As corporate ranching grows, the life—and lifestyle—of the American cowboy is slowly diminishing (a fact captured by the bumper sticker that reads “To hell with the whale. Save the cowboy.”). But in some areas of the country, cattle ranches still operate more or less as they have for the past hundred years-plus. Shot over a year-long period, A Day in the Life of a West Texas Cowboy offers a simple, heartfelt look at life on the Shannon Ranch near Big Lake in West Texas, including a cattle drive in which viewers follow the wranglers as they round up cattle and bring them to market (complete with pre-dawn breakfasts, the use of red-hot branding irons, and many dusty, windy trails). Why do the cowboys still do things the old way? As one interviewee puts it, the methodology has less to do with tradition than it does with efficiency—when it comes to men working cattle, the formula was perfected long ago. Often a physical battle of brawn vs. brawn—presented here without apology (but with explanation)—it's not just the cows that are manhandled: if a cowboy breaks one of the unspoken rules of etiquette, he's liable to find himself on the business end of a “chapping,” in which his companions wrestle him to the ground and administer a good whack with a pair of chaps. It's doubtful whether the chapping process causes much physical pain, but it's apparently effective in adjusting a cowboy's pride and attitude. An intriguing slice-of-life portrait of a vanishing breed, this is recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)
A Day in the Life of a West Texas Cowboy
(2008) 49 min. DVD: $20. You Star Video. Volume 23, Issue 4
A Day in the Life of a West Texas Cowboy
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