Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2023

COWBOY

17 ARTS & CULTURE

Unique driftwood sculptures by artisan Tina Milisavljevisch

26 RCMP 150 TH CELEBRATION

Renfrew of the Royal Mounted personified the iconic NWMP

28 TRAILBLAZERS

How a prairie farm boy became a famous holster maker

30 HOMEGROWN

36 COWBOY WAY

Does

39 WHAT WORKS FOR US

From

42 TRUE GRIT

April/May 2023 Vol. 26, No. 6

Proud Member of the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame

Publisher Rob Tanner rob@cowboycountrymagazine.com

Editor Terri Mason terri@cowboycountrymagazine.com

Field Editor Craig Coulliard craig@cowboycountrymagazine.com

Art Director Shannon Swanson shannon@cowboycountrymagazine.com

Sales Manager Kristine Wickheim kristine@cowboycountrymagazine.com

Subscription/Circulation Marie Tanner circ @cowboycountrymagazine.com

Accounting/Administrator Marie Tanner admin@cowboycountrymagazine

Columnists

Dylan Biggs, Tim Ellis, Fred Hauck, Hugh McLennan, Billy Melville, Greg Shannon, Bryn Thiessen

Contributors

CrAsh Cooper, Dr Daryl Drew, Andrew Exelby, Tim Lasiuta, Frank Gleeson, McDougald Ranch, Barb & Dave Poulsen, Reg Steward

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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

“This project is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada.” «Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada.»

Highly Collectible

It’s funny how life works out. I met my friend, Fred Hauck, almost 30 years ago at the Calgary Stampede. An avid collector of Stampede memorabilia, Fred was a frequent visitor to the stage where all of us cowboy poets and musicians performed during Stampede.

While enjoying our annual visit, I casually asked him if he could find me a treadle sewing machine. Above is the beauty he found; pristine condition, and it sews beautifully! I am pleased that Fred will contribute to Cowboy with his vast knowledge of collectibles.

Another man who is contributing to the magazine for the first time is Reg Steward. The retired Mountie earned a chest full of medals for bravery during his time on the force, and his new career sees him the head of cowboy safety — the best way to describe it. You’ll enjoy his stuff, and he makes a lot of sense.

Speaking of red serge, Tim Lasiuta wrote an interesting piece about the

movies and how the NWMP became world-famous. We will be delving into the past and present as we celebrate their sesquicentennial.

And special thanks to Ray McDougald for sharing the fascinating history of their ranch, and it is with no small degree of sadness that we will be saying "See you down the trail..." to our cow whisperer, Dylan Biggs of TK Ranch. Technically, he was only going to write six columns, and I think that was… four years ago? His life has picked up another gear, and I hope he will write a book about working with cattle. Let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll pass it along to our friend.

All this and more — and an especially hearty “You can do it, kid” to my young friend, Sandy Cooper-Black, who was seri ously injured when he came off a bronc. His grit is being tested, but we all know that miracles happen every day, here in Canadian Cowboy Country.

Terri Mason, Editor

Above is my 1920s Singer 127 treadle sewing machine sourced by Fred Hauck. You can see this old beauty "in action" on our Facebook site as I work on a quilt for injured bronc rider friend, Sandy Cooper.

REG STEWARD

Managing Ranch Risk, pg 34

RCMP veteran Reg Steward is the BC Ranch Safety Consultant, Superintendent AgSafe BC Safety Advisor CASA. He does agricultural safety consulting and has authored numerous articles. Reg has earned the Canadian Medal of Bravery, and numerous commendations.

FRED HAUCK

Western Collections, pg 20

Fred Hauck originally hails from Redcliff, Alta., and is a lifelong historian and collector. He now makes his home in Medicine Hat and is a regular trader on the collection scene. Fred is joining Cowboy as the Western Collections columnist.

DR DARYL DREW

Trailblazer, Walt Ostin, pg 28

Daryl Drew has a PhD in history and recently wrapped up a stellar career as a teacher. A horse trainer and historian, he has horse packed into the mountains from the Yukon to Mexico. Daryl has been writing historical articles for Cowboy for over a decade.

Whether you’re managing a herd of broodmares and studs or are competing at the highest level, HorsLic® supplements are proven to support your horse’s performance.

IN THE CORRAL

//// EVENTS & HAPPENINGS ACROSS THE WEST ////

COUNTRY MUSIC ALBERTA

Tenille Townes, (photographed performing at the Winspear) MacKenzie Porter and Lindsay Ell are all vying for the top honour of Female Artist of the Year. The winner will be announced at the 12th annual Country Music Alberta Awards, held April 1-2 at Calgary’s Grey Eagle Resort and Casino. For all of the nominees, visit CountryMusicAlberta.com.

HORSE EXPO CANADA

HORSE EXPO BRINGS the inspiration we all need in the spring to get our horses and ourselves back into action after a long, cold winter.

This year’s Horse Expo in Red Deer will offer many of the same favourite events from last year, including the Trainer’s Showdown, world-renowned clinician presentations, an expansive tradeshow, an art show, and a scavenger hunt for young horse lovers.

The VIP experience will include a meet and greet with the trainers, clinicians, judges and hosts of the Trainer’s Showdown, along with tasty drinks and snacks to make for an exciting Friday night.

Confirmed Showdown trainers are Wylene Wilson, Jason Irwin and Dustin Sippola.

Wylene Wilson hails from Mesa, Arizona, and has competed in rodeo and Extreme Cowboy races. Wylene has participated in fourteen Extreme Mustang Makeovers and has won the event three times.

Based in Ontario, Jason Irwin has been a professional horse trainer for over 20 years. He starts colts, works with problem horses, trains liberty horses, competes in trainer’s challenges, and conducts about 20 clinics annually.

Dustin Sippola is a two-time Heart of the Horse Trainer’s Challenge winner. Raised west of Nanton, he mentored under renowned trainer Sid Cook. Dustin now calls Cardston home, where he runs a few cows, day rides, trains horses, and conducts clinics.

The Showdown judges are Lorie Duff, Marc Garner, and Mel Hyland. Kade Mills and Hugh McLennan will provide insights and commentary as co-hosts of the Trainer’s Challenge.

Well-known clinicians this year include Marci Powell. She is a WPRA/CPRA professional barrel racer. Her sessions will focus on drills to quicken your horse’s feet and add fluidity to your barrel horse.

Jill Barron is back and focusing on Working Equitation, a sport that aims to garner a functional relationship between horse and rider. It is an inclusive discipline that encourages all breeds and styles of tack.

Doug Mills will be teaching this year as a clinician. A multi-time winner of The Mane Event Trainer’s Challenge, Doug and his Training Thru Trust method have helped thousands of horses and riders realize their fullest potential as horsemen.

Other clinicians include Jonathan Field, Dana Hokana, Bronwyn Irwin, Jim Greendyk, and Lori Duff.

Horse Expo Canada, April 28–30, 2023, Westerner Park, Red Deer, Alta. For more information and access to the limited VIP tickets, visit www.horseexpo.ca

Dustin Sippola

Wylene Wilson

Jason Irwin

HALL OF FAME

BULL RIDER, PROMOTER and television commentator Cody Snyder will be the first Canadian to be inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame.

Cody got the news from eight-time bull riding world champion Donny Gay.

“In the bull riding and rodeo world, to get a call from him, that’s like Wayne Gretzky calling you to put you into the Hockey Hall of Fame,” said Snyder. “It’s a great honour.”

At five, Cody started his rodeo career in his hometown of Redcliff, Alta., west of Medicine Hat, riding a calf at a local competition. From there, he moved to juniors, and at 12, he rode his first bull.

In 1983 at 20, he became the first Canadian to be named the World Champion Bull Rider. He still holds the record for the highest-scored ride in Canadian rodeo history with 95 points [Northcott’s Confusion, CFR X, 1983].

In 1993, Cody retired from competition and got into producing bull riding events through his company, Cody Snyder Bullbustin’ Inc. Those events have raised over $2 million for local charities.

Cody was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2005. Inductees to the Bull Riding Hall of Fame will be celebrated on May 20 in Fort Worth, Texas.

After 40 years, hometown pride is still reflected in this legendary-sized painting honouring Cody. Over the years, millions of travellers on the TransCanada Highway have seen this art as they head west through his hometown of Redcliff. Specializing

“ It is not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters.”

TOP JOB

Presidentelect Darlene

Keeler

Ian Dawson Tyson

CONGRATULATIONS TO DARLENE Keeler, recently chosen by the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede as the president-elect. Darlene is the first woman in the Stampede’s 136-year history to hold this top job.

A lifelong resident, she has been involved with the Stampede for nearly 20 years, beginning her association as a volunteer and has since filled several roles.

“It’s an honour and a privilege,” she said.

ESTABLISHED IN 1887, the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede has grown into a culture and heritage center in southeast Alberta. Among their events, the committee hosts two rodeos: Broncs & Honky Tonks, April 14–16 and their flagship Medicine Hat Stampede, July 27–29.

Beechy, Sask.

1958–2022

Reg Schellenberg was known for having quality cattle, performance horses, and well-trained working dogs. The lifelong rancher and rodeo supporter was known for his cowboy logic, and he stood up for what was right. His sense of justice drew him to positions that allowed him to use his voice to advocate for the underdog. Reg was first a director of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association later, the president. Reg died suddenly at home on his ranch.

Longview, Alta.

