Scenes from the Ranch
Cowboy. The word alone stirs the soul and conjures images unique to each of us.
Clad in boots, hat, chaps, and spurs with a rope in hand he is America’s most enduring hero.
The cowboy has been depicted as romantic, inspiring, heroic, adventurous and even nostalgic.
Because such mystic and lore surround the cowboy, many people assume there are no more cowboys tending cattle on the open range.
Admittedly, the cowboy is harder to find in this world where technology is advancing quickly. But there are still pockets of America where the splendor of the majestic West and wide open cattle ranges are still intact.
The Wellborn 2R Ranch in Henrietta, Texas is holding on to its 150-year-old history and cowboy traditions on their 8,300-acre ranch.
In Texas the term “cowboy” means one thing: authentic. The Wellborn 2R Ranch is home to some of the best cowboys and most skillful horsemen in the United States.
Situated only a few miles from the historic Chisholm Trail, where tens of thousands of cattle carved out trails, these cowboys have honed lessons from their predecessors to carry on time-honored traditions.
At the Wellborn 2R Ranch, our cowboys still ride the range and are stewards of the land and livestock they oversee.
They work hand-in-hand with nature to produce highly sought after premium quality beef. They do it naturally, with no hormones or antibiotics.
They are our Window to the West – preserving the history and traditions of the generations before them, and passing it on to the generations after them.
Their uniqueness is not revealed by what they say, but by watching them. These cowboys earn a living taking care of cows and the range they ride, day in and day out.
They do it with a skill that is bred in them, honed by hours in the saddle and honored by those around them.
This isn’t just a job for them; it’s a business like no other.
Their company vehicle is a horse.
Their office is the open range.
Their schedule planner is the weather.
The office water cooler is a stock tank.
Their work friends are the four-legged kind – horses and dogs that help them get the job done.
Happy hour is closing the gate on the corral at the barn before it’s completely dark outside.
Social networking is done at the corrals, visiting with cowboy comrades between working sets of cattle.
They aren’t cowboys because they love to be outside in the blistering heat and withering cold.
They aren’t cowboys because the risks are high or because it’s one of the most demanding jobs known to man.
It’s beyond all bounds of reason they are cowboys. It is a calling from deep in their soul they can’t deny.
They are cowboys because even before they were born, that’s what they were made to be.
God gave them a kind heart and an honest spirit to care for some of His greatest creations and most beautiful landscapes.
It is a life of solitude, as they spend most days working their country alone.
Those that live it don’t take it for granted; they are appreciative students of the land and grateful disciples of traditions.
To this elite crew, a man isn’t a cowboy unless he can make a hand horseback – his reputation depends on it and there is no room for mediocrity.
He has to be able to rope wild cattle in the pasture and ride snorty broncs from sunup to sundown.
These men know horses and they know cattle. They know how they think, their habits and how to handle them.
A cowboy and his horse can guide a single cow through a sea of cattle with ease while the rest of the cowboys hold the herd.
Saddle leather is creaking long before sunup as these cowboys tend to the cattle under their care.
They spend the summer months riding beneath cloud tumbled skies as they check on livestock, fix windmills and repair fences.
They unite for fall and spring cattle work. They trot out together, their spurs singing in cadence with their horse’s gait.
They ride in reticence, speaking a language only they understand; one that is communicated in hand gestures, head nods and a horse’s position.
It is a thankless job. There are no accolades sung for these knights in leather.
But they wouldn’t trade it for anything. He lives with Mother Nature whisper-close; this is the laborious life he treasures most.
It’s between earth and sky he feels most at home, with fences far flung and room to roam.
It’s with a skillful hand and watchful eye, he preserves traditions from days gone by.
These living legends appreciate the life they live with an appreciative tip of the hat to those that have gone before them and a watchful, hopeful eye on the trails ahead of them.
Our cowboys are gracious tenants of the land, and we are proud to have them ride for the 2R Brand.
Wellborn 2R Ranch – premium all natural Angus beef…
Sustainably producing the highest quality beef while preserving our western traditions requires a team effort.
