Ranching – Sporting Road

Living the Western Lifestyle

Not in a hospital, not in a jail, not in a grave. Thank you, God, for another day alive. The "cowboy way of life" or the "Western way of life" has become a modern cliche. What it means in real life is a blend of Enlightenment rationalism, the scientific method, capitalism, and the emphasis on rugged individualism. Another cliche is appreciating the finer things in life: art, literature, travel, wine, food, good company, etc. We have manifested a rich lifestyle filled with country sports and Western lifestyle. While we appreciate the finer things in life, grit and resilience have been a big part of our lives for over 40 years, making our life mostly from our home base in Colorado, but my daughter going off to college in Montana has brought it into focus even more. From sharing a feast with native elders after they dance their annual corn dance to sitting next to cowgirls on the fence at a branding, from tasting the terroir of the oldest wine region in America to hiking the sacred peaks that define a nation — these are the stories that don't make the front page news, but probably should, and they are definitely experiences that have filled our lives. This is a journal of place, people, and culture. Not the curated version. The real one — told from the road, the ranch, the canyon, and the kitchen table. The American West and beyond, reported from the inside out, as we travel along the Sporting Road. Individualism: A focus on personal liberty, unique identity, and the freedom to pursue individual goals. Democratic Governance: Representative democracy, rule of law, and equality before the law regardless of social background. Human

By Sporting Road|June 5th, 2026|Categories: Colorado, Cuisine, Ranching|Comments Off

Year of the Cowgirl

Cowgirls come in all shapes and sizes. Some train horses, some ranch, some stay at home and wrangle babes –others work in an office and wrangle clients–whatever your brand of cowgirl is, be that authentically, unapologetically and do it unequivocally

By Sporting Road|May 1st, 2024|Categories: Ranching|Comments Off

Judging Cattle

From https://www.5280.com/the-oversimplified-guide-to-judging-cattle/?utm_campaign=The%20Local&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=289070404&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_8EGlq_Vwndn7L26_9Wn5q7mS4Ke3e0S6oyNVbByRoM2sORZfhPo_4_muh38qyaprseavRlXysWJ8FQlVBgXeSCGekQA&utm_content=289070404&utm_source=hs_email Don’t just cosplay as a cowboy or cowgirl at this year’s National Western Stock Show (January 6 through 21). Kyndal Reitzenstein, a longtime livestock judge and rancher from Kersey, teaches us how to spot a prize-winning steer. 1. Look at the steer, a neutered male raised for its beef, from behind. A broad top—just like a muscular back or torso on a human—indicates it’s got the muscle, also known as meatiness, for plenty of steaks. 2. If the lower chest—aka the brisket—is overly large and sagging, that could mean the animal has too much fat for good eating. 3. Feel the steer’s ribs and shoulder blades. There should be about a centimeter of fat on both. If you only notice hide and bone, the animal is too thin. 4. Take in the whole steer from the side, then imagine it divided into thirds: front, middle, and rear. Is one section chunkier than the others? Is one particularly lean? Each third should flow smoothly into the next, a characteristic called balance. 5. Finally, watch it walk. Cattle with good structure shouldn’t have any defects that restrict movement, such as feet that point in or out. Their legs should be straight, not bowed, and their backs should be long and flat. A graceful steer is a tasty steer. This article was originally published in 5280 January 2024.

By Sporting Road|January 8th, 2024|Categories: Ranching, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Reining

Reining is a Western riding competition that involves a horse and rider executing a set pattern of maneuvers that demonstrate the horse's athletic ability and the rider's horsemanship skills. It is often described as the Western equivalent of dressage, with movements that include spins, sliding stops, and flying lead changes. In a reining competition, the horse and rider are judged on their precision, speed, and control as they perform the required maneuvers. The goal is to execute each movement with smoothness, grace, and accuracy, demonstrating the horse's athletic ability and the rider's skill. Reining is a popular discipline within the Western riding community, with competitions held at all levels from local to international. It is also recognized as an equestrian sport by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). One who believes that he has mastered the art of horsemanship has not yet begun to understand the horse. Author Unknown Big reining stars can earn huge sums. For example, Shawn Flarida has won $6 million throughout his career. The average horse reining trainer in the US makes $27,456. The National Reining Horse Association pays an average salary of $62,198. Investors can take advantage of the lucrative market for reigning horses by investing in a well-designed and well-managed reining horse syndicate. Other ways to make money in reining include: Working hard and being dedicated to your craft Playing the game Operating on the basis of how much money you can drain from your client's pocket Reining is a sport that developed from the traditional skills of ranchers. It has seen a massive boost in popularity. For example, “The Run for a Million” is a huge reining competition in Las Vegas that boasts a million-dollar prize to the winner.

By Sporting Road|February 28th, 2023|Categories: Ranching|Comments Off

Doing Laundry and Washing Whites

Many people are curious about our close father–daughter relationship. Some have even said it seems more like a sibling dynamic. That isn’t quite accurate, but it gives a sense of what it’s like when you help shape your child into a kind of shared reflection of yourself—close friends who genuinely enjoy each other’s company and the everyday activities we do together. That includes everything from field sports like polo to ordinary chores, including laundry. Advice for my daughter doing laundry in college Doing laundry in college can feel like a challenge at first, but it’s generally easier than it seems. Anyone can learn to do it well. The key is to read labels, sort carefully, and take your time. For detergents, I like Tide for whites along with about 1/4 cup of Clorox bleach. I use Free & Clear for everything else. For stains, OxiClean tends to work better than Spray & Wash for pre-treatment on grass and other marks. Preparation Preparing to wash clothes often takes more time than the washing itself, but it’s a simple process once you learn it. Start by reading clothing labels, especially on anything valuable or delicate. Fancy dresses, button-down shirts, or specialty fabrics often need dry cleaning. Always check tags carefully (usually inside the neck, waist, or side seam) to avoid damage. Anything requiring a specific temperature or special care should be separated from the rest. Next, sort new clothes separately. Freshly purchased items tend to bleed dye, whether they are dark colors like black and navy or bright colors like white and green. Wash new clothes on their own the first time to avoid staining other items. Then separate by color: Darks: blacks, blues, browns, denim

