Working Cowboy: Recollections of Ray Holmes

Recently retired octogenarian Ray Holmes has turned a hand to nearly every chore to be done on Wyoming ranches: haying, branding and herding cattle, breaking horses; he has worked briefly with sheep. Over three years, anthropologist Liberty taped his life story; she and Head, coproducers of the PBS documentary On the Cowboy Trail, featuring Holmes, offer an engaging narrative, a lively portrait of a cowboy. Chapters describing Holmes's life alternate with his commentary on such practical ranching matters as gear, dealing with ornery critters, training horses to adjust to humans and halters, calving, herd management. Holmes reminisces about the Depression years, droughts and blizzards. For him, cowboying has been a satisfying life. Readers will agree. Photos.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This is an account of cowboy life as it was actually lived. The coauthors present the oral history of Ray Holmes, a retired cowboy living in Sheridan, Wyoming, who was featured in an award-winning PBS documentary. Born in 1911, Holmes devoted virtually his entire life to herding cattle and working livestock. His unpretentious narrative lacks the bragging customarily associated with this type of book, but it does provide a vivid and interesting image of the cowboy lifestyle. Chapters alternate between descriptions of Holmes' life and practical descriptions of cowboy and ranch work. From bunkhouse pranks to listening to early radio to freezing through blizzards to just plain coping--all the commentary displays Holmes' humor, opinions, honesty, and, above all, self-reliance. Photos from the Holmes family album are included with those by Margot Liberty. The book is a worthwhile and enlightening contribution to the continuing saga of the American cowboy. Fred Egloff