Working Ranch Cowboys Association

Author: Diana Rowe Martinez
Published on: Jul 2, 2001

Yep, you read it right. Working Ranch Cowboys Association (WRCA) may seem like just another cowboy organization, but this one is specifically created for the working ranch cowboys.

WRCA was originally the dream of several cowboys and cowgirls here in the U.S. All of these dreamers had a background in ranches, either currently or in their pasts. They looked around and noted that other professions had support groups and saw the need for a group of their own. The WRCA is not a union, but a group speaking out and defending the dying legend of working cowboys and cowgirls.

A total of 200 Founding members joined together in Amarillo in March of 1995 to create the WRCA. These individuals were ranch owners, foremen and actually ranch cowboys that still believed and supported the working cowboy’s dream--a dream fast disappearing in the growing populations of the metropolitan areas.

The perception of WRCA is a belief in the ideals and work ethic of the working ranch cowboy and striving towards maintaining this western heritage alive for future generations.

From these basic concepts, WRCA’s online home page denotes these strong commitments:

·Preserving the heritage and Life-style of the Working Ranch Cowboy ·Promoting Ranching on a National and International Level ·Producing a World Championship Ranch Rodeo ·Providing Assistance to Cowboys and their families in times of need through the WRCA Scholarship Fund and the WRCA Crisis Fund

Ranch Rodeos are located all across the United States and Canada. In order to participate in these WRCA sanctioned events have rules and regulations just as strict as the PRCA.

First and most important rule is all participants must make their living from a ranch. A “working ranch” is defined as any ranch which has a minimum of 300 head cow/calf operation or runs at least 500 yearlings for a minimum of 6 months of the year. “Making a Living” is defined as deriving at least 90% of one’s income taking care of cattle on a ranch or someone who owns/leases and operates a ranch no smaller than described above or someone employed full-time by a qualifying ranch. (The previous paragraph was excerpted from WRA web site, and you can read the rules and regs in their entirety at: http://www.wrca.org/srules.html)

The rules continue on and on, but the bottom line is the cowboys that compete must be honest-to-goodness working ranch cowboys in order to even make it past the chutes at these Ranch Rodeos. Again, we go back to the WRCA’s mission--to promote ranching and cowboying while educating the public. Unlike the PRCA sanctioned rodeos, the competition at WRCA rodeos is secondary. Still, there are stiff penalties for failure to follow the guidelines for a WRCA Sanctioned Ranch Rodeo.

Like PRCA Rodeos, each year a championship rodeo is held in Amarillo, Texas, 2001 dates are from November 8-11, 2001. In 2000, the 5th annual WRCA World Championship Ranch Rodeo hosted fourteen ranches from across the west that took time out of their fall work schedule to show off their ranching skills in a friendly competition.

The events at the championship rodeo are…a little different than those at NFR. The WRCA Championship events are structured to use the skills of a working ranch cowboy to their fullest ability. The six events at the Championship rodeo are:

· Saddle Bronc Riding · Team Doctoring · Wild Cow Milking · Team Branding · Team Penning · Wild Horse Race

A WRCA approved rodeo must include four of the six above events and may have other events than the above.

A recent WRCA Ranch Rodeo took place in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, a sleepy little town in the southeastern corner of Wyoming, which came alive on June 10, 2001. Teams from six states (Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado) competed at this event, and six of the ten teams had competed in the 2000 World Championship Ranch Rodeo. One heck of a rodeo was put on with dust and hats a-flying as cowboys rodeo-ed and ranched to finish off this exciting day.

WRCA’s aspirations are noble and to be applauded. All cowboys like to play, and the WRCA Sanctioned Ranch Rodeos provide that opportunity as well as the opportunity to network with fellow ranchers, toss back a cup of coffee or a beer and a conversation or two. But most importantly, the Working Ranch Cowboy sacrifices many benefits to work his ranch--like insurance, savings for college education and retirement--and WRCA helps provide assistance in that area.

A recent article in the June 2001 WESTERN HORSEMAN (“How Many Ranch Cowboys Are There?” by Fran Devereux Smith, p. 196) contained some interesting statistics, and, in closing, I excerpt the following statistics and quotes from this article: How many full-time, horseback, working ranch cowboys are there in the United States? This question was asked during the 2000 WRCA World Championship Ranch Rodeo. Of the 26 who responded with an actual number, 9 thought there were 5,000 or fewer nationwide; 5 people estimated between 5,001 and 10,000; the 11 other responses estimated 10,001 to 100,000 working ranch cowboys. So slightly more than half surveyed estimated 10,000 or fewer ranch cowboys in the entire United States.”

Ms. Devereux Smith ends her great article with a quote from WRCA Manager Deb Brummet, “I don’t think we realize the magnitude of the agriculture industry or appreciate it on a big enough scale. The ranch cowboys profiles are as such a laid-back group and aren’t boisterous about their accomplishments, but they feed the nation.”

Well said, Deb. And could it be that these ranching cowboys are too busy running their ranch to be running their mouth?

Maybe an accurate number will never be available, but we can do our part to support these working ranch cowboys. First , attend the WRCA Sanctioned Ranch Rodeos in your area. You can find a listing of these at http://www.wrca.org/sanctioned2001.html What better rodeo can there be than those put on by the working cowboys that started this concept way back in the Old West days?

In addition to supporting the rodeos themselves, the WRCA accepts members outside the working ranch that are interested in supporting this living legacy. WRCA memberships start at $25 a year. More information can be obtained by emailing wrca@arn.net or checking out their web site: http://www.wrca.org/