Cowboy Stories

Verland King is a fifth generation rancher. He and his wife, Terri currently live in Bicknell, UT. Together they ranch and run their veterinary practice. Throughout this episode he shares his family's history of running sheep and eventually cattle. He talks about all the aspects of ranching and veterinary work and I'm excited for you all to listen to it.

Freddy Prather is 80 years old and lives in Paduka, TX. He didn't grow up with a ranching background but he knew it was what he wanted to do and he stuck with it. His first job as a cowboy paid him $140/month and he had to make that work to support his young family. He's worked on places like the 6666's, Triangles, Moorhouses and a few others. In 1985 he won reserve world champion in the NCHA on a horse called Fifth Jubilee. You'll hear all about that story and a bunch of others as you listen to this episode.

Sam Dove and his wife Catherine live in Alpine, TX. His family ranched in central TX and he grew up admiring his grandfather. Ranching runs in his blood on both sides of the family. He went to college for a short time and received a degree in range animal science with a minor in chemistry. Throughout this episode, he talks about being involved in some of the last times the big ranches pulled the chuckwagon, he talks about a cowboys purpose, how to get through a drought, everything a cowboy does with no recognition, and the differences in working as a cowboy vs. being in a ranch management position. At 67 years old, he still loves the cowboy way of life as much as he did as a kid. I admire his humility and I hope you all enjoy listening to his story as much as I did.

Clint Jones grew up as a carpenter's son in Ropesville, TX. He got a taste for being a cowpuncher at a young age and never looked back. He has worked in multiple states, but currently works at the Pitchfork Ranch. We had a great conversation and I hope you all enjoy.

Shawn Jack is from Blanding, UT and has always had a desire to be a rancher. In 2000 he got his foot in the door and from there he has been able to be successful in the industry. Shawn and his family run their cattle in some of the neatest country and if you haven't already, you need to check out their YouTube channel. It's called 1880 Drifters. Throughout this episode you'll understand how much he loves his family, loves ranching and enjoys being out in God's creation.

Rod Devoll is from Alpine, TX and when he was growing up, he always wanted to be a cowboy. He day-worked for a lot of different outfits before ending up on the '06 ranch where he stayed for 30 years. Now, at 68 years old, he helps out the local rodeo team. My favorite quote from our conversation is, "Everybody can teach somebody something. And I believe that if you ever get too old to quit learnin' you might as well give up."

Mike Capron is an 80 year old Texan who is a well-known artist and cowboy. He says he's always been fascinated by three things; ridin', ropin ', and paintin'. Throughout this episode you'll hear stories about his time in Vietnam, his relationship with God, his courtship with his wife, and some cowboy stories. My favorite quote from our conversation was, "If you can't live it baby, you can't paint it." If you want to learn more about Mike or if you'd like to see some of his work, head over to his website www.mwcapron.com

Today we talk about Shad's history in agriculture and the reason he became so heavily involved in the politics that surround the beef industry. Shad is a 5th generation rancher who grew up in Colorado but currently lives in Texas. He's a HUGE advocate for liberty, freedom, and the beef industry. He says, "Where there is beef, there is freedom." As you listen to his episode, you'll understand what he means by that statement.

Brad Good spent most of his childhood in New Mexico but currently lives in Texas and works on the Waggoner Ranch. Throughout our visit, you could tell he has a lot of respect for the people that he has been influenced by; especially his dad and uncles. When I asked him what the best part about living this kind of lifestyle was he said, "Getting to be in the middle of God's creation." He also shares his definition of a cowboy and it might be one of my favorite definitions to date. Hope you all enjoy!

Today I visited with Hayden Ballard and Chris Heaton. We discussed the issues that come along with trying to make a living running cattle on federal lands. We spent the majority of our time talking about why ranchers care about the policies associated with national monuments and how they directly affect them. We talked about the abuse of the Antiquities Act that the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Bears Ears National Monument, and the Grand Canyon National Monument were created under. Hayden and Chris were both great people to visit with about these issues. They are both 6th generation ranchers, they both have skin in the game, and they are both passionate about preserving the ranching and cowboy way of life.

In today’s episode, we talk about Pratt’s life and the memories he has of running cattle in the Escalante area, some of his best horses, and how he got started in ranching.

PeeWee Peebles grew up in Texas but currently works on a ranch in Arizona. Throughout this episode he talks about the importance of a good cow dog, the rough terrain and type of cattle he manages, and one of the worst wrecks he’s ever been in. He loves his family and he loves Christ. When speaking about his family he said, “I couldn’t do it without them.” When asked about the coolest places he’s ever been horseback he said, “I’m blown away by God’s creation.” He is also a talented bit and spur maker. You can check out his work by searching PEEBLE BITS AND SPURS on Facebook. We had a great visit and I’m excited to share this episode with you all.

