Lost Legend

The Lost Legend

When the sport of rodeo developed Mexico moved in on the stock-scene with their Corrientes cattle. The border stayed closed most of the time to control cattle-disease outbreaks and quarantines, opening periodically to allow trade of regulation Cattle. At these different times of the year Mexican cattle ranchers would bring their cattle up in groves to the US and cross a large number of herds into the country to be put on feed and raised as beef. These early-day crossings were like the commercial fisherman’s first netting. Cattle came in all shapes and sizes and mixed among the beef prospects were rodeo prospects. Mexican ranchers, intent on selling lock-stock-and-barrel, didn’t weed out the few rodeo-types to sell strictly beef prospects, and there was no benefit for a rodeo buyer to go in and cut his selection for exclusive purchase. Nor did it benefit the beef buyer to cut his pick. The ganadero (Mexican Cattle Rancher) was hip to American Rodeo’s demand for horns as well as the American Beef grower’s despise of horns and consequently jacked the price on selective sales. Buyers were encouraged to purchase the entire herd to get the best price, which they did.
As a result, ranches would stock a thousand head of cattle, and of the lot only half might be suitable for sport. If stock contractors did not take advantage of those horned cattle (by putting in his request to the rancher or making a purchase) in a timely fashion ranchers would whack! their horns off. That was devastating to me. I’d visit ranches involved in the crime and see piles of horns stacked like elephant tusks. In my eyes, the rancher’s act was akin to poachers knocking down the big old elephant and robbing him of his precious ivory tooth, but tragically the cattle’s ivory wasn’t worth anything detached, just bone-yard material. Looking back on this now days makes me absolutely sick because it’s very rare to find little cattle with great big horns like they were back then.
Nevertheless, Corrientes (Changos) were plentiful and about a dime a dozen. As buyers began selecting and cutting cattle specifically for rodeo they came up with a numbering system to qualify or designate a steer’s “rodeo” worthiness. A number 1 indicated pure, first rate Corrientes of sizable/true horn growth with a little bit of age on him—not too old or young, ball-parking a 400-lbs frame; 2s were a tad younger and a hair smaller with no bull-dogging horns; 3s were marginal, off-color junk cattle that usually had a little ear (Brahma cross) and little up-&-down cow-horns that weren’t too big or too long. Anything less than 3 was deemed a “Potential.” Potentials were basically chaquitos or little Chongs averaging 250-300 lbs with the start of a neat little horn base. They attracted buyers who saw their potential to grow into a 1 after a year’s worth of feed. Today we rope 3s and potentials, that’s all, as 1s and 2s are obsolete. When you hear a pen described as, “mostly 3s” or “potentials”, it’s to your advantage to understand the cattle-buyer’s language.
Phil Stadtler, the original cattle-buying master, was responsible for crossing the border and furnishing cattle to American ranchers and rodeo stock contractors. Through due diligence, he established a good, mutually-respectful rapport with cattle traders throughout Mexico. (I highly recommend reading Phil’s adventurous autobiography, “I Made A Lot Of Tracks”). Rodeo Stock Contractors would call Phil and put an order in for “X” amount of bull dogging steers or “X” amount of head for the Cheyenne Rodeo, and Phil could supply the demand.
Dan Fisher (Fisher Cattle Company) was another guru who’d journey down into Mexico and deal with the ganaderos—dickering, compromising, and offering an extra peso or two more for that quality Corrientes. Dan has always gone one step further to acquire that uniqueness of horns and lean body frame in hopes of enhancing the quality of rodeo cattle in this country.
One last (but certainly not least) cattle-buyer “icon” I’d like to mention, is THE BIG VIKING, Fred Lucero who seems to have fallen in the steps of Phil Stadtler as the biggest dealer of Corrientes. Fred is one of the few real deals who can go down into Mexico, mix it up and talk the talk with the vaqueros and ganaderos.
These three buyers are successful beef-businessmen who went an extra mile for rodeo. They have done their honest best to provide American Rodeo with ideal sport cattle, and I’m sure they, like I do, mourn the passing “good ole days” of authentic Corrientes quality and abundance. As usual the idea of conservation is after the fact. Gone is their opportunity to fish in a sea of never-ending fish, but like the fish hatcheries Americans are making an effort to reproduce/farm their own version of Corrientes which is a positive step for modern-day rodeo. And, I have no doubt the American Corrientes has its own unique qualities. However, as with any replica, it will be hard to match our “Original Maker’s” vintage Corrientes.

That’s all I know…

Rope Smart!