Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 75 INTERVIEW WITH BARNEY SHERIDAN PRORODEO ANNOUNCER FROM ARLEE, MONTANA BARNEY SHERIDAN is a ProRodeo announcer and announces PRCA Rodeos and events from Washington to Minnesota, Montana to Arizona. Barney was presented with the Montana Hall and Wall of Fame Western Heritage Award in 2017, and was presented the Western Heritage Award from the University of Montana Rodeo Team in 2013. He and his family own and operate the S4 Ranch in Arlee, where they conduct a cow/calf operation and raise and train quality ranch and rodeo horses. Barney and his wife Tara are partners in Western Rockies Radio, operating radio stations in Missoula. WHAT ABOUT GEOGRAPHY? DO YOU EXPECT MUCH TO HAVE CHANGED ABOUT WHERE MONTANA COWBOYS LIVE AND WORK IN 2050? You have to live where the cattle are. Montana is hard country. Big snow in the west, brutal cold in the east. We always say that ranching and rodeoing in Montana gives you ten to twelve days a year that make the rest of it worthwhile. But, oh… those twelve days are the things dreams are made of. Perfect weather, healthy baby calves playing in tall grass, rodeos that sell out and have ninety-point rides, sipping Canadian whisky with friends while riding horseback through the moun- tains… makes the struggle of February and March fade in your memory. HOW DO YOU SEE MONTANA'S GROWING POPULATION AND CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS AFFECTING COWBOYS IN 2050? We call the population growth "hayfield people." What were once beautiful, productive fields of alfalfa and grain are now housing developments and two-acre "ranchettes." Every acre taken out of agricultural production has an effect. Montana is a beautiful, spectac- ular place. It's no surprise that people want to come here. As ag land is encroached upon, we will have to become more efficient. With ad- vancements in ag sciences, ranches will be forced to increase yields on the land they use. Rodeo cowboys will see increased crowd sizes and bigger prize money. When people come to Montana, they will want to enjoy our traditions. Rodeos and fairs will continue to grow. EVERYBODY LOVES COWBOYS, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE COWS? WILL ANYTHING BE DIFFERENT WITH HOW THEY'RE MANAGED IN 2050? Careful breeding practices will continue to make better livestock; technology and advances in veterinary sciences will make healthier, more productive cattle. This being said, they are pretty simple animals. They like Montana grass, Montana water, Montana hay and grain. I think cows will be pretty much the same; the way we manage them will be more efficient. WHAT ABOUT THE HORSES THAT THE COWBOYS RIDE? WILL THEY (OR THEIR TACK) HAVE CHANGED BY 2050? Horses in the rodeo world get better every year. Montana is buck- ing horse heaven with some of the world's best breeders in the state. J bar J, Kesler, Sankey, Brookman and New West are stock contrac- tors that regularly have the best horses in the ProRodeo world. The rope and barrel horses as well as ranch horses are always getting better and more refined through quality breeding programs. I expect this to continue to advance the same way that it has for the last thirty years. The only thing that changes more than cell phone technology is horse tack! While it seems to be the same thing for 100 years, the advancement in horse comfort and performance is incredible. This will only grow as people look to make their expensive, prized animals more comfortable and better performers. HAVE WE MISSED ANY IMPORTANT TRENDS THAT WILL MAKE LIFE DIFFERENT FOR MONTANA'S COWBOYS IN 2050? The basic wiring of a cowboy hasn't changed in over 150 years. The job has changed, the politics have changed, the rodeos are more rock concerts than reunions. But I think the things that make a cowboy don't change regardless of the year or location. There is an unwritten code that cowboys live by; it doesn't matter if they are in the middle of a 10,000-acre ranch in Miles City or a 1,000-square-foot apartment in New York City. Like I said, being a cowboy is not what you do, it's what you are. PHOTOS BY L. A. HUFFMAN, COURTESY OF THE MONTANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Little Pumpkin Creek Corral Branding a calf with a WL brand, Iowa and Montana Livestock Co. Back in the Day...

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