1933–2022

Ian Tyson, Order of Canada, Alberta Order of Excellence, Hall of Fame, was a songwriter, musician and writer. He penned many hits, including “Four Strong Winds.” The Western Writers of America chose “Navajo Rug” and “Summer Wages” among the Top 100 Western Songs of all time. His songs spanned the generations from the folk music scene of the 60s to the thriving Western music resurgence. The song "Four Strong Winds", written by Ian Tyson, was named as the greatest Canadian song of all time by the CBC-Radio program 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version in 2005. Ian died at home on his ranch near Longview. (RR)

CENTURY DOWNS BARN TOURS

IF YOU’VE EVER wondered how the superb equine athletes live while racing, then register for a barn tour at Century Downs.

Free to attend and open to all ages, the tours are limited to 15 people, and the tours run most Saturdays at an hour and a half prior to post time. Check the Century Downs website for more information, and prepare to have some fun!

CENTURY DOWNS RACING SCHEDULE:

Standbardbred Racing: Each Saturday beginning in March, then each weekend until late August.

Thoroughbred Racing: Every weekend in Sept and October.

Quarter Horse Racing: Sept 9-10, 23-24; Oct 1, 7, 21-22.

For more, visit cnty.com/centurydowns

Reg Schellenberg

WATERTON WILDLIFE CORRIDOR

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY of Canada (NCC) announced a new conservation site outside Waterton Lakes National Park that will benefit the area’s wildlife, including at-risk species.

This 255-hectare (630 acres) project is located about 10 kilometres south of Twin Butte, Alta. It builds on over 13,000 hectares of private conservation lands surrounding Waterton Park, known as the Waterton Park Front (of which 75 per cent is now conserved).

This new project supports important habitats, including fescue grasslands, forests, wetlands and riparian (riverside) ecosystems along the Waterton River. Fescue grasslands are a priority for conservation, as they are sensitive to disturbances, outcompeted by introduced plant species and slow to regenerate.

Cattle ranching has maintained this landscape’s natural state and sustained this project’s natural value. A grazing plan is being developed as it will remain a working landscape for local ranchers.

Wildlife tracks crisscrossing the recently acquired corridor

MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!

STARTING MARCH 31, print subscribers will also get Canadian Cowboy Country magazine in our digital format — for free!

Whether you’re wintering in Arizona, summering on the high range or waiting for someone to finish shopping, relax and read your favourite magazine on your phone or tablet.

From time to time, subscribers will also have first shot at our specialty digital publications, including our Cowboy Christmas Gift Guide To ensure you are included in this free offer, email Marie at Marie@CowboyCountryMagazine.com

If you’re currently not a subscriber but want in on this great deal, also contact Marie, and she’ll set you up to enjoy all we offer here in Canadian Cowboy Country

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CANADIAN COWBOY?

NATIONAL COWBOY HALL OF FAME

THE NATIONAL COWBOY & Western Heritage Museum is carrying on the tradition of honouring the men and women who contribute to the history and culture of the west.

Seven inductees and award winners will be honoured at the 62nd Western Heritage Awards by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum on April 14-15, 2023.

Inducted into the 2023 Hall of Great Westerners is Robert A. Funk Sr. As founder of Express Employment Professionals, he led the company into one of the nation’s largest privately held staffing companies. As the owner of Express Ranches, he raises fine Angus and Hereford cattle and is the largest Angus genetic seedstock producer in America. Express Ranches is also home to championship-winning Clydesdales and Percherons, which compete in horse shows across the U.S. and Canada each year.

Akaroa Harbour, New Zealand

LOCATED SOUTHEAST OF Christchurch, Akaroa Harbour is part of Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Banks Peninsula is the South Island’s most interesting volcanic feature. Originally an island formed by two volcanic cones, the peninsula has two dominant craters, which form Lyttelton and Akaroa Harbours. The peninsula was named for botanist Joseph Banks, who sailed with Captain James Cook on the Endeavour.

“Akaroa” is an alternative spelling of Whakaroa, from the Kāi Tahu dialect of Māori. Whakaroa means “Long Harbour.”

Akaroa Harbour’s waterfront has been continually inhabited since the 1840s and the days of whaling. The charming township of Akaroa has a special point of difference — it was the only French settlement in New Zealand. The Akaroa Harbour area boasts an estimated population of 740, which increases with the tourist season, attracting visitors such as Vicki Swanson from Port Alberni, B.C.

Inducted into the 2023 Hall of Great Western Performers is Lou Diamond Phillips. The film and stage credits of the Emmy-nominated actor are as long as my arm. Some of his Western career highlights include starring in (and directing episodes) on the acclaimed series, “ Longmire,” and Jose Chavez y Chavez in “ Young Guns.” His breakout role was playing Ritchie Valens in “ La Bamba.” Phillips is also a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism. For more on the inductees, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CANADIAN COWBOY?

Take us along on your next adventure, and send us the photo!

If you prefer, you can simply take the cover (we know luggage weight restrictions!), and take the shot!

And, beginning with this issue, our loyal subscribers will also receive the digital edition of each issue of Canadian Cowboy Country magazine for free, so you can simply pull up the cover on your phone or tablet and include the digital image in your world travel adventures!

Email your photos, your names and the location to Editor@CowboyCountryMagazine.com and thank you for including us on your next adventure!

ONE INCH FROM DISASTER

TRUE TALES FROM THE WILDS OF BRITISH COLUMBA

It doesn’t matter if you’ve ever, or if you’ve never, felt your spine tingle when you’re alone in the bush miles from anywhere and heard the woof of a grizzly or the howl of wolves — this book will take you there.

Kelly Randall Ricketts’ book is aptly entitled One Inch From Disaster, and all you will need is a flickering lantern to put you by his campfires and into the place where his tales are less of a read than a sharing of adventures. Some will make you hold your breath, some will spook you, and many will make you laugh out loud.

Ricketts has had many careers, from wrangler to singer/songwriter to heavyweight boxer to butcher, but his true gift is as a masterful storyteller with the knack of putting you right in the thick of things, and trust me, the thick of things is highly entertaining! This is another book for the packbox.

BROKEN PROMISES AND BRUSHES WITH FAME

LIFE IS AN empty canvas, and songwriter Buddy Owens is doing his best to make it a masterpiece.

After a year at college in his hometown of Tulsa, Buddy hit the road to play music. By age 21, he decided to move to Nashville and give music his all. Buddy’s dad understood but asked his son to promise he would finish college when he arrived. Buddy says he forgot to go back to school but certainly remembered the work ethic he was taught.

Owens' schedule consisted of writing songs in the morning, making rent as a doorman at the Vanderbilt in the afternoon, and playing bars on Broadway four to five nights a week. The investment paid off with Buddy’s songs being cut by Mark Chesnutt, Montgomery Gentry, Miranda Lambert, and Blake Shelton — whom he once helped move from Tennessee to Tulsa!

Buddy makes friends easily, especially with Canadians. New Brunswick-born Nashville writer/producer Phil O'Donnell not only gave Owens a big break by signing him to a publishing deal, but the two formed a partnership tapping into a well

of creativity that is still pumping out hit songs today. Alberta’s Gord Bamford has topped the charts with multiple Owens songs, including “Where a Farm Used to Be.” He started the true story with the intent of making it a lament of a farm being swallowed up by the city around it. When Buddy shared the idea with Gord and “Phil-Billy,” Phil suggested they create more of an up-tempo, positive story. Owens said, “if I had left it, then it may have never been a radio single.”

When not collaborating on future hits, Buddy is a passionate painter of portraits. His works depict everyone from Johnny, Dolly and Merle to Barney Fife. Some hang in the homes of celebrities, and he donates a number of his works to charity auctions.

“That’s the cool thing about social media. I put paintings on there and they just started selling... It’s been a blessing for sure.”

Dropping out of college to follow a dream was the key to unlocking Buddy Owens’ success. Is that the advice he’d give young people today?

“I don’t know if I would encourage that,” Owens laughs.

One Inch From Disaster — True Tales from the Wilds of British Columbia | Softcover | 256 pages | Author: Kelly

Randall Ricketts |

Harbour Publishing | HarbourPublishing.com

Finding a Good Ranch Horse

BY HUGH MCLENNAN

It’s funny how your outlook changes as you get older. The last bronc ride I made was in 2019, and it wasn’t bad for an old guy. At least I didn’t fall off. For a long time, I would get on just about any horse, but I’ve been told by those who want to see me stay around and sound for a while longer not to get on those unpredictable ones anymore.

So last fall I brought home a promising seven-year-old sorrel mare on a trial. That

For a lot of years, I’ve been blessed with many great horses. From my first one, a three-year-old Appy gelding, up to my mare, Cody.

I picked her up at a horse auction in Kamloops as an unbroke two-year-old. In between, I’ve started a lot of colts for the general public, got attached to them and wound up keeping them. All of them earned their keep as working ranch horses.

My number one mount, Cody, is 20 and still in good shape, but we wanted to make her life easier. Now the daunting process of finding a suitable ranch horse for a guy as old as me turned into quite an adventure. I looked at hundreds of prospects from near and far. I registered to bid on several

online sales. I called the owners, watched the videos and still had not found what I thought we needed.

Then we found a gorgeous buckskin mare, papered with top bloodlines and just about pushbutton to ride. I took her home on a trial, and wouldn’t you know it, just after we closed the deal, she came up lame. After a costly vet exam, the owners graciously agreed to take her back.

My checklist for a prospect included being calm, sensible, well started, having a real knack for working cattle, be good in the bush, and be confident enough to carry this OLD cowboy way up in the rugged, timbered ranch country and bring him back in one piece.

trial lasted about 30 seconds. She’d been doing ranch work all summer without a hitch. After all the due diligence with groundwork, I stepped aboard, asked her to walk out, and that first step was all four feet straight up in the air, two more violent bucks and I was launched. I hit the ground from about 10 feet up, and when I caught my breath, I was going to try her again, but I could tell Billie meant it when she said, “No, you’re not!”

