Lee Pogue watches over a herd of cattle on a recent drive in Hopkins County. Pogue owns and operates his own ranch, but offers his cowboy services to other ranchers in the area who need a hand.
--Staff photo by Bedell
The Cowboy Life: Cowboys take pride in their work
By CODY BEDELL, Country World Staff Writer
July 17, 2008 - In July 2005, after being approved by the senate and President Bush, a resolution for recognizing The National Day of the American Cowboy was passed. The resolution is passed each year, (until it is officially designated a national day of observance by the President).
For many cowboys, it is just another day, but for others it is a day to be honored for the hard work and dedication to keep a dying breed alive.
“So many people think that anyone can get on a horse and play cowboy and do the work we do,” said Johnny Kearney, a Hopkins County cattleman. “We do love what we do, and we have fun doing it, but it is still a lot of hard work that takes knowledge and technique.”
Kearney also works alongside fellow cowboy Lee Pogue, and for seven years the pair has been working other ranchers’ cattle.
“We both have our own herds of cattle in which we work regularly, but we also work and move cattle for people who can’t do it themselves,” said Pogue. “If a rancher is having trouble getting cattle up or needs to move or work his cattle and doesn’t have the proper facilities to do so by himself, that is where we come in and help. With the help of our horse and many years of experience of handling cattle, we can perform many jobs that couldn’t be done otherwise.”
Pogue and Kearney work cattle together with the help of their kids and sometimes other cowboys. Lee’s son Logan, 22, has become a regular hand when working cattle. He has taken many of his skills he learned on the ranch, and put them to use competing at ropings and ranch rodeos. Pogues younger son Guage, 9, and Kearney’s daughter Montanna, 12, and Clancy, 11, a family friend, have all learned what it takes to work cattle. They too, compete in ranch rodeos and have won numerous buckles for their achievements and awards.
“We are lucky to still be able to do what we do and to have our kids work with us,” said Pogue. “As long as there are big ranches and ranchers who need help in the industry, we will be around. We might be a dying breed but we are not dead yet.”
Even though there are no longer any cattle drives to move cattle from state to state, or ranch to ranch, there is still the need for the cowboys.
“In open pastures, cattle can be moved and corralled much easier on horseback than on foot or all-terrain-vehicle,” said Pogue. “Our horses are also very experienced in the work they do. They are probably a cowboys most vital tool.”
Along with the assistance of the horse, cowboys have several other tools that help in their line of work.
“Everything from our cowboy hat to our spurs serves a purpose in our line of work,” said Pogue. “A cowboys hat is used to keep the sun off his neck, to keep his head warm in the winter and shelter in the rain. Along with jeans, cowboys generally wear long sleeve shirts and sometimes bandannas for protection. As a cowboy spends the majority of his time in the saddle, boots are a necessity. Preferably tall leather tops with a good heal for support in the saddle. Not all cowboys wear spurs though, it depends on the horse. Some horses require to be ridden with spurs, and others do not. Most cowboys usually have a rope handy at all times. There is no telling when a calf or cow needs to be stopped, caught or pulled.”
For Pogue and Kearney, working cattle is an everyday job. Pogue not only has his own herd and works cattle for other ranchers, his brother Joe Don, owns a sale barn in Sulphur Springs that keeps him and Kearney both busy when they aren’t working other cattle.
“We have worked cattle all of our lives, it can be dangerous but with our experience we usually avoid accidents,” said Pogue. “Working around animals anything can happen, we have been bucked off, kicked, bit and stomped on, but we just dust ourselves off and get right back up and keep on working.”
Cowboys like Pogue and Kearney will be honored by this year’s National Day of the American Cowboy to be held July 26.
