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the events | qualifications to participate | 2007 ranch entrants |
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|2007 Ranch Rodeo
Champions 2nd
Place: Pitchfork
Land & Cattle |
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The 23rd annual Western Heritage Classic Ranch Rodeo featured 10 of the largest and most historic ranches in the United States. Each year the ranches gather to compete in events that are designed to test the cowboys’ skills in aspects of every day ranch life. Events include team penning, branding, cow milking; doctoring and bronc riding provide plenty of challenges for the team and excitement for the crowd. Stock contractor Bennie Beutler along with rodeo announcers Hadley Barrett and Bob Tallman add excitement and world-class professionalism as they introduce the ranches, cowboys, dignitaries and sponsors (Budweiser) of the event in the Grand Entry each night. Bronc Riding is the only event in which only one member of the team participates. For 8 seconds the cowboy tests his bronc riding skills as he tries to obtain points for the team. On the ranch it is important to have an adequate supply of good horses for working cattle. "Starting" and training new broncs each year is just a typical part of the job for a cowboy. This event is usually considered one of the most exciting events to watch in the Western Heritage Classic. (2007 winner - Haythorn Land & Cattle Company)
Team Branding is an event that is based on calf branding. This event requires four team members: one on horseback, two ready to flank the calf and one ready with the branding iron. As the team member on horseback ropes the calf, the two flankers must wait until the calf is dragged across a line before they can remove the rope and brand the calf. Winners in this event are based upon the fastest time of branding the calf. (2007 event winner – Pitchfork Land & Cattle Company) Team Doctoring is an event that is accomplished on horseback with one cowboy roping the head and another roping the heels. As the calf is held with ropes from both ends, the doctoring takes place. The ranchers are faced with a limited number of tries, which makes this event intense and exciting to watch. (2007 event winner – Spade Ranches)
Wild Cow Milking is an event that often brings laughter and heightened anticipation as a team of four cowboys does whatever it takes to catch and milk a wild milk cow. When the cow is roped three team members on the ground hang on the best way possible to bring the cow to a standstill so that one of the team members can collect milk in a long neck bottle and run to the finish line. The actual bringing the cow to a standstill usually causes a lot of laughter. If no milk is collected the team gets no points. (2007 event winner - Spade Ranches)
Team Penning has become known as one of the most popular events in ranch rodeos. It requires four team members to read and judge the cattle’s behavior. A good cutting horse is vital, as three cows must be cut from the herd. Team members must keep the three cattle separated from the herd and drive them to the pen. Patience and teamwork is the key in this event. The winner is determined by the fastest time. (2007 event winner - Moorhouse Ranch) |
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| All participating ranches will be chosen by invitation only. The participating ranches may recommend new ranches, but the final selection and invitation will be made and extended by the Western Heritage Classic Executive Committee. Invitations will be extended from year to year. Qualifications:
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Moorhouse Ranch Co. Tongue River Ranch Green Land & Cattle Co. Pitchfork Ranch Guitar Ranches 6666 Ranch Haythorn Land and Cattle Co. |
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| Green Land &
Cattle Company Albany, Texas Founded: 1892
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Guitar Ranches Abilene, Texas |
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Haythorn Land & Cattle Company Arthur, Nebraska Founded: 1884 |
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Matthews/Nail Ranches Albany, Texas Founded: 1885 The Matthews family came to the Clear Fork area in 1858. In 1885 John Alexander Matthews and Sallie Reynold Matthews registered the famous "open A, lazy U" brand. As in the early days, Hereford cattle are the main stay of the ranch. NAIL RANCH -Before setting up a ranching operation in and around Shackelford County in the late 1890’s, the Nail Family enjoyed an impressive ranching heritage in other parts of Texas. Upon settling the Albany location Jim Nail and his wife Chloe acquired the Monroe Cattle Company Ranch and eventually established his company as the J.H. Nail Cattle Company. Team Captain: Terry Moberly 915/762-3654 Back to Ranch List |
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| Moorhouse Ranch Co. Founded:
1923
Established in the 1930’s by J.C. (Togo) Moorhouse, the ranch is located near Benjamin, Texas. Moorhouse Ranch Co. runs yearlings on wheat pasture and maintains a cow/calf operation. In addition the ranch raises its own saddle horses. The ranch and five leased ranches covers more than 150,000 acres. Team Captain: Tom Moorhouse 940/454-2222 |