In part 2 of my conversation with Ray, he talks about a couple more places he worked at before he ended up in South Dakota. He tells us about his time in South Dakota and how he has helped with the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. Another notable thing about Ray is he is 62 years old and this year he entered the ranch bronc riding for his team at the Murdo Ranch Rodeo. That is the picture that you'll see attached to this episode.

Ray Chanley grew up in California but currently lives in South Dakota. In Part 1 of our conversation, Ray talks about working at a sale barn while he was in school and how that led him to live the kind of life he lives. He also talks about his cross country pack trip that started on a beach in California and ended in New Mexico. That trip allowed him to have some cool experiences working for different people along the way. Hope you enjoy Part 1.

In this episode with Skeet Gould he talks about family, his time in California, and the differences he noticed in California versus Arizona. If you've listened to Part 1 and Part 2, you know that he has also written a book. If you'd like to read more about his life and hear more stories, you can contact Skeet directly via Facebook to get a copy. Look up Skeet Gould on Facebook and send him a message.

In part 2 of our conversation we talk about the longest place he ever stayed, learning how to AI cattle, a horse named Joe Lewis, and things he learned from Bill Howell at the Babbitts. If you like listening to his stories, you can purchase on directly from Skeet on Facebook.

Skeet Gould was born in Prescott, AZ but currently lives in Red Bluff, CA. In part 1 of our conversation, we talk about his childhood, classing cattle horseback, horsemanship, and family. When talking about eradicating screwworms he said, ““The best thing for cowmen. The worst thing for cowboys. It also affected the horses. A horse used to be taught to run to cattle….” He tells a lot of cool stories and if you want to hear more, he wrote a book called “Layin around the water hole” You can purchase one directly from him. Contact him on Facebook.

In part 2 of my interview with Greg Snow we talk about the best part of living this lifestyle, the hardest place he’s ever left, and ranch horses. He also answers the question, “Are cowboys as good today as they were back in the day?” If you haven’t had a chance to listen to part 1, head over there first because we dive right in where we left off. Enjoy!

Greg Snow was raised in Twin Falls, ID. He grew up in sports; baseball, basketball, and football. He got a job at the stockyards and that was when he first became interested in cattle. He found out there were full time cowboy jobs from Kurt Marcus articles in the western horseman and he has had the “cowboy bug” ever since. After high school, he turned down a few football scholarships and instead bought a cheap used saddle, a rope and a snaffle bit. The rest is history. He’s worked on ranches in a few different states and is a well-known name in the ranching world. I had a lot of fun visiting with him and I hope you enjoy his story.

In part two of our conversation, Steve talks about some of the best parts of living the kind of lifestyle he lives. One of which is having the opportunity to work day to day with your family.

Steve Layton has been ranching on the Arizona Strip his entire life,  his family bought the ranch and moved from Southern Arizona in 1949. His grandkids are now the 5th generation on the ranch. I hope you enjoy part 1 of his story.

Part 2 of my conversation with Johnny Hill. In this episode, we continue our conversation about good horses and he also gives his definition of a cowboy, “Somebody that can take a horse and go work a cow and do what he needs to do without stirrin a bunch of stuff up.” Enjoy!

Johnny Hill is from the pan handle of Texas and one of the pieces of advice that he offers the younger generation is to, “Keep your mouth shut, your eyes open and leave your phone in your pocket.” Enjoy!

Today we dive right in to Part 2 of my interview with Tyson Johnson. If you haven't had a chance to listen to Part 1, I recommend starting back there. In todays episode, Tyson shares a little bit more of his background, some of the things he enjoys about this lifestyle, his definition of what makes a good hand, and a few "cowboy stories."

Tyson Johnson grew up in Kanab, UT and currently lives in Oklahoma where he is the manager of Sooner Cattle Company. In Part 1 of this episode, he talks about how he fell in love with this way of life and some of the early events that led him to where he is today.

Jim Brinkman is a third generation rancher on the Pitzer Ranch (located in Ericson, NE). Throughout this episode we talk about how the Pitzer Ranch got its start, how Jim became involved, the great Two Eyed Jack, and their horse program. If you want more info on the Pitzer Ranch, click the following link. https://pitzerranch.net/

Ira Wines lives in Elko county Nevada and is currently the president of the Ellison Ranching Company. His family has been in Elko county since 1860 and his dad worked for the Ellisons when he was born. Throughout this episode he talks about his personal history and some of the day-to-day things on the ranch. If you want more information on the Ellison Ranching Company and it’s history, they just published a book and copies are available in Elko at the Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum, Western Folklife Center and Northeastern Nevada Museum or by contacting the Ellison Ranching Company offices at 775-753-8826.