That one led to a six-month wait for surgery to repair the damage and a nasty case of shingles that I’m still dealing with.

In the summer, I day ride for the Deleeuw ranch, and one of the neighbours who often joins us has been riding a sixyear-old wild horse that grew up in the rugged Pavilion Lake area. I’ve been watching them for two years, and then last spring, I said, “Scott, if you ever want to sell that mare, let me know.”

To make the story short, he sold her to us, and after looking far and wide, the best one of all was just over the hill. Her name is Becca, and since an old cowboy superstition says it’s bad luck to change a horse’s name, we’ll keep it c

PHOTO BY BILLIE MCLENNAN

“My checklist for a prospect included being calm, sensible, well started...”

The latest addition to the McLennan remuda, Hugh’s wildie mare, Becca

An anthem, by definition, is a “musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group.” Although over a dozen songs have been written and recorded about chuckwagon racing, only one has ever been identified as an anthem — Ian Tyson’s “Half Mile of Hell.”

For over 60 years, Ian Tyson was an internationally renowned singer/ songwriter who wrote or co-wrote many classic songs such as “Four Strong Winds,” “Someday Soon,” “Cowboy Pride,” “Navajo Rug,” and “Summer Wages” among many others.

Over 50 recording artists of many genres covered his songs, including such prominent artists as Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Suzy Bogguss, and Glen Campbell. But with his strong association with Alberta and the Canadian West, it was only natural that Ian would have a connection to the chuckwagon races and would formalize that bond through his music.

Back in the 1970s, Ian was asked to write a chuckwagon song about the Rangeland Derby in Calgary. In 1978 he used the title from Art Belanger’s 1970 book of the same name and wrote and recorded the song “Half Mile of Hell” on his album, One Jump Ahead of the Devil. The would go on to become a hit song, reaching #26 on the Canadian Country Music Charts in 1979. The hard-driving, adrenaline-pumping “Half Mile of Hell” ultimately became the sport of chuckwagon racing’s anthem.

“It came very easy,” explained Tyson, “I wrote it one afternoon, we went into the studio and cut it, and it turned out pretty good!”

Some drivers mentioned in the song were friends of Ian Tyson’s, and some were the older drivers who pioneered the sport to whom Ian wanted to pay tribute. Over the years, “Half Mile of Hell” has

Ian Tyson

Half Mile of Hell

BY BILLY MELVILLE

been covered by many artists across Canada and as far away as Australia.

To recognize Ian’s contribution to sport by writing and recording “Half Mile of Hell,” he was honoured in 2016 at the Ponoka Stampede by the Black Aces Chuckwagon Promotion with the Stu Grant Memorial Award. The Black Aces were a promotionfocused group whose main focus was recognizing and honouring persons

involved in chuckwagon racing in a supportive role.

Ian Tyson was the last recipient of that very prestigious award.

On December 29, 2022, Ian Tyson passed away peacefully at his ranch near Longview, Alberta, at 89. His legacy will live on forever as WPCA chuckwagon races are kicked off nightly with the playing of “Half Mile of Hell.” c

In 2016, Ian Tyson rode into the Ponoka Stampede arena to receive the Stu Grant Memorial Award, presented to those who support professional chuckwagon racing

60 is My New 80

BY BRYN THIESSEN

A hand, it is a wondrous thing, Four fingers and a thumb, But if you are a cowboy, You might be missing some.

You can hold a rope, a child’s hand And a grudge against barbwire, But what you hold deep in your heart, Are the things you most desire.

I’m writing these words as we’re drifting through winter and into spring and all the promise the season will bring. By the time you’re reading them, I’ll be old enough for a Senate appointment and some days about as useful. On my journey. I’ve acquired the trinkets and truffles, experiences, and opportunities that life can bring, but I want to speak of what I’ll carry with me into this time.

As I approach the middle of my sixth decade, I’ve climbed far enough up the mountain called life that I have a view of what’s behind me. I can see the coulees and washouts where I couldn’t see more than a step or two, to lofty vistas where it seemed my vision could see way past tomorrow. I can also see what loads I’ve carried and what I’ve dropped off and, at times, littered the trail.

These thoughts started taking on new meaning a couple of years back as we moved Bonny’s folks into the same seniors complex my folks are in. As this required them to downsize, they had to decide what to keep close, what to give to family and friends and what to just

get rid of. In the end, what they kept close was some furniture so they could rest and combine over 175 years of memories. By the time you’re reading this, it will be the first anniversary of Glen’s (father-in-law) passing. Not long after we’d gathered to say goodbye, we welcomed our sixth grandchild. As some of the decisions of my youth have slowed my physical prowess and ability, I’ve had to change some of what I do and let go of some.

I still run some cattle, horses, and dogs but have not day worked or rode pasture for a couple of years. I’m still speaking, preaching and poetry throughout the West but not as frequently as in years past. My vision has dimmed, but the memories are as clear as a full moon’s light shining on freshly fallen snow. What I hold onto and value is the “West” with the memories of the places and people I’ve rode with.

To quote myself, “60 was the new 80 in my body. This way, I can enjoy and remember being 80.” What I value most is the freedom and right to be me, with all that I’ve done and will do.

If I look a little deeper, I recognize this freedom comes from being secure in who I am, where I came from and where I’m going. I understand I was created, not from the goo to the zoo to you, but from One who not only created me but gave me a purpose and a desire to follow Him.

Philippians 2: 1–6 speaks of the mind of Christ. How he didn’t close his hand and hold onto what He had but opened HIS hand and heart to be hung on the cross. What He valued most was you. Can you say the same? 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.

Drifting Into Sculptures

BY CRAIG COUILLARD

1. Legends 20" L x 18" H x 12" W 2. SilentSpirit 42"x 42" x 27"

3. Prairie Thunder 38" x 34" x 28"

Have you ever picked up a piece of driftwood along a water’s edge and thought, “That looks like a dog … a boomerang … or a heart?” Maybe you even carried it home and added it to your flowerbed.

In 2017, pen and ink artist Tina Milisavljevisch of Big Fork, Montana, stumbled across a large piece of driftwood on a lake beach and with her artist’s eye, she saw the head of a horse. That 20-inch piece of wood would form the basis of a large driftwood horse sculpture. The piece immediately sold, and Tina decided to pursue driftwood sculpturing full-time.

Tina credits her Dad for giving her the foundation to be an artist. “Dad could build anything with his crude tools and good old-fashioned ingenuity. He was always showing us how to work with our hands.”

When starting a large sculpture, she visualizes the anatomy and muscle structure, placing each piece of driftwood and metal accordingly.

“Each sculpture starts with a single piece of wood that serves as the inspiration for my work. From there, I keep going back, looking for specific sizes and shapes of driftwood to complete my piece. It’s very much like a jigsaw puzzle; I’m always learning something new with each piece.”

She’s also inspired by old car parts that she incorporates into her sculptures. “Vintage car hoods, fenders, and chrome are re-purposed to accessorize my art. They add texture, depth and colour as well as helping to strengthen my sculptures.”

You will also notice that there are also subtle indigenous components. “I love the artistry and connection between man and animal. I use these elements as a splash of colour to add interest to each piece.”

Her life-size buffalo was prominently featured in the Great Western Art Show lobby entrance in Great Falls, Montana in 2022. Says Tina, “It generally takes me two to three months to build a life-size sculpture. Moose seem to be popular right now.”

So where does she find her raw material? “I have a few favourite places where I go to collect driftwood,” says Tina. “But they are a closely guarded secret,” she smiles. She and her husband often go on horse pack trips, and she invariably brings

home more material. She finds lake beach driftwood the best material as the continuous lapping of the waves polishes the wood.

So, the next time you stumble across a piece of wood that looks like a bird, you

might think twice before pitching it into your campfire.

To see more of Tina’s incredible sculptures, visit her artists' gallery website at TinasWildlifeArt.net c

Top: Curved Fish # 3 27" L x 28" H x 15"W

Above: Rufus 31" x 27" x 10"

WESTERN COLLECTOR

COLLECTING WATCH FOBS

BY FRED HAUCK

Since the advent of the pocket watch, an easy way to access the watch was needed — hence the strap and fob.

A leather strap connected the pocket watch with a weighted ornamentation called a fob, usually made of metal. It would hang outside the vest or pants pocket and be conveniently pulled to view the watch. Watch fobs were popular from the mid1800s to the 1950s, when the wristwatch overtook them in popularity.

I started using a Westclox Dax pocket watch some 30 years ago. Soon after, I was introduced to watch fobs and started collecting mainly agricultural and Westernthemed ones.

My first Western fob was a Riley & McCormick (Calgary), shaped like a saddle.

In the early days, fobs were advertising giveaways. The first Riley & McCormick's were sterling silver, later nickel-plated brass. When watch fobs fell out of favour, Riley & McCormick had clips attached to the back, and these fobs became bolo ties. Other saddle makers used to make saddle fobs, including Al Furstnow, Hamley & Co., and R.T. Frazier.

I also own saddle fobs with no advertising on the reverse. The blank reverse fobs would have been purchased from mail-order catalogues. Most saddle fobs have tapaderos, as opposed to stirrups. Where the tapadero meets the saddle fender is the thinnest point; many have been broken, and the tapadero is missing. These have little or no value.

Early 1900s pocket watch and a saddle fob; both probably purchased from a mail-order catalogue

Other companies, like stockyards, meat packers, and horseshoe manufacturers, had fobs shaped like the products they sold. Fobs, shaped like cows or pigs, were at one time common but are now hard to find. One unique fob in my collection shows a horse collar and hames as a giveaway by a horse collar manufacturer in the United States.