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Gail,
Texas W. K. Johnson, St.. started the Muleshoe brand when he bought the Blackwater division of the XIT Ranch on the Blackwater draw about 1900. Texaco, NM was the nearest town. Later, the Santa Fe Railroad built a road from Lubbock to Clovis, NM that ran through the middle of the ranch known as the Muleshoe Ranch. By that time Mr. Johnson had sold the ranch to E.K. Warren and son from Three Oaks, Michigan. Warren gave one section for a town site when the railroad was built. This town was named Muleshoe and still goes by that name. When Mr. Johnson sold the ranch, he maintained the Muleshoe brand. Around 1908, Mr. Johnson and Mr. R.M. Clayton formed a partnership and leased a large body of land east, north and west of what is now Post, Texas. C.W. Post owned this land. When Mr. Post started developing this land, selling it to the farmers, the Clayton and Johnson Co. bought a ranch in Borden Co. in 1913 and continued using the Muleshoe brand. What is now the Muleshoe Ranch was originally open grazing and was used by the Magnola Land and Cattle Co. prior to 1894. Sometime between 1900 and 1910 Mr. Abney who later sold to J.D. Milton of Virginia put the ranch together. Clayton and Johnson Co. bought the land from Mr. Milton on Aug. 25, 1913. In 11945 Mr. Jerry Clayton, one of R.M. Clayton’s sons bought the Muleshoe Ranch from another son, A.M. Clayton. In 1957, Jerry Clayton sold the ranch to his daughters, Jere Hubbard and Barbara Anderson. In 1994 Rich and Barbara became sole owners of the ranch. John, his wife Kevva and their three children live on the place. They are the 4th and 5th generation to live on and operate the Muleshoe Ranch. |
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| Pitchfork
Ranch
Founded:
1883
History: It was 115 years ago when Eugene Williams, a sales manager for a St. Louis-based shoe company, and his childhood friend, D.B. Gardner, a Texas surveyor, established the Pitchfork Ranch. The ranch was named for the Pitchfork brand already worn by the first herd they purchased. Gardner managed the ranch in Guthrie for 47 productive years, and only five managers have held that position since. The present manager, Bob Moorhouse, came to the ranch in 1972 as assistant manager and is a critically acclaimed nature photographer. Moorhouse oversees three Pitchfork operations stretching from Texas to Kansas. |
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Guthrie,
Texas |
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Tongue River Ranch Located in four West Texas counties (King, Dickens, Cottle and Motley) this 87,000-acre ranch surrounds Dumont, Texas. Originally owned by the famous Swenson Ranch, it was known as the Tongue River Division. New owner since 1997 Millard Morris is committed to completing much needed improvements and an expanded equine operation with the addition of 60 mares and some of the best bloodlines in the country. Team Captain: Larry Abbott 806/596-4641 ..................................................................................................................... Lubbock, Texas
In 1889, Colonel Isaac Ellwood, one of the original inventors of barbed wire, made a trip out west to Colorado City (the end of the railroad line) on a market development tour. Before he left, he had fallen in love with west Texas and bought 130,000 acres 22 miles south of Colorado City from the Snyder brothers. The ranch was called the Renderbrook, after the big Renderbrook spring at headquarters. In the 1870’s, a Captain Rendlebrock from Fort Concho had a skirmish with the Comanches camped at the spring and in a slightly distorted spelling, the spring was named after him. When Ellwood bought 800 cows and the Spade brand from J.F. “Spade” Evans, the ranching empire got its name. The Spade ranches today consist of five outfits: the original Renderbrook Spade in Mitchell, Sterling and Coke Counties; the Borden Spade in Borden County; the Wagon Creek Spade in Throckmorton and Baylor Counties; the North Spade in Briscoe and Motley Counties and the Panhandle Spade in Roberts County, totaling about 275,000 acres. John Welch is the President and C.E.O. of Spade Ranches and the board of directors consists of six great-great-grandchildren of Isaac Ellwood, along with outside directors. The Spade ranch has employed a planned crossbreeding program since the late 1960’s and it continues today; although it is changing with the changing market demands. Today, the ranches use composite bulls (Simm/Angus and Balancer) crossing the heifers from one mating to the other composite. This maintains a high level of heterosis while producing a uniform calf crop, a stable breed composition and eliminating the need to buy replacement heifers from other sources. The Spades also have a horse breeding program which crosses the daughters on their own son of Little Peppy with their son of Doc’s Hickory and vice versa. The objective is to use unrelated bloodlines to produce functional ranch horses with lots of cow sense and bottom. Although the number one goal is to provide good horses for the Spade men, a few horses are sold each year.
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