Jimmy Riggs is 78 years old. He and his wife Janna live on their ranch near Wilcox, AZ. In Part 2, he talks about a Ranch tour that he and his wife do every year. They joined an organization called “Wings over Wilcox” as a service to the beef industry to help educate others on where their food comes from and what their operation is like. They had 250 people tour this year over a 3 day weekend. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Part 1, I recommend starting there first.

Jimmy and his wife Janna live near Wilcox, AZ. They have a pretty neat family history that he shares at the beginning of this episode. He also talks about how the railroad changed the way investors thought about ranching, and the incredible way they were able to help eradicate screwworms.

In Part 2 of my interview with Wes O’Neal, he talks about the horse program he helped run, the coolest place he’s ever been on a horse, and his advice to the next generation.

Wes O’Neal is 89 years old and started his life off with very humble beginnings. He’s spent the majority of his life in Texas but has managed/worked cattle in multiple states across the U.S. When asked what a cowboy is, he responded, “A man who has spent his life riding other peoples horses, working other peoples cattle, living in other peoples houses, until he gets to where he can’t do it anymore and then they just mosey off to town and hopefully you’ve saved enough to live comfortably.”

Luke was born in South Dakota where he grew up breaking horses with his dad. When he was 17 he rode a greyhound bus to California with his saddle and went to work on a ranch. He’s worked in South Dakota, California, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon and Arizona. His secret to success is the people he’s been able to work around and learn from.

Boots O’Neal is 90 years old and still works as a full-time cowboy. He’s spent the majority of his life on large ranches in Texas. Ranches such as the JAS Ranch, the Matador Ranch, the Waggoner Ranch (25 years), and the 6666 Ranch (34 years).

In part 2 of our conversation, Stan talks about a race horse he had named Distant Wind. He also talks about his sobriety and how God helped and continues to help him stay sober. If you haven't had a chance to listen to part 1, head over and give that one a listen first.

Stan Mecham is from Tropic, UT and he is 85 years old. Throughout this episode, he talks to us about some of his best bronc rides, some wrecks he's been in and a lot about hunting lions. Enjoy part 1 of our conversation.

In part 2 of my interview with Mike McLaughlin, he talks about the O R O Ranch and their horses. He also gives his definition of a cowboy, “A guy who is willing to get on any horse they hand him and go out and do his job the best he knows how to do it and if it needs to be roped then you rope it and if it needs to be put through a gate, you put it through the gate. But you don’t back off because your horses aren’t that good.”

Part 1 of my interview with Mike McLaughlin. Speaking of his time at the Lida Ranch he talked about two of the best guys he’s ever rode with, “The biggest thing I learned from those guys is how to read cattle….If I was going to say one place educated me to the point of understanding cattle, it would have been that place. How to handle cattle, how to trail cattle someplace when they don’t want to go.” Mike has working on the following ranches (just to name a few) Lida Ranch, Diamond A, Russell Ranches (89)-48,000 mother cows, Diamond A-Rosewell Camp (Ed Ashurst wagon boss) 10,000 mother cows at the time, Rafter Diamond Ranch-Deeth, NV Sierra Bonita Ranch-Southern AZ Willow Springs Ranch-AZ Babbitt Ranch- S P Camp O R O Ranch 76 Ranch-AZ

When asked about some of the best cowboys Ed Ashurst has ever been around, he mentioned Bill Howell. When talking about Bill he said, "...the best cowboy I ever knew, all things considered.... He was an artist at working cattle. Big bunches of cattle.... And I worked for him for 15 years. And if I'm a cow man, it's because of him." Throughout this episode, we talk about working cattle in the traditional way, what Ed's definition of a cowboy is, and some of the challenges he faces. His advice to future generations is to, "Have faith in God, pray a lot, and fight government intervention."

Joe Dahl lives in Fallon, NV. He said he never had a desire to be a rancher per say. His interest was always towards being a horseman. Demar (his brother) would say, “You gotta remember why we have cows. It’s so we can make good horses.” Throughout this episode, we talk about his life with cattle and his life in the polo world. He’s lived a unique blend of two different cultures and I’m excited for you to listen. One of my favorite quotes from this episode comes from his school principal when he was in the 4th grade. I’ll let you listen to it and find out what he said.

Jim and his wife Kerri live in Safford, AZ. Jim will be 81 years old in August and has lived a life that many won't ever get the chance to. As a child, he ran away from home the first day his family moved to the Grand Canyon. He ended up at the mule barns and the rest is history. He has worked on several different ranches in a couple different states. Later on in his life, he suffered an injury from a horse wreck which led him to different employment. He was a sheriff and eventually a Justice of the Peace. Jim can remember shoeing horses for $5 a head and when asked what advice he has for the future generations he said, "Get out. Learn how to work. Do chores. Go to church."

