The Real Life of Modern Cowboys

Cowboys David Thompson (L) and Wyatt Williams tease Grant Gunn as he climbs over a fence near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson sits with his dog, Amelia, as she cools down after a day of gathering cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboys Stetson Mackey (L), Wyatt Williams, and David Thompson (R) rest in the shade of a pine tree after lunch near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cattle cool down and drink water at a man-made reservoir in the mountains near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

A horse bucks as it tries to run from a saddle that had become loose during preparations to gather cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

A horse bucks as it tries to run from a saddle that had become loose during preparations to gather cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

A cow inspects cowboy David Thompson as he rests on the ground near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

A cow inspects cowboy David Thompson as he rests on the ground near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboys (L-R) Grant Gunn, Jody Mangus, Mead Gonzalez, and Georgie Dittmar push cattle through a gate after pushing them across Highway 160 near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboys Rollo Mangus (L) and David Thompson work to move a large group of calves up a trail during a week-long operation to gather cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboys push a herd of cattle across Highway 160 near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboys push a herd of cattle across Highway 160 near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson looks down on a large herd of cattle during a week of gathering cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson looks down on a large herd of cattle during a week of gathering cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Rancher Steve Pargin and cowboy David Thompson (R) talk with the rest of the crew during a cattle drive near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Rancher Steve Pargin and cowboy David Thompson (R) talk with the rest of the crew during a cattle drive near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboys are pictured past a saddle mount, up on their horses after eating lunch near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboys are pictured past a saddle mount, up on their horses after eating lunch near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

A rodeo champion buckle adorns the belt of cowboy Stetson Mackey as he waits to begin a day of gathering cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson inspects a cut on a horse's ear after it fell inside a trailer on the way to gather cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson inspects a cut on a horse's ear after it fell inside a trailer on the way to gather cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson drives his truck to join with a group of other cowboys to gather cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 10, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson drives his truck to join with a group of other cowboys to gather cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 10, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson carries the reigns of a horse's headstall while preparing to gather cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 10, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson carries the reigns of a horse's headstall while preparing to gather cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 10, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson gestures as he loads his horse into a trailer near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson gestures as he loads his horse into a trailer near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson walks with his dog, Fang, to catch horses that he will use for a day of gathering cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson walks with his dog, Fang, to catch horses that he will use for a day of gathering cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson separates cattle from each other in a pen near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson separates cattle from each other in a pen near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboys David Thompson and Wyatt Williams release a calf after giving it medicine near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboys David Thompson and Wyatt Williams release a calf after giving it medicine near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboys Wyatt Williams (R) and David Thompson work to restrain a calf in order to give it medicine near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboys Wyatt Williams (R) and David Thompson work to restrain a calf in order to give it medicine near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy Rollo Mangus works to cut mothers and their calves away from the larger herd near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy Rollo Mangus works to cut mothers and their calves away from the larger herd near Ignacio, Colorado June 12, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson uses a rope and stick as he works dismounted to move a large group of calves up a trail near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson uses a rope and stick as he works dismounted to move a large group of calves up a trail near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson puts a horseshoe on a horse's hoof as he prepares for a week of gathering cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 9, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson puts a horseshoe on a horse's hoof as he prepares for a week of gathering cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 9, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson drinks a cup of coffee before leaving for a day of working to gather cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. The land where the cattle graze is leased from the Forest Service by third-generation rancher Steve Pargin. Several times a year, he and a crew led by his head cowboy, David Thompson, spend a week or more herding cattle from mountain range to mountain range to prevent them from causing damage to fragile ecosystems by staying in a single area too long. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Cowboy David Thompson drinks a cup of coffee before leaving for a day of working to gather cattle near Ignacio, Colorado June 11, 2014. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

15 Jul 2014 11:04:00, post received 0 comments