By Sporting Road|June 21st, 2022|Categories: Foxhunting, polo, Ranching, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Western Saddles

We almost never ride western, preferring polo, foxhunting or show jumping (English) saddles for various disciplines and for cross country terrain. However, there are times when a western saddle is more suitable or secure for training young horses. And certainly, if you going to rope, rein, cut or do ranch work, you can't do that in an English saddle. But let's face it, Western saddles are not generally very comfortable for more than just short rides, but with the help of our friends, we discovered that not all western saddles are alike, in fact there are more options than you can shake a stick at, which makes western saddles confusing to many if not all English riders or other newcomers to the Western seat. Here are the differences. This is the story of our search for the perfect western saddles for our purposes, which are probably radically different than most Western riders, but we are mostly looking for a saddle that rides English but looks Western. Martin Saddlery definitely makes some of the best western saddles and South Texas Tack is one of the best places to get them. First, you have to decide what type of saddle, as described by saddleupcolorado.net the abbreviated list is as follows: 1. All Around Saddles All-around saddles live up to their name. They are one of the most versatile saddles out there and can be used in just about every discipline. They are designed for anything! You can use an all-around saddle for ranching, roping, barrel racing, trail riding, and more. These saddles have a strong and stout horn so you are able to rope out of them or even drag cows with it. It is also equipped

By Sporting Road|February 4th, 2022|Categories: Foxhunting, Ranching, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Yard Care

What we do Ironite in the spring applied liberally, not necessary to water immediately but should if possible Early summer, then do Scotts Western Turf Builder on 5 1/2 setting on spreader, then water immediately. 2024 Ryobi electric mower manual https://yardcare.toro.com/category-maintain/mower-info/spring-is-here-is-your-mower-ready/ If have big brown patches from spider mites try a lawn treatment like Sevin from Lowes. Garden in a box is a wonderful resource, they are doing their fall sale right now. I’ve planted 6 gardens from them and all are filling in beautifully. Xeric + native plants.Check high country gardens online for information and inspiration.Go online to Resource Central in Boulder Colorado will help you. They are a nonprofit and will help you with removing your existing lawn.Rip it out and xerascape it. Rent a rotiller, plant seeds (thick), you should be O.K. Check the time to plant grass seeds in this area. Keep in mind xeriscape May be water wise however, is more work than a lawn, by far. Colorado polo turf manager shares his healthy-lawn secrets Polo ponies give turf a beating that residential lawns never will see. Tips from the pros can help improve your yard. By THE DENVER POST | newsroom@denverpost.com PUBLISHED: April 4, 2012 at 10:09 a.m. | UPDATED: May 1, 2016 at 6:53 p.m. Keeping grass healthy after a pounding from sports teams is a challenge. But when your athletes run at 40 mph and leave divots the size of dinner plates, your focus is on more than a few thin spots. It’s on keeping that turf dense so that all players stay healthy — whether they’re a hovering ladybug or a thundering steed. It’s Dave Radueg’s job to keep a big patch of turf in top form.

By Sporting Road|April 27th, 2021|Categories: House, Ranching, Uncategorized|Comments Off

How to Live Without Toilet Paper

The Sears Catalog Method My mom grew up on a farm and at the outhouse that they had was a copy of the 2" thick Sears and Roebuck catalog. Self-explanatory. The Leaf Method My dad was a big outdoorsman and was a fan of the leaf method. This guy explains how on his site and he even grows a specific plan for doing the deed. https://robgreenfield.tv/toiletpaper/ The Bidet Method The Backcountry Bidet is pretty simple– it’s a 4 fluid ounce squeeze bottle with a flip-top, which I found in the miscellaneous water bottles section at REI many years ago. You could use any kind of squeeze bottle that can produce a high-powered jet with a one-handed squeeze. For reference, I can get a good 20-foot jet out of my bottle (not that I test that every chance I get…). https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0108GMCWY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B016EN1GMM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L448T4K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The Paper or Cloth Method

By Sporting Road|December 11th, 2020|Categories: Ranching, Survival, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Getting Started with Goats

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeLjrK34_QI https://www.weedemandreap.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/GettingStartedwithGoats.pdf Lauren's favorite new website Weed Em and Reap, for learning about goats: GROW YOUR OWN FOOD ? The Best Soil Combination for Raised Garden Boxes Take a Tour of our 1-Acre Farm 5 Easy-to-grow Vegetables for the Beginner Gardener 12 DIY Raised Garden Bed Tutorials GET A GOAT ? A Simple Guide to Raising & Milking Goats Does Goat's Milk taste...Goaty? A Simple Guide to Buying your first Goat This is why you'll fall in LOVE with Nigerian Dwarf Goats TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH NATURALLY ? Homemade & Remineralizing Whitening Toothpaste Balancing Hormones Naturally Natural Relief for Back Discomfort How I Reversed my Son's Asthma WHIP UP A HEALTHY MEAL 3 Reasons why you should be eating Lard Milk Showdown: Cow vs. Goat vs. Sheep - Which is best? Homemade Soaked Tortillas The Best Pizza Dough Recipe Homemade Chocolate Syrup 36 Fool-Proof Dehydrator Recipes Homemade Goat's Milk Mozzarella Goat Milk Soap Recipe

By Sporting Road|July 1st, 2020|Categories: Ranching|Comments Off