Working Ranch Magazine March/April 2025

weekend rodeo

(BELOW) Four-time National Western champions: Jolly Ranch

PERFORMANCE HORSE PHOTOGRAPHY

It was announced after the competi tion that “LaJunta” will be consigned to sell at the Western Heritage Classic Invitational Ranch Horse Sale. Third place overall went to Sooner Cattle Company, fourth place to Crutch Ranch, fifth place to Broken Spear Ranch, Oro Vaca Cattle Company came in sixth place and seventh place went to Troublesome Creek Ranch. An incredible night of Ranch Rodeo to kick off the 2025 NWSS.

Second place overall went to Haythorn Land & Cattle team mem bers, Sage Haythorn, Tyler Minor, Wade Speck, and Cole Schaffer with 18 points. The team still holds the 2018 arena record of 41.48 seconds in the Cut & Brand. Sage Haythorn of Haythorn Land & Cattle received the prestigious Top Hand award for the third time in 10 years while also earning the Top Horse honors with his big grey, Add Two and Two “LaJunta.”

Haythorn Land & Cattle of Arthur, Nebraska, took the top spot in the Wild Cow Milking with a 31 second run. By the night’s end, Jolly Ranch secured their fourth National Western championship with 21 points and was also awarded the Excellence in Animal Care award. Their exemplary commitment to ethical animal hus bandry practices earned them the title and a custom watercolor by Coors Western Art artist Kathy Harder.

BY DREW LAWLER

Work Boot or Cowboy Boot? How about both... o often when I know I will be on and off my horse throughout the day but know that I also have a long list of chores, the $64 question is do I put on my cowboy boots or work boots when I leave the house? Tecovas answered that question with grippy enough to scramble over rocks yet will also slip easily into a stirrup.

Oftentimes with cowboy boots, there can be a seam that wants to rub your ankle where the lower boot meets the upper part. Tecovas put a liner inside the leather that takes that seam out of play. Another pleasant surprise is the built-in arch. For my foot, it was per fectly located. Examining the tight stitch ing of the boot to the sole, I can’t see how it would be possible for any water to intrude. So while I haven’t waded through any creeks in them (they are frozen over at the moment) my hunch is they will keep your feet as dry as rain boots. Finally, the leather and tooling are what you would hope to find on fine cowboy boots. If you hose them off, you can wear these boots to church on Sunday morning or to the Saturday night ice cream social, by truck or horseback. Well done Tecovas.

this work boot disguised as a cowboy boot. Now I don’t have to choose. With these babies, you can get 10,000 steps in without foot fatigue and jump on a horse as needed throughout the day. One look at the sole and you know why

it’s first and foremost a work boot. Not only does it provide solid traction on dry or wet surfaces, but it’s

26 I MARCH 2025 WORKING RANCH audited readers run 21 million head of beef cattle.