Dick Snow
Mule Shoe Ranch
Echo, OR


Triple Rolling S
Stewart & Michelle Severe
Burns, OR


Sunburst J Livestock
JL & Celia Moyer

 
 Wm & Cory Dunten


Buttercreek Cattle Co.
Steve & Lisanne Currin


 O'Brien Ranch
 Heppner, OR

Jeff and Amy Mundell

Crane,Oregon


Walt & Debra Sullivan
Stanfield, OR


Larry & Cathy Pedro
Hermiston, OR


Vey Ranch
Echo, OR


Katie Thompson
Echo, OR

Bar 41 Ranch
Hoefft family
Pendleton, OR


Healy Ranch
Since 1883


Kevin & Angie Hughes
Buttercreek
Cub Calves
Heppner, OR


Ask about your
brand here.

Reversed LS Ranch
Lamoille, NV

'in the Company of Cowgirls'
May 10-13, 2012
At the Pendleton Convention Center
Pendleton, Oregon in conjunction with the Pendleton Cattle Baron's Weekend

Artists Listing

Artists! $2500 added money for these 5 awards!

*Riata Award --------For Fine Art (Jurors Choice)
*Jan Stiver Painting Award----Fine Art Oils Only
*Cowgirls Choice Award-------Fine Art Only
*Cattlemans Choice Award-----Photography Only
*Silver Sage Award----Photography Only (Jurors Choice)

Jurors: Linda Dufurrena and Elin Pendleton
Click here for more information on our jurors.

The 'Code'
by Leon Flick
 
I learned my ways with cattle, from the men full wise to battle.
They used snaffle bit, and hackamore, and spade.
They were eager, brass, and bold, as were the stories that they told.
And also were the horses that they made.

They sang a tune to leather creakin’, and their spur rowels softly speakin’.
As their horses trotted rhythm in the sage.
They were horse of leg and bone, that could trot a man back home,
After thirty miles behind ‘em, on a voyage.

Men of cowboy rules, from the old vaquero schools.
Each man rode his spot based on position.
If it was on your side, that’s the country you would ride.
It was expected of all without exception.

You never crossed in front, and you seldom rode behind.
And if you did, it was with social graces.
You held the spot that you’d been given, and there wasn’t much forgiven
With men who were always tradin’ places.

You went out there as a team, and you made your plans and schemes,
But it was still the cow that cut the final deal.
Where and how is what they’d tell, and they’d blow your plans to ---
Well, a good crew just adjusted to the feel.

Every person packed a knife, that you trusted with your life.
And you hoped that they could reach you if need be.
Cuz if you got fowled and tied to some spooked and kickin’ snide
Your partner's all that saved eternity.

You trusted one another, and you counted on the other
To take up slack, or give a little room
Fore your life depended on it, and your partners in this sonnet,
Like as not, are like some sitting in this room.

Men of plenty savvy, and their horses in the cavvy
Were just as much a measure of their pride.
Their string of horses, theirs alone. To ride another man’s unknown
Unless the deal’d been cut before the ride.

They gave their colts the time they needed, subtle cues and lessons heeded
Wasn’t long before the gave their heart and try.
Gentle hands of give and take, trying always not to break
The spirit that would pack them till they’d die.

They strung their cow’s like siphoned water, and a feller knew he oughta
Keep the sides tucked in and leave the drag alone.
Cuz if you push and pound, it’ll only slow you down,
And it won’t be long till baby calves go home.

Oh those days of brush and saddle, as you tended to the cattle.
How it felt as you all trotted as one crew.
Out on some sagebrush range, far away from strife and change.
Give me five good colts and let me buckaroo.

Cowgirls
Cowgirls come in all kinds. Most fit your typical picture of a cowgirl with a big western hat, vest, wild rag, boots, jeans and spurs.....some true cowgirls don't look that way at all, focused more on practical gear that fits the muddy, freezing weather that is part of ranch life for a good part of the year. But all cowgirls have at their core an interest in horses and handling the cattle that they raise for a livelihood. "In The Company of Cowgirls" celebrates these women and the unique skills all cowgirls are expected to have.

