Category Archives: Cowboys

Horsemanship Clinics for Stockmen planned for September 24, 25

save the date horsmanship clinics for stockmen

Featuring Curt Pate, Ken McNabb, Ted Howard, Dr. Tom Noffsinger, and Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz

The clinicians will demonstrate basic horsemanship principles, cattle handling techniques, tack evaluations and safety and much more. Processing and treatment crews will have the opportunity to discuss handler activities working on foot to empty pens, sort, acclimate and process cattle.

There will be two clinics and both will start with registration at 8:30am. The clinic will run from 9:00am – 4:00pm at the following locations:

  • Tuesday, September 24 in the Kiplinger Arena, McCook, NE
  • Wednesday, September 25 at the Scott County Fairgrounds, Scott City, KS

Admittance costs $100 per person or $400 per organization and will be collected at the door. Lunch is provided.

RSVP today by calling (785-673-9572) or emailing (kelly.terrell@pacdvms.com).

For more information visit: http://pacdvms.com/

1930s ranching

1930s ranching

Modern-day ranching

Modern-day ranching

These two photos are a good comparison of the 1930’s ranching to modern day.

First the country is quite different.  Miles City, Montana is the setting for the old photo and Red Deer, Alberta is where the present day photo was taken.

It is also evident the genetics of cattle and horses have really improved in the last eighty years.

The skills the western range cowboy needs have not changed much in the past century. Good horsemanship and stockmanship, as well as skill with a rope, are still essential.

We had roped this steer and laid him down as low stress as possible.  If things were to stressful I don’t think those other steers would be hanging around.

I saw a bumper sticker in Nebraska that said, “The West as not won on salad.”  It was won with good stockmen raising beef.  I think it is great to have all the technology, yet the skills of the cowboy are just as important as they were 100 years ago.

This picture is from Miles City, Montana in the late 1930s. A fellow from Texas came through our town of Ryegate and was looking to see if anyone new anything about a guy in the photos.  He had purchased these photos at a garage sale and thought he ought to try to get them back to family.

My Mother-in-law, Shirley Clark, not only knew him but was good friends and had worked with him for years at the Montana Department of Livestock. His name was Bill Sutter. He and my grandfather were also friends and I remember he would be fishing along the road and we would stop and visit with him. I had no idea the cowboying experience he had.

Shirley got all the pictures and is real glad to share them.  This is one of many to come.   I bet there were some real good horses in this cavvy, but I bet you had better be willing to ride when you stepped on a few of them. It was really great of the fella to try to get them back to someone who would appreciate them.  I am sure glad he did, and I will try to find his name. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  This is the real deal.

~ Curt Pate

photo