Thank God there are still cowboys in the world! Tough, hard-working guys — real men.
I came across this fellow I’ll call “Roy” at the Bar U Ranch in Alberta. The Bar U is a Canadian Historic Site that every summer comes alive for tourists and recreates what life was like on the Western prairies when there were no fences and cattle had a free range. It was an actual working ranch and is a fascinating place to visit. I encourage folks who come to the Calgary Stampede every year to get into town a little early and spend a day at the Bar U before going to the Stampede. Two of the four founders of the Calgary Stampede were owners of this great ranch.
Back to Roy. He spends his summers at the Bar U, driving folks around on a wagon, talking to them in his kind, gentle way, and taking care of the Percheron horses the ranch was famous for. He’s a sweet-natured, decent man. When the Bar U closes in the fall he returns to his personal ranch in Saskatchewan where he and his son raise cattle and horses. He’s no act, folks, he’s the real thing. A genuine 21st century cowboy!