Not just businesses used fobs to advertise. The 1912 Calgary Stampede had at least two different watch fobs; one was a miniature gun holster with a small metal gun with Calgary Stampede 1912 on the leather. The second fob is round leather

with “Official Stampede Souvenir, Calgary Alta, September 2–5 ‘12” printed on it. Some are marked Great West Saddlery. An allbrass fob and a brass and blue enamel fob also exist.

Other western fobs that deserve mention are the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch and Buffalo Bill fobs. A great many saddle fobs still exist.

One last note is to be aware of reproductions. They are solid copper, made of thicker material, and smaller in dimension. Reproduction saddle fobs do exist, and I've found a few. c

1 Brass horse head: B.F. Ackerman, Son & Company Ltd, Peterborough, Ontario 2 Miller Bros 101 Ranch, a famous ranch and Wild West show 3 The Denver Colorado Stockman's Supplies 4 Bull: Peck Bros. Livestock Commission Co, Ogden, Utah

5 J H. Bowman & Sons, Millersburg, Ohio; Arthur Collars, Arthurs, Illinois 6 Miller's Harness & Leather Shop, Mesopotamia, Ohio

IN STYLE

GOOD BOOTS FOR BAD CONDITIONS

Boulet Work Boots

Men’s work boots with steel toe, Kevlar flame retardant assembling thread, Boulet Be Tough Sole.

Height 13”. $380. BouletBoots.com

Ariat Women’s Terrain Pull-On Waterproof Boot

Round toe, full-grain leather and suede with a moisture-wicking lining to keep the foot dry and ventilated. $230. Ariat.com

Rocky Core Chore Women’s Rubber Outdoor Boot

Soft toe, vulcanized rubber outsole with selfcleaning tread design; maintain traction and reduce weight by shedding mud with every step. Cushioned footbed. $125. RockyBoots.com

6

Alberta Boot Co

All leather, tonal stitched welt; Goodyear welt construction, height 14”, natural cork footbed. Style Inglewood. $445. AlbertaBoot.ca

Men’s Muck Boots

Real Tree Edge Arctic grip, wide calf boot, Vibram XS Trek Evo traction, 100% waterproof, liner, fleece lining, comfort insole. Height 15.7”. $320. MuckBootCompany.ca

Bogs Footwear

Kids’ “Spooky” rain boot, 100% waterproof, DuraFresh fights odors, BOGS Max-Wick evaporates sweat to keep feet dry, ultra-soft and flexible rubber, $55. BogsFootwear.ca

Brahma Boots

Ladies’ Brahma Ropers, premium bullhide, Yosemeth / Pan Am Purple, 11” quarters; Vibram 269 sole. $310.

CanadaWestBoots.com

Roper Men's Pull On Work Boots

Sleek CSA-approved work boots, oily brown leather, steel toe, pneumatic air-cushioned sole, triple density removable insole, moisture wicking linings. $250 ERoper.com

PHOTO: SHANNON SWANSON

Cozy Meals

Cozy, hardy meals that will warm you up and keep you going through spring storms and calving time. Both the soup and the dessert can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave, and in my opinion, both are even better the next day!

BEEF BARLEY SOUP

BY JO COOKS | JOCOOKS.COM

This Beef Barley Soup is a thick soup that is rich, satisfying, comfort food in a bowl. And it’s even better reheated!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb stewing beef (or ground beef)

• salt & pepper (to taste or 1 tsp each)

• ½ cup flour

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

• 3 Tbsp tomato paste

• 4 cups beef broth

• 3 cups water

• ¾ cup pearl barley

• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Dredge the beef in the flour, salt and pepper. (Easiest: put flour, salt and pepper with the beef chunks into a plastic bag and shake to coat. I also do the same with chunks of thawed hamburger.)

APPLE

CRISP

FROM RECIPES FROM THE RANGE SUBMITTED BY ALBERTA PRAIRIE RAILWAY EXCURSIONS

2. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until the meat is well-browned.

3. Add the vegetables. Cook the vegetables until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, oregano and tomato paste to the pot and stir.

4. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a medium, cover the pot and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to cook this long enough so that the beef is tender.

5. Add the barley to the pot, cover it and cook for another 30 minutes or until the barley is cooked through. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. If you find that the soup is too thick, add more water as necessary until you get the desired consistency, though this is quite a thick soup. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

*Crock pot method: Dredge and brown beef in a skillet. Add the beef and the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot all at once and cook for four hours on High or eight hours on Low.

COOK LIKE A COWBOY

First published in 2012, Canadian Cowboy Country magazine’s Recipes from the Range commemorative cookbook was created to honour the 15th anniversary of Cowboy This cookbook corrals some of the best recipes of our readers, plus we highlight the great ranches, Living Legends and people well worth knowing that have appeared on our pages. The recipes are ranch-tested and tasty, and yes, you DO need another cookbook! To order, phone Marie at 1-800-943-7336.

• 6 apples, pared, cored and sliced (about 8 cups)

• ½ cup flour

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ½tsp nutmeg

• ¾ cup brown sugar

• ¼ cup butter

1. Spread apple slices in a greased 9” x 9” baking dish. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and cut in butter. Mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Do not pack down.

2. Back at 350 F for 35 minutes or until the top is brown and apples are tender.

May add oatmeal or walnuts to crumb mixture if desired.

RCMP 150TH CELEBRATION

RENFREW OF THE MOUNTED BY TIM LASIUTA

PART 1 OF A NEW 3-PART SERIES

The romantic image of the Canadian Mountie, resplendent in red serge, has been cemented in the minds of world citizens since the mid-1870s.

Many history books have been written about the North West Mounted Police by those who were among the first and those who witnessed their deeds. Learned researchers have been drawing on diaries and handwritten accounts, while imaginative writers draw on fact to create compelling fiction.

Laurie York Erskine (1894-1976) is one of those writers whose time with the North West Mounted Police in the early 1900s resulted in an image that continues to this

day, an image and a presence in books, radio drama, movies, cartoons and comic strips.

Researcher Martin Grams has opened the vault to Renfrew in such a way that any possible falsehood has been debunked, and we can now tell the truth about his creation.

Erskine’s path to the Mounted Police was unique. In 1916, the 22-year-old travelled from New York to Regina, Sask., and attempted to enlist. For various reasons, he didn’t enlist, but he was invited to join officers on manhunts and patrols throughout Western Canada. Later, Erskine joined the Canadian Army as a pilot.

His experiences accompanying real Mounties and tracking through the

Canadian wilderness enabled him to write about Renfrew in an authentic way. His wilderness was real, not a Hollywood version of a generic landscape. His Mounties did not necessarily live in red serge but in real-life clothing that frontiersmen wore. His themes were not the “King of the Royal Mounted” variety but man surviving nature to be an instrument of justice.

As he noted in a 1939 broadcast, “A good many years ago, I rode with the Mounted Police through many of the wild places in Canada and went on patrols with them into various kinds of Indian country. On such journeys, you come to know the men you are with very well… So when it came to writing these adventures down, I gave them

all to the man many whom you know as Douglas Renfrew of the Mounted, so he is many men in one.”

Renfrew was introduced to the American public in American Boy magazine and the subsequent novelizations of the serial instalments in 10 novels. He made the jump to radio from 1939 to 1942 and the movie screen for eight outings. By this time, Erskine had created a strong image that would never be forgotten.

A working writer, Erskine was also published in Colliers, the Saturday Evening Post, Life and the New York Herald Tribune. His Renfrew novels were published by Grosset & Dunlap. He was instrumental in creating a boy’s school, Solebury School, which he helped finance with royalties from his Renfrew films and books.

BOOKS & FILMS

RENFREW BOOKS

Renfrew of the Royal Mounted (1922)

Renfrew Rides Again (1927)

Renfrew Rides the Sky (1928)

Comrades of the Clouds (1930)

Renfrew Rides North (1931)

Renfrew’s Long Trail (1933)

Renfrew Rides the Range (1935)

Renfrew in the Valley of the Vanished Men (1936)

One Man Came Back (1939)

Renfrew Flies Again (1941)

RENFREW FILMS

Renfrew of the Royal Mounted (1937)

Renfrew on the Great White Trail (1938)

Crashing Thru (1939)

Fighting Mad (1939)

Yukon Flight (1940)

Danger Ahead (1940)

Murder on the Yukon (1940)

Sky Bandits (1940)

The influence of Erskines’ Renfrew was not limited to his hero but rather extended across many genres and resulted in other North West Mounted Police heroes such as Sergeant Preston, a.k.a. Challenge of the Yukon, a WXYZ radio drama (along with The Lone Ranger, Green Hornet and others), a TV show and long-running Dell comic book.

When movie collectors think of Renfrew, images of James Newill and the Erskine books come to mind. While King of the Royal Mounted and Sergeant Preston were more popular with comic books, films and a comic strip, Erskine set the pace later and set the long stage for what is arguably Canada’s greatest export, the Mountie mythos.

Perhaps it is now time for Renfrew to ride again? c

Walter Ostin

Gun Leather Artist

BY DARYL DREW

Walter Ostin’s keen interest in B-Western movies led him to become one of North America’s premier craftsman of hand-carved cowboy gun rigs. Walt was born in Arran, Saskatchewan, in 1933 and grew up on a farm near Benito, Manitoba. Back then, farm work was still powered by horses. Harness needed repairs and maintenance, and he learned those skills during winter.

Walter Ostin at his leatherwork bench; notice his carved leather tool holders on the pegboard

In 1948 his dad passed away, and most of the responsibility of the farm fell on 15-year-old Walt’s shoulders. There were few diversions on the farm during the long winters, so he would head into town on Saturday afternoons after his chores were done.

To get into town easier and always the innovator, he crafted a saddle to fit one of their workhorses. He carved the tree out of hardwood to fit his horses’ back and covered it in leather from two old jackets. Scraps of harness leather became stirrup fenders.

