Lyle O'Bryan - My Cowboy Mentor

Lyle O'Bryan on his Quarter Circle XL Ranch - 2004

"Leading Man", stunt coordinator, wrangler, singing cowboy, all around tough as nails cowboy and director of this photograhic drama that has become MY RANCHING LIFE. This is the man who taught me everything I know about cowboying and ranching although I will never come close to his talents. Lyle's philosophy is pretty simple - when I had my first wreck he just said 'that's part of it"... We have covered many many miles of ground together on horseback with many more to come. Thanks Lyle.
 ©JEAN LAUGHTON

The First Un-Broke Horse I Got On

I figured I better try it at least once. I am no pro and started at a late age. We worked the horse down in the round corral. When I first got on I was absent mindingly moving around as if I were on a broke horse - but he just goosed a bit. We got to riding around the round corral - he kicked up in back once but no big blow up. I was happy to stay 'in the saddle'. He didn't end up being the best horse but that was just the way he was bred - not that we didn't try. In the photograph Lyle O'Bryan is working the horse - he was around 70 here and started breaking horses in his teens and has stayed on many a bronc. This was in 2003 or so...
©JEAN LAUGHTON

My First Ride Moving Cattle

 It was about zero degrees this day back in the winter of 2002. I had just moved out here - before I was really ranching. I was asked if I wanted to ride along to move Badure's cattle. Diana Elwood lent me her horse and her chinks - I didn't really know anyone yet except for Baxter Badure and Lyle O'Bryan. I remember showing up and getting ready to get on my horse and looked up and realized I was surrounded by cowboys staring down at me probably wondering what the hell? I stayed warm somehow and was crazy enough to pack my Polaroid Land camera and sodium sulfite solution - I can't even remember how I carried it. I remember Chris Elwood telling me how to work cattle along the edge of the herd and I must say - ignorance is bliss.
©JEAN LAUGHTON

My First Horse - Beau

Beau was my first horse when I started helping out on the ranch back in the winter of 2002 ... I remember going down to the ranch and seeing him for the first time ... I was hooked ... It all officially started then ... That is when I stepped into my current role and entered life ' inside the photograph' ... Good ol' Beau. 
©JEAN LAUGHTON