With chuck wagons trailing, camping and cooking.

May 5-6, 2006

as part of the

   As a part of the Bellville Heritage Gathering, Texas Ranch Life will make 9-mile cattle drive from its Lonesome Pine Ranch pasture to Bellville, Texas, with the intention of penning the herd at pens located at the Austin County Fairgrounds in Bellville on May 6, 2006.
   The drive will be of a mixed herd of 200 Longhorn cows with calves. Twenty (20) guest cowboys will be accepted for the drive as drovers.
   On May 5, 2006 there will be a cattle camp gathering at Texas Ranch Life at the chuckwagon with steak dinner and a band & dancing.

   This cattle drive through Bellville is reminiscent and authentic of the way local ranchers and stock raisers trailed cattle from their outlying pastures to Bellville.
    In the 1870's, Bellville area stock raisers gathered stock at the Lonesome Pine Ranch, made up a trail herd, and walked them to Kansas via the Chisolm Trail.
   After the railroad came to Bellville, ranchers drove their herds to town, penned them in the R.R.'s cattle pens for shipping to feed yards in Kansas and points back east for fattening and slaughter. This practice died out in the late 1940's.

   Twenty cowboy or cowgirl guests will be accepted to ride on the cattle drive as cattle drovers. The fee is $500 which includes the "Cattle Camp" party on May 5, 2006 at the chuckwagon.
    Guests must use their own horse, saddle and gear. Stalls and pens are available at Texas Ranch Life for guests horses.

For guests wanting to stay in Texas Ranch Life accommodations, the ranch has restored Texas historic homes for separate reservations. Contact the ranch for reservations.