Boyd is 81 years old and currently lives in Lima, MT. His family ran 4,200 head of mother cows and they put up their hay using a team and a beaver slide. When he was 9 years old, he would drive the team of horses while his dad would feed the cows in -20 degree weather. He said, "The only way to handle cattle is horseback." Every year, they would brand around 3,200 head of their own calves and then continue on and help the neighbors brand their calves. He said, "Im retired now. I'm just a full-time grandpa. And I enjoy helping people around town here. If there's something to do, I like to pitch in and give them a hand." Boyd is one of the salt-of-the-earth people and I know you'll enjoy listening to his story.

Don Lindsay and his wife Denise live in Venice, UT. Don is a well-known horse trainer and has a lot of expertise in this area. He has day worked for a few different outfits throughout his life. One of which was A.C. Ekker in Hanksville, UT. Don shares a little bit about his history and how he came to be involved in the western industry. You can find out more about him by visiting his website dlhorsemanship.com

Todays episode is going to be a little bit different from what we typically share. Lydia is trying to spread the word about the devastation the Hermit's Peak and Calf Canyon fires have had on the state of New Mexico. What started out as a prescribed burn has now turned into a wildfire covering over 310,000 acres. In this episode she gives us a little bit of info on her background, and the effects the fire(s) has had on them personally. For more information on this fire, check out nmfireinfo.com

Everett Ashurst lives and works on the Babbitt Ranch. He and his family are almost as deeply rooted in this ranch as the Babbitt family themselves. Everett shares a lot of quotes throughout this podcast episode that I want to remember. One of them is, “When I say cowboy, I am thinking about a person who can get on basically any kind of a horse and do what they want to with any kind of a cow.”

Clay Rodgers - Part 2. In this episode, Clay tells us about some of the pretty places he's been, the kind of horses they prefer to use on the ranch, and he shares his definition of a cowboy; to name a few things. He shares some great stories in this episode that you don't want to miss out on. For more information about the ranch and about their annual colt sale, check out their website babbittranches.com

Clay Rodgers, his wife Danielle, and their kids live on the Babbit Ranch. Meeting and visiting with this family was something I really enjoyed. In part 1 of my interview with Clay, he talks about a few different places he's worked, a little bit about their operation, and some history of the ranch. The Babbitt Ranch has been in operation since 1886 and they still run horned Hereford cattle. The history behind the ranch and the family's who have worked there for generations is really something to be proud of. You can find out more about their ranch and more about their annual colt sale by visiting their website... babbittranches.com 

For this episode, I wanted to get the perspective of ranch life from a ranch wife. Jamie Howell was kind enough to agree to visit with me and I really admire her story. In this episode, Jamie talks about how she got introduced to this way of life and how her and her late husband, Vic Howell, were able to raise their children on the Babbitt Ranch. I also wanted to let you know about the annual colt sale that they do on the Babbitt Ranch. Check out their website for more information on their colt sale. https://www.babbittranches.com/colt-sale 

In part 2, Tabor talks about how fun it is to sort cattle when you’re both on the same page. He says, “It feels good when you can silently go through a herd of cattle like that and you don’t have to have any discussion. I’d watch his eye. I’d see what he had his eye on or what he was bringing out. And it just feels like you’re doing something right when you’re like that with your crew. I’ve been blessed to work with some really good hands. If the work itself isn’t rewarding to you, then it’s just not going to work out for you very long to do it. I don’t think God put me on this earth to work at something that I don’t enjoy.”

Tabor and Katie Dahl are close family friends and I've been looking forward to interviewing him for a while. In part 1 of my interview with Tabor, he talks about how beneficial and important his relationship with his grandpa was.  When talking about helping his grandpa move cattle Tabor said, "He made you feel like you could do anything and it really empowered me. He'd always make you feel like you were doing better than you were." He also talks about his parents sending him to Bryan Neubert's house for a couple of weeks when he was 15. He said learning to train horses from Bryan really changed his life.

Part two of my interview with Jacob Carter. If you haven't had a chance to listen to Part 1, you can go back to our episodes and check it out. One of my favorite quotes from this episode is, "...I'm not teaching you how to build fence. I'm teaching you how to do a job right and get it done...." In this episode, he goes in depth into how he realized roping is an important skill and tradition, and how his management style has allowed them to run up to 1300 head of cattle. He also talks about the importance of mental health in the ranching industry and how we need to talk about it. Farm Bureau has done a great job getting some information out about this and they're calling it #farmstateofmind. You can click the following link to check it out. https://www.fb.org/land/fsom