURTESY VIRGONIRA; UNSPLASH.COM/ YURIY BOGDANOV
But if you watch from day to day you’ll find she’ll make it through
Nick Gulka Jackie Rae Stella Stevens
A.J. Keller
Greg Shannon
Serving up
Music
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2020