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Mailing Address
PO Box 50
Bluff Dale, TX 76433
Ph.
(254) 728-3082
Fax. (254)
728-3081
Physical
Address
15116 E FM 1188
Bluff Dale TX 76433 |
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It was not so long ago when the old-time working
cowboy was kissing his sweetheart goodbye and he
would head out on the open trail. These drifting
cowboys commonly signed on to drive thousands of
head of cattle long distances without modern
conveniences and working from the back of a
horse. Those incredible drives could take as
long as one year. The pace was slow, averaging
two or three miles per hour. A 1,500 mile
journey might take 4 months and then a cowboy
had to trail the entire distance back home.
The trail was hard work with no Sundays or
holidays. A buckaroo was up before the sun and
still in the saddle many times after dark. He
took his meals, sleep, bathroom breaks and small
comforts in the open and on the run. Wind, rain
and sun were unavoidable and met head on. The
trail hand also took his turn “night- hawking.”
This chore meant babysitting the cow herd at
night which boils down to a great deal less
sleep. Trail herding as you can see was a tough
row to hoe with hard work and low pay. It was
also a lifestyle. It was a lifestyle of freedom
where the best cowboys took pride in their work
and in their dress. For the top cow punchers it
was about being the best at a trade, a trade we
call “cowboy.” Top hands from Texas, the
Southwest and including the Vaqueros of
California developed an art form of cattle
handling, roping, bits, saddles clothing and
equitation that we call horse-man-ship. From
this old time pride the modern equine events
have evolved. Bronc riding, roping, cutting,
barrel racing, dressage, jumping, pleasure
classes, trail classes, ranch rodeos and more.
It is about being the best and each one revolves
around the horse and great horsemanship.
 It
still goes on today although the modern cowboy
has made some changes. The modern day
cowpuncher, Rodeo hand or horseman is in many
cases as apt with his cell phone, fax or
computer as he is with his rope or his horse.
Many top hands are computer literate and sell
themselves in magazines and websites. Although
my cowboy pride keeps me from it, many cowboys
ride with their cell phones as handy as their
reins. In the old days the country was open and
unfenced. A man was free to ride when and where
he pleased. The only unfenced and open range
today is the highway and the sky. Modern day
traveling cowboys make the most of both of them
in private and commercial jets or in trucks and
trailers that easily value over $100,000.00; he
racks up and logs thousands of miles in the air
and on the road.
It is not uncommon for me to do a demonstration
in front of 1000 people in California on Friday
and be giving a private clinic on a ranch in
Texas on Saturday. So goes the life of a cowboy
gypsy. It is a fast-paced quick moving lifestyle
that sometimes seems like a blur. It is motels,
sleeping bags and all night drives. It is photo
finishing into your destination with just enough
time to “chap up” and work a rank old colt in
front of an enthusiastic crowd. What a life!
But in the long run and in the end it is still
about the same thing it was about 150 years ago.
With all the traveling and all the exposure to
radio, TV and magazines the bottom line is still
like the old days; it is about the quality of a
cowboy’s work that counts. The work only
continues to come, not by just “talking the
talk” but you need to “walk the walk.”
The tradition of horsemanship and its way of
life is about an individual’s work and the horse
being a reflection of that individual. The horse
is only as good as the trainer and seeks the
level of the rider, be it good or bad. The best
cowboys accept the challenge of horsemanship and
rise to the occasion. Doing things right is not
always the easy trail, but just like the old
times it is the tough trail that teaches us the
most. The toughest horses are the best teachers.
The old navy men used to say, “A calm sea never
made a great sailor.” Cutting legend Pat
Patterson said, “The horse and cow business is a
workhouse everyday.”
Great and aspiring horse people keep an open
mind and a positive attitude through good times
and bad, through highs and lows. Cowboying is
still about a solid work ethic. It is about your
word and your reputation and being able to honor
both with a handshake. After all, honor is a
principal that builds great relationships like a
relationship bond between men, women, horses,
livestock and the land. Whether you are on the
ranch, the road or in the office a guy can still
be a cowboy because being a real cowboy is a way
of life and about keeping this way of life
alive. It is a tradition the old-time cowboys
fought for and believed in. It is our turn to
keep it and preserve it.
Some people say cowboying is extinct. I think it
is growing! In the sixties and seventies it
might have gone into remission but thanks to
people like Roy Rogers, Casey Tibbs, Larry
Mahan, Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance, Ty Murray, Red
Steagall and thousands more, it has comeback. I
think the old-timers would be proud and happy to
know how cowboys and horse are going strong and
getting better.
In the spirit of the old cowboys, I challenge
you to keep the tradition and “cowboy-up” in
what ever field you choose. Like the
singer-song writer Jewel says in one of her
songs, “Keep on going till we run out of road.”
Keep on riding!
Please contact us at: Craig
Cameron
PO Box 50
Bluff Dale, TX 76433
800-274-0077
doublehornd@lipan.net
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