In 1973, my pal Winston Parker invited me to tag along when he photographed a cattle roundup in the Alberta foothills. I was thrilled because that meant I could shoot the event for my photography class at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary.
Come along to view some of the vintage photos I took that day and read the description below in italics that I wrote half a century ago.
There are still cowboys in the old west. In fact, they rounded up 2,000 head of cattle in the Bow River Forest Reserve about 50 miles southwest of Calgary in October. The cattle were owned by 15 ranchers in the Turner Valley and Millarville Districts, all members of the South Sheep Creek Stock Association. Under the terms of an agreement with the Alberta government, they run their cattle in the South Sheep Allotment of the reserve from June 15 to July 1 to the middle of October.
Lots of Fat White Faces
Individual ranchers pay a per-head fee to the association, which takes out an annual government permit. Part of the money is paid directly for rent and a portion is retained by the association for expenses such as salt, wages for the roundup cook and upkeep of drift fences. The government maintains the high-quality gravel road that spans the reserve.
The cattle are predominantly Hereford, along with Hereford-Angus crosses, straight Angus, Shorthorn, and a small number of exotic breeds.
Before the annual roundup begins, supplies are moved into the cow camp, the home base for the operation. The camp, located in the region where the foothills end and the mountains start, consists of a cookhouse, bunkhouse, 20-horse barn and corrals. Electricity was installed prior to last year’s five-day session.
Easy Does It While Sorting
A roundup boss divides the men into pairs who ride together. He also decides who will search each area – North Coal Creek, South Coal Creek, Wolf Creek, Channel Ridge, Walter Ings Basin, Canyon Creek, Gorge Creek and Indian Oils.
After several days of riding, the men herd the cattle toward the reserve gates, where they are sorted out in a huge fenced holding pen. Usually, the stock is not too hard to find. The grass is becoming poor by the middle of October, and many cows that have grazed the reserve for a number of years are on the lookout for the roundup riders.
Hotfooting It Back to the Herd
In the morning when the ranchers began cutting the herd, the sound effects were a steady chorus of bawling.
By the middle of the afternoon, the roundup herd had diminished in size and some of the cattle that had been sorted were already walking home. The remainder was becoming restless from hunger, so the ranchers called it a day at 3:30. They drove the herd south to graze on the grassy slope over the hill. The next morning, the cows were gathered again and driven to the cow camp, where the sorting was completed.
One Cow/Calf Pair at a Time
The weather does not always behave, as it did this day. At the 1948 roundup held in the middle of November, there was a foot of snow and temperatures dipped to 20 degrees below zero F. Sitting on a horse all day in that weather was a very cold job.
The cattle share the area with an increasing number of tourists every year. However, the land still supports beef for Alberta dinner tables, as well as providing space for recreation. To minimize interference and prevent the cattle from overgrazing certain areas, they were herded for six months last summer.
Keeping the Cattle Together
The presence of the stock is beneficial to the wild game in the region because if the grass if kept short, it remains tender and of high quality. By tramping down the underbrush and eating in it, the risk of forest fires getting away is also diminished.
The roundup is not taken for granted. In fact, the novelty of it prompted an Ontario farmers’ tour to drive out from Calgary in a huge bus to view the cattle being cut out. Several photographers were also on hand.
The Long Walk Home
The cattle stay home for the winter feeding and many of the calves were marketed in High River and Calgary.
Next spring, though, the long trek to summer pasture will begin again. Then, in the fall, the ranchers will trade their half-tons for horses and once more, for a few short days, live the good life of an era almost past.
There was no loud noise or rodeo theatrics at this roundup. Slow and easy described the cowboys’ approach to the task at hand. I was well aware that I was witnessing an authentic cowboy tradition that had become less common over time.
So how did my photos turn out? I earned an A on this action assignment and later sold the pictures and story to a farm newspaper, The Western Producer.
Sharing the Roundup with Readers
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Other photo shoots I shared with my friend, Winston Parker, are:
Don’t miss Winston’s memories of meeting Winston Churchill during World War II:
- Thanksgiving Arrived Early for This Author - November 17, 2023
- You Don’t Know What You’re Missing - November 3, 2023
- Alberta Cattle Roundup Memories - October 20, 2023
Wonderful; nostalgic; historic; stirring. Thank you for this Elaine. There was still some of this through Black Diamond and Turner Valley (now Diamond Valley) when I came to this spectacular part of the World in 2005 and met Winston at our Legion. What a mentor! what a man!
Going with Winston on a photo shoot was always a treat because he took care of all the logistics. All I had to do was follow his lead. Although he took lots of photos, Winston always made a special effort to see that I went back to SAIT with images I could be proud of!
Elaine, as I started to close down my computer, the screen saver shot is of the Anchor D Ranch just west of Turner valley.
Now how ironic is that!
How wonderful that you documented this special event. I grew up with cattle and I still miss seeing them!
Like you, I grew up with cattle and we still have a small herd. Despite the drought this summer, they are doing fine. My favorite cow still comes to the fence to eat vegetable peelings I save for her and stale bread. I am dreading the day when she will need to go to market, but until then I’m going to enjoy her presence in my life.
Reminded me of the first cattle drive when I moved to BlackDiamond. Watched from my bedroom window as they went by. They don’t do it anymore though. Seems to go around town. I miss it.
I know you will cherish that memory!
Love, love, love it! But you didn’t say — were you on horseback that day?
Thanks, Liz. We were on Shank’s Mare. Do true Texans like you know that odd Canadianism? (It means we walked. We also kept out of the way so we didn’t spook the cattle.)
I love that part of the world. Thanks for what you do.
Thanks, Ray. I’m glad the roundup story reminded you of good times in Montana and Western Canada.
Elaine, we referred to walking as being on “Shanks’s Pony” (apostrophe and all). Wonder how that translated to “Mare” in Canada??
Well, that’s a good question. Let’s do some research on that…
What a “neat” (as we said back in the day) friend you had in Winston. At the time, neither of you realized the future importance of that Sunday morning “tag along” you made in the wagon. Winston was simply inviting a friend who was working on a photography class project to share a routine experience in his daily life. Little did both of you know that during this experience a “seed” was planted in your fertile young mind. Back in school, your successful presentation in front of your teacher and class “watered” that seed. Then, again through Winston’s influence, your photography and writing captured the attention of a magazine editor and you were published. I see a very surprised but proud young Elaine as she first saw her work in print. This event caused the seed to further grow and “bud” into a dream. As you carefully tended the dream, it grew into reality in the personage of a BONA-FIDE photo/journalist and popular novelist whose work has touched many lives besides Winston’s. Result: family, teachers, classmates, Alberta townspeople, Houston co-workers, Fayette county readers/friends, and I are all proud to say, “I actually know her!”
Brenda Miles
As a teacher, you know the truth of germinating a seed of interest and knowledge! You’ve described my relationship with Winston very well. Thank you for your insight and persistence!