For 9 years, Rene‚ A. Heil has traveled with ranches from Mexico to Montana capturing the dust & smoke of working ranches and working cowboys during the Spring Roundup.
This artistically designed 12 by 10 inch coffee table book contains over 150 large color photographs of working ranches in the Nebraska Sandhills during the 2005 spring branding season. It tells of the early history and development of the cattle industry in Nebraska as well as the story of each ranch that was photographed. Rene‚ skillfully captures the individual cowboy as well as the community gathering of neighbors helping neighbors. Beautiful matched herds are shown being gathered in the towering sandhills where crews of 50-100 workers will process 300 to 500 calves per hour. The viewer is able to see the corral filled with action as hot irons, sharp knives and skilled ropers create a world of dust and smoke.
There is a personal touch in Rene's photography as he zooms in on family and neighbor relationship. Grandparents who have lived so many seasons of roundups are present as well as fathers and mothers teaching their children the art of flanking and roping, and working the herd.
Then, there are the photos of the social dynamics when neighbors commune with each other at the noon meal or the evening campfire. A neighbor in the Nebraska Sandhills is someone who lives only 30-40 miles away and where children still attend a one room school. This neighboring-up is a time to share a common history and tell stories of days when the pastures were bigger and the cattle were wilder.
In today's world of fast movement among crowds of unknown masses, it is refreshing to see a photographic work depicting people helping one another and having time to spit & whittle by a prairie campfire. Rene A. Heil was able to capture some of the magic in this book of the Spring Roundup in the Nebraska Sandhills. This book captures 9 of these Sandhill Ranches during their Spring Roundup:The Kime Cattle Company: Nenzel, Nebraska.
The Rock‚en J Ranch: Cody, Nebraska
The Frauen Ranch: Sparks, Nebraska
The Churchill Ranch: Valentine, Nebraska
The J.H. Minor Company: Hyannis, Nebraska
The Shadbolt Cattle Company: Merriman, Nebraska
The Roberta Sherman Ranch: Valentine, Nebraska
The Three Bar Ranch: Nenzel, Nebraska
The Bow & Arrow Ranch: Valentine, Nebraska
Click here if you wish to purchase this book
26 ranches from Texas to Montana are captured in this book of Spring Roundup. Pretty loops, hot irons & sharp knives fill each page with rawhide action. Along with the full colored photographs are the “cowboy memories” that men and women shared of years gone by when the pastures were bigger and the cattle were wilder.
This a 12x10 inch full color coffee table book.
Ranches that are included in this work are:
Apishapa Canyon Ranch…Fowler, Colorado
5 Bar Ranch…Follett, Texas
V-4 Land & Cattle Company…Logan, New Mexico
Muddy Valley Ranch…Kim, Colorado
Medota Ranch…Canadian, Texas
Lloyd Hall Ranch…Delhi, Colorado
Landess Cattle Company…Kenton, Oklahoma
6666 Ranch…Guthrie, Texas
Perkins-Prothro Ranch…Kerrick, Texas
Finley Ranch…Beaver, Oklahoma
Cooper Camp Creek Ranch…Higgins, Texas
Ferguson Ranch…Kenton, Oklahoma
Culbertson Ranch…Amistad, New Mexico
Happy Heart Ranch…Follett, Texas
Padlock Ranch…Ranchester, Wyoming
Singleton Ranches-Conchas Division…Santa Rosa, New Mexico
Heart Ranch…Lipscomb, Texas
Tule Ranch…Tulia, Texas
Wade Ranch…Vaughn, New Mexico
Smith Oasis Ranch…Canadian, Texas
Montana Matador…Dillon, Montana
Vest Ranches…Childress, Texas
Riddle Ranches…Riddle, Idaho
Tom Moorhouse Ranch…Benjamin, Texas
Spade Render Brook Ranch…Colorado City, Texas
San Jose Ranch…La Junta, Colorado