On The Cover
Clay Rodgers, manager of the historic Babbitt Ranches, rides through a calving pasture not far from Spider Web Camo, which serves as the ranch headquarters in northern Arizona. Photography by Kristen Schurr.
Features
Great In The Basin
The Winecup Gamble Ranch, a historic buckaroo outfit that spans 1.2 million acres in northeastern Nevada, prepares for the next big step in its recent revival: building a respected horse program. BY ROSS HECOX, Page 62
Don’t Fence Me In
Virtual fencing is emerging as a useful addition to modern ranching infrastructure, giving ranchers new options alongside long-established fencing methods. BY NICOLE GRADY, Page 72
The Hay Man
Business born out of necessity often grows quickly, and that’s exactly what happened for Wes and Dana Wetherell in central Oklahoma. BY LINDSAY HUMPHREY, Page 82
Contents
The Family Ranch The Haythorn family reflects on the traditions and teamwork that have carried their Sandhills ranch. Page16
Women Of The West Mary Kathrine White Moursund shares how she’s managing her family’s Gulf Coast ranch. Page 20
Cowboy Skills Mike Major explains the purpose of hobbles and offers advice on teaching a horse to accept them. Page 22
Management Babbitt Ranches’ centers on decisions made for the long-term health of the outfit. Page 25
How-To A look back at Randy Steffen’s how-to sketches. Page 30
Horsemanship Philip Berry shares the philosophy that shaped his career and guided generations of students. Page 32
Training Sage Haythorn explains how daily ranch work shapes dependable, purpose-built horses. Page 37
Real Life Ranch Wife Jolyn Young finds that life is calmer when the boys head to cow camp, but not nearly as fun. Page 40
Craftsmanship Rawhide braider Billy Albin crafts functional quirts, hackamores and other gear. Page 42
Cowboy Cooking Tara Vander Dussen shares her father’s simple, family-favorite Green Chile Queso Blanco recipe. Page 46
Western Stops A visit to Ruxton’s Trading Post reveals a treasure trove of Western antiques and ranch collectibles. Page 48
Rodeo The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo adds team roping for the first time in 41 years. Page 50
Arena All-Stars High Stressin Cat continues to shine as he transitions to a winner partner for Tuli Dowers. Page 53. Read the full story here.
Events The Return to the Remuda Sale posted its second-highest total with strong prices and rising contracts. Page 56
3 Questions Tiffany McLaury reflects on her ranch upbringing, training influences and Road to the Horse debut. Page 58
What’s It Worth? Vintage Crockett spurs from the 1930s get a modern valuation. Page 92
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