Benito was about six miles away, and the local community hall played B-Western movies. Silver-screen cowboy films starring Tom Mix, Tim McCoy and Hopalong Cassidy played at the hall. Walter liked the horses and fancy outfits the stars wore, but what captured his attention the most was their fancy gun rigs.

The first holster set he made was for his little brother, which he constructed from recycled materials. It was a two-gun, black buscadero rig bound and stitched with white thread. Good leather was in short supply after WWII (not that he had the money anyway), so he used a pair of old gumboot tops for holsters, and he carved two wooden six guns and painted them silver with black grips. His brother spent countless hours playing with them.

In the mid-1950s, Walter worked for Great West Steel in Calgary and learned welding and pipe fitting. A self-taught guitarist, he played country dances around Calgary as a band member on weekends to make extra money. By this time, the B-Western movies were fading. Still, TV westerns were so popular that by 1959, over 25 such programs were playing on prime-time TV. Cowboy action shooting and single-action fast draw competitions were all spinoffs from the TV era, and Walt participated in these sports.

His foray into leather work was more by chance than design. A holster maker sold him a two-gun rig, but Walt modified it to be more efficient. Other shooters liked what he had done, so when a holster-making business came up for sale, Walt used up his savings and purchased all the equipment. Largely self-taught, he began making fancy carved B-Western gun rigs, and as people saw his work, he became busier with orders.

Eventually, Walt moved to the coast, trained as a millwright and set up his leather shop near Duncan, B.C. Still working on holster sets in his 80s, his gun rigs for cowboy action shooters and re-enactors were in high demand from all over North America. When Lone Ranger re-enactor Chuck Medwork needed an authentic gun rig, he had Walter make it, as did World Champion gun spinner

Frank Calabrese. John Taffin, an authority on single-action shooting, has examples of Walt’s work in his various books.

Walt loved the B-Westerns for their stories, locale, rough-and-tumble action and the sense of justice that came when the good guys won. They provided an escape from a world of economic depression in the 1930s and a World War in the 1940s.

The era of the B-Western movie has come and gone, but the interest has not completely waned but rather changed direction to one of nostalgia and re-enactment.

To Walt, those movies represented simpler times and straightforward values when most good guys wore white hats and most bad guys wore black. They represented a Wild West that never was but left an impression about values important in the real West, such as independent spirit and savvy self-sufficiency. The westerns illustrated connections to the land that is often forgotten in more confined ways of living. They also educated a largely urban public about the horse/human partnership, especially those that have never sat a horse and most likely never will.

Walt passed away peacefully on Dec 7, 2022, in Ladysmith, Vancouver Island, BC. He was 89 years old. c

PHOTO BY CHRIS JONES

This fully-carved double buscadero revolver rig with a matching shotgun and trouser belt was custom-made by Walt Ostin for Chris Jones, a cowboy action shooter

HOMEGROWN

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

BY ANDREW EXELBY

First impressions are important! Positive first impressions illustrate the pride that we feel for our farms and ranches, whether they are multi-generational or newly established. Communities in Bloom have always encouraged efforts that enhance first impressions. Our farms and ranches are part of the overall community, and their positive appearance and vitality contributes to the overall success of the entire locality.

Laneway signage is a great way to make a positive first impression, and there are so many different ways to make a beautiful display that everyone can see as they drive onto your property.

Think about the heritage of your farm or ranch. You probably have a name for your farm, and if not, the family name being used on signage is always a safe approach. Antique equipment, local rocks, logs, and more are all cost-effective material for creating your sign, and of course there are always professional sign companies that can create some beautiful designs as well.

Plasma-cut steel is a great option for signs, and steel signs are really versatile as they can be mounted on displayed equipment, large rocks, fences or almost any other material. When you are planning for your sign or display, don’t forget about all the seasons. A good sign can be just as impressive in the winter as it is in the summer.

Once we get past the end of the lane, think about what you want the focal point of your property to be. Maybe there is already a perfect place for that eye-catching display. The Pig Statues featured in a picture on this page, were at the entrance to a farm yard in the V as the lane split into separate directions for the house and the shop area. Trees can also be a great way to enhance

first impressions. Most people are naturally inclined to appreciate a treed space more than an open space. Planting a sweeping row of trees along your lane (but far enough back not to catch the snow) is a great way to really make your property impress! Consider planting a single specimen tree, such as a Weeping Birch or Ivory Silk Tree Lilac, near your home. These are trees we typically

don’t mass plant, but they are beautiful when you need that single tree to stand out.

Hopefully, these ideas help you this spring as you begin to think about summer yardwork once again!

For more information about Communities in Bloom in your province, please visit: www.communitiesinbloom.ca/how-toparticipate/provincial-editions c

PRODUCTS WORTH CHECKING OUT!

THE BUZZ ON DRONES

Check fencelines, water tanks, creek crossings without the travel. The possibilities are almost endless with a drone.

DJI Mini 3 Pro with Smart Controller $1,249. AlbertaDrones.ca

16X PTZ CAMERA PRECISIONCAM.CA

Precision Cam offers many options, ranging from wireless video monitoring to multi-camera monitoring covering livestock, equipment, outbuildings and fencelines.

Allen Leigh Security & Communications. PrecisionCam.ca

SOIL STABILITY MUD CONTROL GRIDS (MCG)

Made of recycled plastic, the interlocking tiles of Mud Control Grids can carry 5.6 tons per sq. ft. No base prep is needed; easily installed by anyone.

The MCG panels eliminate soil erosion in gates, around water troughs and feed bunks. Great for barn floors and driveways.

Prairie Ground Solutions, Rivers, Manitoba PrairieGroundSolutions.ca

POTENSIC ATOM SE FLY MORE COMBO GPS DRONE

Weighs less than 250 grams (8.8 oz), 4K resolution video capture at 30 fps and 12MP stills; 62 minutes of flight time. store.potensic.com

$450. (approximate)

VOSKER D300 SECURITY WITH VOSKER

Rural security for the acreage, farm or ranch is a hot-button topic; unfortunately, the need for it has risen sharply.

Security cameras are becoming a mainstay of rural life, and they can also help the operator keep an eye on timesensitive areas, from water troughs to heifer calving barns.

Vosker’s latest, the V300, is a completely autonomous security camera, so it can be installed virtually anywhere that gets 4G LTE cellular service.

From remote cabins or outbuildings to water sources, gates and grazing leases, these are the units for peace of mind. Vosker.com

VODALAND 8-INCH GEO GROUND GRID

Used for parking paths, erosion control, and retaining walls; each unit covers 160 sq. ft. $349/per 160 sq. ft. Vodaland.ca

SECURITY GATE

Security can also be gorgeous, as shown with this custom-designed metal gate designed and fabricated by the Canadian company, Taimco. The company uses hot-dipped, powder-coated galvanized steel for maximum durability. $2,079 –$12,799. CAD (depending on size) Taimco.ca

HONDA PIONEER 520 SXS

518 cc, five-speed automatic transmission with AT/MT modes with paddle shifting and reverse, 2WD/4WD. atvsxs.honda.ca

JOHN DEERE GATOR XUV 835E

Three-person cockpit with enhanced dash display; electronic switch for instant 4WD engagement; full-size Gator XUV can haul 454 kg (1,000 lb); up to 4,000-lb (1,814 kg) towing capacity. Deere.ca

MANAGING RANCH RISK

BY REG STEWARD

It started like any other day; the chosen hand jingles up the horses. They are just across the river, just like always.

The cowboy rides into the water and soon realizes it is not like always. The floating log was hard to see in the early morning light, he felt it strike his mount, taking the horse right out from under him. The cold water was moving quickly, and there was a great deal of debris moving amidst the rapid flow.

Suddenly he was floundering, trying to keep his head above water. He saw his mount struggling in the current, make several leaping, heaving strides, and the gelding hit the shore and stepped out.

The cowboy was continuing downstream amidst the logs and debris, careening around each bend at an

ever-increasing rate of speed. As the “little” river made a corner, a culvert extending out of the bank appeared. If he could just grab it… His hands were hard to open, the cold making every movement slow and difficult. He reached, grabbed, and hung on. Clinging to the cold ridged steel, the soaked, cold, and frightened cowboy summoned

all of his strength and pulled himself from the river. He had been carried over one kilometre downstream. The walk back was long, cold and life-changing as he realized how close to the end this had been. The very thought made him colder than the water that sloshed in his boots and dripped from his chinks.

What happened was a failure by the hand to recognize, evaluate and control the risk. He failed to perceive the change in the risk and to adjust his actions accordingly. Understanding and adjusting for risk is what keeps us safe, healthy, and alive. Hazards need to be identified and understood. The hazard of crossing the river would always hold the potential of drowning. The risk varies depending on whether it is a slow flowing six inches deep or a raging torrent of six feet. Being aware of the risks

you face is the primary means of ensuring you get home at the end of every workday. It applies to all work in life, it is as real and true when I range ride as it was when I was policing.

In the simplest of terms, hazards are basically understood as the thing or activities that will hurt you. Risk is the consideration or measurement of how likely that is to occur and how badly you can be injured. So, in the case of our soggy wrangler, the hazard — the potential for drowning in a river — was constant, it was always a possibility. The risk was very low most days with a six-inch flow but very different at a six-foot depth with significant debris caused by a flash flood. Risk can and will vary significantly, as it did on that fateful day, and the best thing that anyone can do to ensure their well-being and the safety of others is to be aware of the risks associated with any hazard.

My dad had a saying, (he had a lot of them, actually) but one that applies here and is the basis of my simple approach to safety is, “When in doubt, don’t!”

