Cowboy Life

Russell Dilday talks about his life as a California cowboy before he became a successful cow horse trainer. Both sides of his family have deep ranching roots on the West Coast. Dilday followed suit, taking care of yearlings throughout the state and chasing wild cattle in Australia. His adventures include riding rank horses that bucked and kicked, catching bulls that tried to kill him, and working with characters who displayed old-school grit and toughness. He also recalls learning from legendary horseman Greg Ward. After he began training cow horses full-time, he won the World's Greatest Horseman award three times. Today, he trains horses in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and still runs cattle with his wife, Tanna, and their two sons.

James Gholson has earned immense respect as a horseman and as the longtime wagon boss for the Pitchfork Ranch. He began working for the legendary West Texas outfit when he was 13, and then he cowboyed for other cattle operations before returning to "The Forks." Here, he discusses working for Pitchfork manager Bob Moorhouse, leading the cowboy crew, staying out with the wagon, and getting into all sorts of wrecks. Gholson now lives in Waurika, Oklahoma, with June, his wife of 50-plus years. Special thanks goes to our sponsor, the RA Brown Ranch and its annual Bull, Female and Quarter Horse Sale visit rabrownranch.com

Bob Moorhouse worked for Pitchfork Land & Cattle Co. for four decades, and for most of his tenure he directed the historic West Texas ranch as general manager and vice president. Established in 1883, "The Forks" is located 80 miles east of Lubbock and stretches across 170,000 acres of both open rolling plains and brushy river breaks. Moorhouse was raised nearby and then built a career as a respected cowboy, horseman, rancher and manager. He turned the spotlight on cowboy life with his camera, packing it along as he covered thousands of miles horseback and publishing his photos in The Cattleman, Field & Stream, Quarter Horse Journal, Texas Highways and Western Horseman, as well as in his coffee table book, Pitchfork Country, published in 2000. Moorhouse has continued to make an impact on the cowboy world as a director for organizations such as the American Quarter Horse Association, Ranch Horse Association of America and the Working Ranch Cowboys Association. He and Linda, his wife of 53 years, now live in Weatherford, Texas.

Buster McLaury figures he has started nearly 10,000 colts under saddle. Before becoming a full-time trainer and clinician, he cowboyed in the thick brush country of West Texas. He says there's nothing he loves more than working cattle horseback, and for many years he made a living working for legendary outfits such as the Four Sixes, the Triangle and the JA. However, his career shifted about 30 years ago when he began training horses for ranches such as the Moorhouse and Pitchfork. He also began teaching horsemanship clinics, inspired by gentler methods he learned from renowned horseman Ray Hunt. McLaury and his wife, Sheryl, have traveled throughout the country and hosted many horsemanship clinics at their home in Paducah, Texas. They have started colts for legendary ranches such as the Haythorn in Nebraska, the Muleshoe in Texas, the Parker in Hawaii, the Stuart in Oklahoma, and the Waggoner in Texas. Today, McLaury continues to start colts, teach horsemanship, and work cattle whenever he gets the chance. A big thank you goes out to our sponsor, 100th Meridian Ranching 100thmeridianranching.com

Mark Gardiner and his family raise Black Angus bulls near Ashland, Kansas. Their operation began as a dugout built in 1885 on a 160-acre homestead, and it has grown to a 48,000-acre ranch on the remote plains of Clark County. As a leading seedstock producer, the operation depends on technology, scientific innovation and marketing strategy. However, the Gardiners keep things cowboy, gathering and checking cattle horseback, long-trotting through vast pastures, and sorting bulls from the saddle. Like many ranches, Gardiner Angus is no stranger to natural disasters such as hailstorms, tornados, drought and wildfires. Mark recounts a devastating wildfire that burned most of the ranch in 2017. This conversation was recorded shortly before another massive fire consumed their land in February 2026. Through it all, Mark leans on family, his faith, a love for the land, and gratitude to work daily with cattle and horses.