Cowboy Life Ross Hecox & Jim Essick

Nebraska rancher Craig Haythorn talks about cowboying in the Sandhills, putting up hay with teams, and enduring deadly blizzards. Grit, devotion and quality horseflesh have been keys to his family running their cow-calf operation for five generations.

To celebrate the holiday season, Shawn Williams recites his poem, “A Cowpuncher’s Night Before Christmas.” The entertainer and “highly trained cowboy fashion reporter” goes on to share his stories of working on large, historic cattle outfits such as Pitchfork Land & Cattle in Texas, the Bell Ranch in New Mexico, and the O RO in Arizona.

Although Shannon Hall’s early years were spent in an urban, broken home, fate reunited him with his cowboy father and drew him into ranch life. He made a name for himself training and competing on cutting horses at the highest level. NCHA Hall Of Fame Member, 1999 NCHA Open Futurity Champion. Hall has since built a large cow-calf operation, which he and his family own and operate in southern Oklahoma.

Legendary cowpuncher Tom Moorhouse shares his experiences growing up and working on ranches throughout West Texas. His cowboy stories describe life on the wagon, his family’s ranching legacy, dealing with drought and the beginnings of ranch rodeo. He also details how the respected Great Basin horseman Ray Hunt introduced better training practices to old school Texas cowboys, and how that has improved horsemanship on today’s ranches.