Safety in the ranching world is often seen as “obvious,” “something we always do,” and, of course, it is “common sense.” (I saw a bumper sticker today that said, “Make Sense Common Again” — couldn’t agree more.) However, amid an abundance of regulations, we must be more aware of ensuring that there is a recorded, realistic, and suitable blend of knowledge, education, competency determination and training.

I don’t believe in being a slave to a big ol’ binder or some geeky safety program. I do believe in realistic documentation that makes you better at what you do and that works for you. Realistic and “do-able” documents help you ensure the worker gets it, knows what they are doing and is doing it in the best possible way. In the ranching and cowboy world doing things the best way is often doing them the right way. Turns out this best way, will usually be the safest way.

We must show ourselves to be prudent with sufficient records that prove our efforts and establish due diligence. What will you say if the unimaginable happens, when a regulator asks, “Who said that guy could be on that horse, in that pen with that cow?” Saying he grew up on a farm near Brandon will not help you. You will have to be able to establish that you told them what to do, showed them what to do and watched them do it properly. Doing that

from your memory can be hard, doing it from your checklist is much easier, and now the program is working for you. This type of record-keeping helps you remember all you wanted to cover, and you have a record that enables a much better answer than the “Brandon” one.

Safety must be part of the way you do business, and it needs to be simple and verifiable. When safety is the way you do business, it makes you better at your job, you have better employees who know that they are cared for and about, they stick around, and you are never a slave to this thing called safety.

So, what does this look like in real life if our cowboy from the Bar H2O had read the risk?

Cowboy arrives to cross the river and jingle up the horses. The water is running

deep and fast. He realizes that the task has new challenges, reads the new and increased danger, and recognizes a situation with a much higher risk level than normal. “When in doubt, don’t.” He goes back and gets a plan together with the others. They figure out different routes to the horses, they consider doing a different task until the river drops. They listen, and they solve the issue at hand. They recognize the risk, evaluate, and control it. That is safety geek talk for hearing his concern, accepting his caution, realizing the risk, and finding a solution. They appreciate the life-saving value of a good risk read.

A problem encountered, a problem solved, everybody goes home at the end of the day. Just doing business and safety is just a simple, built-in part of how you “git er done.” c

FARM & RANCH

Reg, his wife, Alayne and his Hanging Tree cowdog, Flo

COWBOY WAY

Statistics show the Nelore cattle breed of Brazil is dominant, and comprises 65 per cent of the world's beef population

First Impressions

BY DYLAN BIGGS

Another calving season has begun for some folks. We calve our cows in May and June, so it’s still a ways off for us.

Regardless of when producers calve, many handle the calves as newborns to tag, band bull calves or take birth weights, etc.

I have always wondered what effect (if any) that first experience of being handled by humans might have on the calf. Does the experience of being chased to be caught and restrained set a behavioural precedent for the future? Is it any different if the calf is caught at a standstill with no flight involved or if the curiosity of the calf inspires it to walk up to you and be caught?

I have always assumed avoiding a fearful reaction is ideal, but that is purely speculation. Possibly, the calf doesn’t remember any of it regardless of how it reacted to being handled, and it has no bearing on future behaviour in response to being handled by people.

Then there is the question of temperament. There most certainly is an inherited contribution from the parents with regard to the sensitivity or degree of docility in response to people. Over the years that we bred with artificial insemination, we observed progeny of specific sires that were consistently more sensitive and other sires that consistently sired very docile calves. Those who have attempted to calculate and quantify the genetic contribution to an animal’s disposition suggest about 40 per cent is a result of inheritance, and 60 per cent is learned. So it is safe to say that cattle learn, which confirms memory, and so whether we acknowledge it or not, every interaction they have with people has the potential to teach them something.

This begs the question: what are calves learning as newborns from being handled? What do their first experiences teach them, and how does it influence future behaviour in response to being handled by people?

It is acknowledged as confirmed by research that the brain of newborns is more malleable and is more capable of learning and or influence compared to the more mature brain. The brain of calves is most impressionable during the first 30 days of their lives, with the first seven days being the most receptive period. Might this relatively short window of optimal brain malleability or plasticity offer an opportunity to set a positive precedent for the calves’ future health and behaviour?

Interestingly, there has been research done in Brazil on dairy calves to determine best management practices. One of the practices identified was massage, or what is referred to as tactile stimulation. Calves exposed to the combination of best management practices demonstrated decreased pneumonia and diarrhea and increased weight gain.

These positive results initiated a more specific study on tactile stimulation in around 1,300 calves per year of the Nelore beef herd in Brazil. When processing newborn calves, the last procedure was to give the calf a one-minute firm massage. The massage is done in a manner that mimics the cow licking her calf. Half the calves were massaged the other half were not. A surprising result observed in the massaged heifer calves when they gave birth to their first calves was a marked decrease in protective behaviour directed at the cowboys

handling the calves. The massage is the last thing done after navel dipping, vaccination and tagging.

Since 2021, Neilson Cattle Development, a beef cow-calf producer based in Stettler, AB, has initiated a pilot study on the tactile stimulation in newborn calves, instructed by Dr. Désirée Gellatly, a research scientist at the Technology Access Centre for Livestock Production (TACLP) at Olds College.

Results of this study show that tactile

stimulation had a positive benefit in growth and less incidence of health complications.

The results have encouraged the TACLP to continue investigating the subject of tactile stimulation. Beef producers who wish to learn more or get involved in future applied research can contact Sean Thompson, the TACLP manager, via the Olds College website. OldsCollege.ca/taclp

I find this very intriguing and will take steps to experiment and potentially participate in future research. There is always more to learn.

I hope you find this information interesting and that you have enjoyed my contribution to Canadian Cowboy. This is my last article for the magazine for now, and it has been a pleasure. Thank you, Terri, for your interest and encouragement.

I wish everyone a successful calving season in 2023. c

“... a marked decrease in protective behaviour directed at the cowboys... ”

Pure Prairie Gold

BY TERRI MASON

“Originally, our place was a National Park for a brief period of time — Menissawok National Park.

It was one of four blocks set aside for antelope regeneration as they were dangerously overhunted. Because there was no fresh salad bar on this ranch, just mature prairie wool grass, and antelope always wanted fresh pickings, they wouldn’t stay put.

By the mid-teens [1917], the Dominion Government pretty much ceased the operation of the Park. My grandfather leased the former Park in 1917 and ran steers. On this land is where the east and west forks of Maple Creek join. Before the Park and after, the ranch has been known as the Y Bar, hence the brand.

It wasn’t until my dad [Jack] and his brother Alex took over in the 1950s that it became a cow/calf operation. My brother Angus and I were influenced to run a closed herd. [Raise their own bulls with no outside genetics.] My uncle ran one, and our neighbour, Bill Gilchrist, was very successful with their closed herd. Ray Bannister from one of the big research stations in Montana stated that if you have a herd of over 300 head, you have little risk of inbreeding.

Our place is practically all native grass, probably 95 per cent native. If you ask the area ranchers, they’ll probably say we’re understocked. By grazing more months of the year, we run less cows. When times are great, we sacrifice some profit, but in bad times we can still make a profit and come through in good shape.

A lot of people spend their whole ranching career trying to produce more pounds of beef, and if they’re lucky, they might increase their weaning weights by 25 per cent. If you focus your time on growing grass, you can probably increase your production by 25 per cent in five or six years.

My philosophy is that we’re growing grass — that’s our crop, and a cow is like a combine doing the harvesting. So, when you go out the door in the morning, are you thinking about your cows, or are you thinking about your grass?

It was this thinking that prompted us to harvest native grass seed. We use a seed stripper, similar to a street sweeper brush, mounted on the front end of a tractor.

The first year we harvested was 1994. As you go up in the [Cypress] Hills, plain rough

— Interview with Ray McDougald

This 1897 photo by Geraldine Moodie was photographed about a half mile north of the current McDougald Reservoir

fescue is the dominant species, and it’s an odd cat. On average, twice in ten years, it will produce seed. When it’s a “fescue year,” it’ll produce seed from the foothills of Alberta down to that Wood Mountain country. We also harvest spear grass. Practically all the seed goes into the reclamation industry, and bit by bit every year, some people are reseeding marginal farmland into native grass.

We were involved in Holistic Resource Management in the late ‘80s and early 90s. We did give intensive grazing a try. On the native grass, we realized that two grazing events per year were not practical. We did realize the importance of the rest period. Our main growing season is May and June.

When possible, I try not to graze a field concurrently in two growing periods, and that was the big reason why we switched to

June calving. We could graze in any number of fields with very little shelter required. With April calving, we tended to hammer the same fields during their growth period year after year.

We have a small parcel of land separate from the main ranch, which we grazed intensively for quite a few years. It has a fair bit of tame grass and a large sub-irrigated flat. The intensive grazing worked well there.

This small parcel of land [about 10 miles east of Maple Creek] was from my grandmother’s family, Andrew and Eliza Cumberland, who came into this country in 1890. They brought up 500 head of sheep from Fort Benton. It is recorded that the first winter, they learned to stack sheep like cordwood as they were being killed by Plains grizzly bears along Bear Creek.

We are very fortunate to have our ranch in one block. It allows us a lot of flexibility in our grazing management. Stockpile grass is very important. It takes grass to grow grass. There is no better place for calving than a field full of carryover grass. Stockpile grass is also drought management. When things are in good shape, we can handle two years of drought. In 2022 we grew decent grass. The previous six years were below normal; drastic action would have been necessary if 2022 was bad.

Also, incorporating long yearlings into your plan is drought management. They are the first to go when things are tough.

