A local team of working cowboys will be heading to the national championship rodeo sponsored by the Working Ranch Cowboys Association, Nov. 12-15 in Amarillo, Texas.

From the Howard area is Bruce Beeman who lives at rural Howard and works for the Still Ranch located between Longton and Howard.

From the Latham area are team members Zack Blair, Gene Calvin and Keven Schouten, representing the Lazy B Ranch near Atlanta.

Another cowboy, Cliff Hall, resides near Bronson, Kan.

Together, they comprise the Broken H Ranch and Lazy B Bar C Ranch team.
The Broken H Ranch is located near Bronson and the Lazy B is located near Latham and Atlanta.

“We will be entering all events,” said Beeson. “We hit lots of ranch rodeos each year, probably 20 or 25 of them — and we all work as cowboys every day on area ranches.”

Three teams from Kansas qualified for the WRCA national event. Other teams will come from Strong City and the Hamilton-Emporia areas.

Another team from this region Read more

The 16th Annual Ol’ Time Chautauqua Hills Cowboy Poet Gathering is set for Saturday night, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m., at the Gregg Theater in Sedan.   This year’s show will feature the story telling and singing of Jim Hoy and cowgirl Marty Sheets.
The audience will experience an art form that has found its way back into the mainstream of American consciousness: cowboy poetry and western music. What guests will see and hear is something that is one of a kind.

Those attending will hear Read more

Bill and Peggy Sproul of Sedan were recently awarded the Society for Range Management Excellence in Rangeland Management Award.

The purpose of this award is to recognize those who have demonstrated excellent skill and knowledge in practicing sound grazing management of their range and associated forage crops. Recognition is given by the Kansas Section of the Society for Range Management to rangeland operators for excellence in the application of grazing management, with due consideration to their knowledge and skill.

The Sproul Ranch has effectively implemented several range management practices that benefit the prairie resource as well as the wildlife that occupies their ranch.  Bill and Peggy have implemented practices including clearing invasive trees, scouting for and treating sericea lespedeza, developing water to improve grazing opportunities as well as improve water quality, and implementing grazing systems that allow rest for the native plants and at the same time builds adequate fuel loads for effective prescribed burns.

They have implemented a monitoring program where forage production, plant species composition, and upland bird numbers are determined on key sites throughout the ranch to make sure implementation of other practices are meeting their desired goals for the ranch.   Improving their knowledge of the range resource by attending range management schools and sharing that knowledge with others through field days and involvement with organizations is also very evident.

The Kansas Section of the Society for Range Management felt the Sproul Ranch was deserving of the Excellence in Rangeland Management Award in 2009.