Our ranch branding was a resounding success! We had a busy week on the ranch, culminating in branding 162 calves on Saturday. Papa and Dan got up on Saturday morning between 3:30-4:00. They ate breakfast and went down to the corrals by 4:30. They fed and saddled Oscar and Pablo, then rode back up the hill to the house.
By 5:30, there were four trucks pulling horse trailers up the hill to meet up Papa and Dan. Colter left his home by 5, riding along with daughter Madilyn (age 6), his two 9 year old nephews, and a neighbor rancher. They rounded up the 25 cows and calves in our Buck Knob pasture, then headed toward our house to wait for the other cowboys. Over the next three hours, 20+ cowboys rounded up cows and calves from the 4000+ acre pasture to the west of our house. It was an incredible sight to watch close to 400 cows and calves headed down the ridge.
The cowboys and cowgirls pushed the cattle down the hill to the Rock House corral to start the branding process by 10. Cows were sorted from their calves. Calves were sorted into various pens. Each pen was emptied into the main corral with each calf branded, ears cut, horns cut and cauterized, testicles removed from steer calves, and all were branded. All children at the branding interested in riding a calf got their turn. It was great fun!
The hard work was over by 1:30 in the afternoon and everyone headed back up the hill for lunch
at our house. There was plenty of food and cold drinks. Everyone was tired but happy and chatter filled the air with cowboys telling their favorite stories of the day. Papa and I feel privileged
to have the opportunity to participate in this ranching tradition on Winchester Ranch.
