RANCHMEN

There is a stark difference between being a cowboy and being a cattleman.

As a cowboy, you learn the ways of the lifestyle; skills, to rope and ride and rodeo. In the simplest sense, being a quote-unquote cowboy can be as superficial as an outfit and as involved as weekend rodeos. Being a cattleman means commitment. It means investment; in your land, in your livestock, in yourself. Nothing is guaranteed and everything is a gamble. And it’s a full-time, around-the-clock job.

The reality of a ranchman is often feast or famine. Especially in the days of Walker Riddle, our great-great-grandfather who is the inspiration impetus for this collection; life was short and the droves were long, and when an outfit took to the Chisolm Trail, it was anyone’s guess how it would go. But no risk, no reward, right? It’s that moxie, that guts and grit, that willingness to bet it all – perhaps that’s what makes us feel so connected to a man we never even got the chance to meet.

Stay true to your roots, but dare to dream big and bet on yourself.