Our location in the chinook belt on the north slope of the Cypress Hills allows us to graze as much as we do. Cattle can graze through the snow with no problem; our

1. McDougald Reservoir — initiated by Ray and Angus' grandfather 2. Native wheat grass in flower 3. A 13-year-old cow and her new calf

4. Native grass seed harvesting equipment 5. Ray with three of his good stock dogs

greatest enemy is the half-hearted warmups which crust up the snow, causing the hair to get wore off their feet and noses. We get wind; we regard wind as our friend during the winter as it keeps the pastures more open for grazing.

You asked about my stock dogs; I see that the magazine is the sponsor at Agribition.

My first contacts were Rex Furgeson and Frank Wilman. I got a good bitch from Frank in 1986, I believe. She taught me more than I taught her. The next dog I got was Don, out of Dale Montgomery’s breeding. (Huck x Kate). Don was renowned for his power, the ability to control the stock with his eye, with a green handler trying to tell him what to do. I was hooked on dogs, competed in pro-novice events, and raised puppies for several years. Dylan Biggs got his start with dogs with a young dog I raised.

Dale Montgomery and a few organized a small arena trial in Maple Creek in 1988

AT A GLANCE

NAME: McDougald Ranch

ESTABLISHED: 1917

OWNERS: Angus and Ray McDougald

NEAREST TOWN: Maple Creek, Sask.

ELEVATION: 2,800 ft (853 M)

ANNUAL PRECIPITATION: “Very little”

250 mm (9.8 inches)

SIZE: 20 sections (leased and deeded)

BREED: closed, British-influenced commercial herd

SIZE: 400 cows

2006 Sask TESA (Environmental Stewardship] Award

in conjunction with the anniversary of the Saskatchewan Wool Growers. It was also the first time Baxter Black appeared in Maple Creek. I got involved the next year, and a few years later, we started running a field trial on the ranch. The trials went on for a good number of years. Baxter Black donated a buckle annually for the aggregate winner of cattle and sheep competitions. It was a coveted buckle among many of Western Canada’s top handlers.

A friend once commented, “I never hear anyone talking about helping on roundups on your ranch.” True, with some good dogs, two of us, be it my brother Angus, or my wife Noelene, could handle the roundups with little fuss.

Sometimes I have said that going out to fight mother nature every day is a losing battle; instead, you have to work whatever advantages mother nature gives you to the maximum — and that’s what works for us.” c

Some of McDougald's British-influenced commercial herd on their ranch on the north slope of the Cypress Hills

True Grit

BY TERRI MASON

December 30th started out with excitement for Sandy Cooper-Black as he and his rodeo buddies hit the trail from Saskatchewan for a bronc riding jackpot in Brooks, Alberta.

With his friends cheering him on, Sandy was spurring for the whistle, but he bucked off and hit the cold arena sand headfirst, and suddenly, the bronc riding, banjo-picking 16-year-old couldn’t move.

Sandy was medevac’d immediately to the best facility in Alberta, and the prognosis was dire. Surgeons scrubbed up as they looked at the grim x-rays: broke C3 and C4 vertebrae, so surgeons fused C2 to C5. He was paralyzed.

Sandy almost immediately began bucking the odds. The surgeons only gave him a five per cent chance that he wouldn’t need a tracheotomy, but the gritty teenager began breathing on his own. For weeks, Sandy couldn’t feel anything below his neck; by January 24, he could lift his arms with some control and noticed a few small areas with feeling on his legs.

“My core muscles are starting to work now; they started to come back,” said Sandy, immobilized with a massive neck

brace in his bed. “That’ll be huge for my recovery.”

These are all small victories that everyone hopes will be huge victories. Healing, we all know, takes a long time.

Sandy lives about as far south as you can without a Montana address. He goes to school in the sleepy little cowtown of Consul. But he’s got friends — and I mean FRIENDS, everywhere. World Champion cowboys, former provincial premiers, globe-trotting musicians, ranchers, hockey players, cowboys, and magazine editors have all fallen under his charm over the years.

Singer Colter Wall has pledged the sales from his album, Western Swing & Waltzes and other Punchy Songs to Sandy’s recovery. The gravel-voiced baritone told the story of the wreck onstage at Denver, and soon thousands of people were chanting Sandy’s name.

A hockey game fundraiser hosted by the Maple Creek Hawks netted $92,347 to help with the medical bills and specialty equipment. Tiny little Consul raised $45,000, the drugstore in Maple Creek was fundraising, a Go Fund Me page is active, and the Cypress Credit Union is looking after an account for donations. Strangers from around the world have been chipping in to help.

His hospital room is Rodeo Central, with appearances by some of the great NFR bronc riders to the up-and-coming bronc riders. J.R. Vezain, himself paralyzed from the waist down in a bareback riding wreck, has been in contact with Sandy and is a good source for all of the latest technology in mobility aids. Lane Cust, the Ardmore, Alta., bronc rider who was seriously injured in 2021, is dedicating a bronc riding match in Sandy’s honour.

Sandy’s plans are simple; to go home to the ranch.

It takes a lot to build a new life. It takes guts, and it takes friends. Sandy has them all in spades.

The young bronc rider’s family has expanded by the thousands. And if there is anything positive to be said about a wreck of this magnitude is that Sandy and his family now know, without a doubt, that there are definitely more good people than bad out there. And they thank you all.

*Editor’s Update: On February 14, with the help of his dedicated physiotherapists, Sandy wanted to try something new. With his feet on the floor, he carefully positioned himself and reached out to grasp a stable bar. Family friend and bronc rider Cody Thomson said, “It’s like lifting on your bronc rein, buddy,” and with that, Sandy stood up. c

The cowboys, from left, Austin Broderson, Jarrett Horton, Shay Erickson, James Perrin, Dustin Leeson, Cody Parsonage, Rhett Erickson, Sandy Cooper-Black, Carter Udal

INSIDER

Dawson Hay earning 90.5 points on Calgary Stampede's T-77 Tokyo Bubbles for a share of the title (with Stetson Wright on CS X-55 Xena Warrior) at Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. FWSSR photos by James Phifer.

SPONSORS!

With the 2023 rodeo season almost here, the CPRA welcomes new partners and celebrates the return of others.

Buckle Vodka comes on board as the Official Vodka of the CPRA and has some exciting plans for working with the association and with our member committees as well. And Peavey Mart, a 100 per cent Canadian and employee-owned farm and ranch retailer that dates back to 1967, joins the CPRA as the presentation sponsor of our rodeo schedule for the upcoming season. We welcome these organizations into our CPRA family and invite our members to support all of our sponsors whenever possible. We are excited as well to announce the return of Wrangler as the official sponsor of our judging program. Wrangler’s long association with rodeo in Canada and the United States is well-known, and it’s great to have them working alongside us once again.

As we head into the second year of our partnership with SMS Equipment, we are especially pleased to see the SMS Equipment Pro Rodeo Tour expand to fifteen rodeos for 2023, including the newest addition — the Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement Rodeo. Clearly, our CPRA team is hard at work putting together a strong sponsorship base that will serve our association well in the coming years.

2023 promises to be one of our best seasons ever. Last year we were all the way back from the COVID-shortened schedules of 2020 and 2021, and the best part was the excitement of the crowds. Not only were grandstands and bleachers full at almost every venue, but the energy of our fans told us how much they missed this great sport.

So, let’s go out and enjoy every minute of every rodeo — win or lose, rain or shine.

2023 CPRA SCHEDULE

PRESENTED BY PEAVEY MART

APRIL

Medicine Hat, AB April 14-16

Dawson Creek, BC April 21-22

Crowsnest Pass, AB April 28-29

Taber, AB April 28-29

MAY

Drayton Valley, AB .................................. May 5-7

Falkland, BC May 20-22

Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement, AB May 27-28

JUNE

Grande Prairie, AB

June 1-4

Leduc, AB June 1-3

Hand Hills, AB June 2-4

Brooks, AB June 9-10

Rocky Mountain House, AB June 9-11

Lea Park, AB ...................... June 9-11

Bonnyville, AB June 10-11

Gleichen, AB **(SB) June 14

Stavely, AB June 15-17

Innisfail, AB June 16-18

Wildwood, AB **(SB) June 17

Wainwright, AB June 23-25

Sundre, AB June 23-25

High River, AB June 23-24

Ponoka, AB June 26-July 2

Williams Lake, BC June 30-July 2

Raymond, AB ............................... June 29-July 1

SMS Equipment Pro Tour Rodeo

** SB=Saddle Bronc

Terry Cooke, President, Canadian Professional Rodeo Association

FloRodeo Network broadcasts Canadian Finals Rodeo, Maple Leaf Circuit Finals and SMS Equipment Pro Rodeo Tour rodeos. Visit RodeoCanada.com for

CANADIANS SOUTH OF 49

BY CPRA

It was a dominating performance by a Canadian rodeo athlete who knows how to dominate. Dawson Hay, the third-generation bronc riding superstar, put on some kind of show at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, and the result was a share of a championship at one of North America’s oldest (dating back to 1918) and best-loved rodeos.

The Wildwood, Alta, cowboy put up 89.5 and 88.5 scores to lead the way out of his bracket into the semi-finals,

where he posted an 88 to gain a spot in the Final. Hay then went toe-to-toe with Stetson Wright, fresh from a two-title WNFR. Wright put together a stellar 90.5 performance on the back of the Calgary Stampede’s X-55 Xena Warrior. But Hay was not to be outdone as he partnered with another Stampede bronc, T-77 Tokyo Bubbles, for a spectacular 90.5 of his own to share the title with the Utah cowboy. The resulting $21,000+ injection to the Hay bank account vaulted him from 31st

in the World standings all the way to the top half dozen in the world as he vies for another trip to Las Vegas come December.