Cowgirls need to understand cows. It's that simple. How, with a subtle system of pressure and release, and the ability to read the body language of cattle, either a herd can be moved or an individual animal can be separated out of the herd. When mother cows and their babies are gathered into a bunch, cowgirls need to know how to mother them up so that the babies are not abandoned or separated from their moms if the herd is split. Cowgirls need to know how to turn a run-a-way herd while keeping their place in the gather. A good cowgirl knows that not all cows are alike, that there are cows who have special personalities: some snuffy ones who will run you up over a fence every chance they get, and some who want to eat out of your hand; some who will run at the sight of a horseback rider, and some who know to quietly lead the herd home. All cowgirls know the relationship between the daily care of cattle and the end result of how much they weigh on shipping day when the cattle producer is paid for the gain.

Cowgirls also need to know how to work as a team with their horses to get ranch work done. They generally begin early to build this relationship, by starting their own colts. They work hard to teach their horses a fast ground-eating walk or an easy long trot when miles have to be covered. They want their horse to be able to go through bogs without falling apart, up and down hills without refusing, to cross creeks and rivers without hesitation, to be able to turn quickly if charged by a mad cow, and to run fast to turn back a runaway herd. Whether it be deep forest, steep hills, sagebrush-covered desert, swampy or dusty, the cowgirl and her horse must be together on moving through the obstacles they face in the different environments. Cowgirls want their horses to step over big logs, not jump them; to weave through timber and rotted logs and not be upset with a branch hitting their face; to move through big sagebrush or manzanita bushes fearlessly and boldly; to watch for badger holes, wire and other dangers; to not lose complete control when stung by bees; and to sidle right up to gates that can be opened ahorseback. Cowgirls who rope need their horse to be steady under pressure and to pull with all their heart. And many a cowgirl wants, on her rare days off, to be able to take that same horse to "town" for a rodeo, roping or barrel race and have the horse handle that pressure, too.

Then there are the practical matters of modern ranching: running the equipment for feeding and haying, changing irrigation pipes, and knowing how to hookup to the gooseneck stock trailer and haul a load of cattle or horses across miles of rough, inhospitable country. Women on ranches most generally are responsible for feeding the crew too.

Our artists are picking moments in the lives of these strong and self-reliant women to honor them and give them the recognition they often don't receive in ranch family units where everyone typically works as hard as the next person, man or woman. All these things that make a "cowgirl" are what we are celebrating with our show, "In The Company of Cowgirls."

For more thoughts on "cowgirls" and cowgirls and their bonds with horses, see our Cowgirls page with written tidbits from our women friends and artists.

'in the Company of Cowgirls'

The artshow will kick off Cattle Baron's Weekend, an event featuring a Western Classics Gelding Sale and preview, ranch bronc riding, and team-branding.  Also included in the events are mutton bustin', championship Dutch-oven cook off, saloon crawl, & Calcutta. The Cattle Barons Weekend, now in its fourth year, has become a well-established event. Crowds from all over the Pacific Northwest are expected to come. 

This will be an exceptional show, certainly worth traveling long distances to see and a great opportunity for you collectors to acquire authentic collectible western art in several media.

Travel Pendleton

Pendleton Cattle Baron's Weekend Web site

Oregon Cultural Trust

Oregon Women for Agriculture

Find OWA on Facebook

Follow OWA on Twitter

Lee Raine www.cowboyshowcase.com
Home of the Western Spirit

Denise Smith
Denise Smith
authentic ranch, cowboy, and buckaroo life in western fine art photographs and prints.

For sponsorship information please contact Denise Smith:
rafterlazyh2@yahoo.com

'in the Company of Cowgirls' Artshow

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