“That rodeo has always been good to me,” Hay remarked. “I won it the last time I was there and I won the short round the year before that. I always seem to draw really well there, and the atmosphere — I don’t know, I always have a really good feeling going into Fort Worth.”

The 24-year-old got it going right from the outset at Fort Worth.

Dawson Hay tied the Round 9 record of the NFR with a winning ride of 92-pts on Beutler & Son Rodeo's BDM Mud's Killer Bee. PRCA photo by Phil Doyle.

“In the first round I had an NFR horse called Joker Poker that I’ve won a lot of money on, and that went good. Then I had a stronger kind of horse in the second round — Orange Crush — he’ll let you win, but it won’t be easy. Then it was off to the semifinals, and that went awesome too. In the short round, I looked at the list, and I either wanted Xplosive Skies or Tokyo Bubbles. I’d never been on Tokyo, but I really thought I’d like to try her finally. Then, when I saw the draw and Tokyo Bubbles was next to my name, I thought, ‘shoot, the stars are lining up pretty good here.’”

And 90.5 points later, the stars (and one superstar bronc rider) had their way as the three-time NFR qualifier won his second Fort Worth title.

All this happened just a few weeks after Hay’s memorable 92-point ride on Killer Bee at the NFR. It was the mare’s final trip before heading to retirement, and both the horse and the rider were at their very best in a fitting sendoff for one of the greatest bucking horses of all time.

“We all knew this was going to be Killer Bee’s last rodeo, and a couple of months before the NFR, I said to my wife, Lily, that I was pretty sure I was going to draw Killer Bee in the first elimination round. I’d never had her before, but I just had this feeling. Then when I didn’t — Chase Brooks had her that night — I didn’t think about it much after that. I sure didn’t think I’d have her for that final time. But shoot, I checked the draw and there was my name next to hers. She’s one of those horses you don’t really think about as far as how you’re going to ride her because you just don’t know what to expect. Benny (Killer Bee’s owner, Benny Beutler) and I, we got a bit of a game plan going. He wanted her in a certain chute and I disagreed — she ended up where he wanted — and luckily he knows that horse better than I do. To be honest, the ride felt like one of the first broncs I ever got on; it was just a complete blur. But when I got off her, I really felt that it was my favourite ride of my career so far and probably the best bronc ride I’d ever made as well. It was pretty special knowing that it was her last trip and I was the guy. It was fun to live that moment.”

As for his approach to the rest of 2023, Hay is very analytical. “The one thing I’ve battled with in my career is consistency. I’ve changed a lot of things in my riding style

Jackie Ganter competing in the Finals at Fort Worth. Ganter is a familiar face in Canada, and is a two-time Canadian Finals Rodeo competitor. FWSSR photos by James Phifer.

Zeke Thurston on Calgary Stampede’s W-16 Wild Cherry. The three-time World Champion saddle bronc rider won the Second Semifinal at Fort Worth with this ride that scored 90.5 points. FWSSR photos by James Phifer.

the last couple of years, and now I feel like I’ve reached a point in my career where I’m more comfortable and excited instead of nervous getting on. I think I ride my best when I’m out there having the most fun I possibly can.”

The talented Canadian also had some thoughts about how rodeo has changed for him with the addition of his daughter, Honey Belle, to the family. “It’s definitely different now. When I leave home to rodeo… it doesn’t take much of an excuse to get home as quick as possible now.”

For Hay, the one disappointment in 2022 was not being at the Canadian Finals Rodeo as injuries and his commitments south with an NFR berth on the line resulted in his not being among the twelve bronc riders at Red Deer’s Peavey Mart Centrium in November.

”Watching it from home, I honestly thought it was one of the best CFRs ever — especially the bronc riding — and some

of the rides guys made there in Red Deer. It was hard not being there — tough to just watch, that’s for sure. If I can stay healthy, I’d sure love to be there this year and push for a Canadian title. It’s something I’ve dreamed about pretty much all my life.”

Another CPRA athlete enjoying a successful winter run south of 49 is Texas barrel racer Jackie Ganter (CFR 2017, 2019). In addition to a big win at Fort Worth, the second-generation cowgirl scripted a rarity in the first two rounds of her pool at San Antonio as she posted back-to-back identical 13.95-second winning runs to move on to the playoff rounds.

As of this writing, World Champion Zeke Thurston is in his customary spot near the top of the world standings (2nd). Ben Andersen sits 13th; Dawson Hay is in 16th, with brother Logan in 17th spot. Dawson Hay is in 16th place with brother Logan in 17th spot. Many-time Canadian

champion, Curtis Cassidy, occupies 25th spot in the steer wrestling World standings; former Canadian tie-down roping titleists, Tuf Cooper and Matt Shiozawa are sixth and 15th respectively and are joined by 2019 Canadian runner-up Haven Meged (6th). Ganter is first in the barrel racing standings while four-time Canadian Champion, Lisa Lockhart, sits 3rd overall.

And a tough break for 2016 Canadian bull riding champion Jordan Hansen. The two-time NFR qualifier suffered an injury after his 88-point ride to win the wild card round at Fort Worth.

“I dislocated my left shoulder coming off, my riding arm, and I’m not sure if there is any other damage on it or not,” the two-time NFR qualifier commented. “I’m waiting to get an MRI to find out if there’s anything else wrong. I have to get X-rays, and I was talking to Dr Tandy Freeman and he said there might be a fracture in there as well.” c

ROAD TO THE CFR

THE SCHMIDTS’

GOAL NUMBER ONE

BY TIM ELLIS

When your last name is Schmidt, and you grow up on a ranch near Barrhead, Alberta, it’s a pretty sure bet you’ll be a team roper.

“It’s kind of like a cutting horse; you’re bred into it,” chuckles Kagen Schmidt, one of the third-generation family ropers. “We really didn’t have a choice.”

The passion for team roping was passed down from their grandpa, Leonard, president of the Wildrose Rodeo Assoc., for several years. His indoor arena southwest of Barrhead served as a training ground for his family and plenty of other ropers.

“He taught us everything pretty much,” says the 24-year-old Schmidt, who won back-to-back Canadian junior steer riding championships in 2012-13. “Taught us about horses, roping, everything.”

Kagen and his younger brother, Tate, now live on their grandpa’s farm, where they train horses between team roping jackpots and rodeos.

“We wake up and take thirty steps to the arena and don’t leave,” said Tate, now 21. “We’re always roping, riding and training horses.”

The pair were among the hundreds of young ropers attending the TRASH Roping schools started nearly twenty years ago by their Uncle Ronald at his hilltop outdoor arena.

“It was so big that there’d be one group at dad’s (David) arena next door,” recalls Kagen of the number of participants at the schools. “And there would be another two groups at Ronald’s.”

“There were people everywhere,” chimes in Tate, who won the 2017 Alberta High School Rodeo Assoc., heading championship. “I think there were 75-80 kids there roping near the end.

“It’s kind of cool that all of us who are now competing against each other at the pro rodeos were at those schools, competed against each other at the junior, high school and amateur rodeos and now here we are. None of us are scared to go fast. There’s always another one.”

Combine their grandpa’s teachings, knowledge gained at their hometown roping schools and a conservative estimate of running over 200 steers a week for much of the year, and you can see why the Schmidt brothers have a bright future. A second straight trip to the Canadian Finals Rodeo last fall and a record run on their last steer of 2022 is evidence that a bright future may already be here.

“It was pretty cool,” said Kagen of the pair’s Canadian pro rodeo record 3.3-second run at the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals in Regina, Saskatchewan, last December. “I just wish it would have been the first run of the year, not the last, so that we could keep the momentum from it.”

“I didn’t think we were going to be that fast,” admits Tate. “But it was nice because we were having a rough go at the end of the season.”

The two now hope they can pick up where they left off with the start of the 2023 pro rodeo season.

“Making the CFR again is ‘goal Number One.’” c

Header Tate Schmidt and his brother, Kagen, setting a record 3.3-sec run at the 2022 Maple Leaf Circuit Finals in Regina. Wildwood Imagery/Chantelle Bowman.

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Champetre County St-Denis,

Springtime in the Cariboo

BY FRANK GLEESON

It was springtime in the Cariboo and calving had begun Calves lay on the sidehill with hay up to their chin I check the cows each hour to see if more’s to come But the most excitement happened one morning when I took Mom.

It was about 3 a.m., a bright and frosty morn’

Clear and cool and light outside with no sign of a storm

Now, we had this old tom cat that follows us everywhere The field, the barn, the tractor cab, it didn’t seem to care Now, on this fateful morn’ he was walking close to mom But things started happening when the old cow saw him come

We had this old black Angus cow that was gentle as a lamb But when she had her newborn calf, she became the Son of Sam Now I knew she could be snorty and I knew should could be mean But at protecting her small baby, I thought she was a queen

Now she always did like Betty, and she wasn’t mean to me But the sight of that old tom cat just drove her up the tree Now the old cat it came closer, and the old cow pawed the ground And then she made a lunge for it and the old cat ran to mom

I hollered, “Hey, come back here!” but the old cow wouldn’t come Now mom stood for a moment and the old cow was getting close She decided to get out of there or she was going to be toast

So on that frosty hillside in the moonlit morning chills Was mom, the cow, and that old cat — all heading for the hills

Now the old cow’s gone to market and the tom cat ran away We often sit and laugh about what happened there that day Now I don’t have a stopwatch but I knew mom set a pace I think she’d have beat Ben Johnson if she’d had him in that race

Now people say move to town — I say there’s not a chance Cause where could you have this much fun except home out on the ranch.

Springtime in the Cariboo was excerpted from Frank Gleeson’s book, “Springtime in the Cariboo and other Cowboy Poetry.” Frank is the Official Poet of Williams Lake.