Justin Gopher with Cracker horse. Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, July 2007.
Justin Gopher takes a break during the annual roundup. The small, agile horses descended from stock introduced by the Spanish in the 16th century make exceptional ranch horses. Seminoles and non-Indians have used them for centuries. In 2008, the Florida Legislature declared the Florida Cracker Horse the state's official heritage horse.
Babcock Ranch gates. Charlotte County, September 2006.
The ranch's Crescent B brand is displayed in this unique ranch entryway design fashioned from native limestone, metal, and wood.
Hoof trimming lesson. Okeechobee, September 2008.
Okeechobee High School students Kayla Davis and Matthew Dorriety watch closely as Agricultural Science teacher Roger McWaters shows them how to trim and dress a horse's hoof.
Buyers' pens, Okeechobee Livestock Market. Okeechobee, May 2004.
About 2,500 head of cattle per week are auctioned, one at a time, at the Okeechobee Livestock Market. The cattle are then sorted into pens designated for each buyer. The day after an auction, the pens are emptied and the cattle are loaded into trucks and shipped.
Leoma Simmons at laptop computer. Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, July 2007.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida uses the latest technology in their cattle operation. All their cattle are fitted with electronic ID tags, which track all aspects of the animal's history. Cattle are weighed on digital scales, marketed by video auction, and tracked using sophisticated software.
Tom Everett, Sr. with cell phone. Sumter County, September 2006.
The cell phone has become an indispensable means of communication for cattlemen. Ranch life is shaped by changing technology. Research continues to improve fertility, breeding, pasture management, and other factors that result in more efficient beef production.
Lewis Clayton. Gainesville, June 2006.
Lewis Clayton raised crops and hogs before he began cattle ranching on Kanapaha Prairie, Gainesville.
Kaley Dees with cow. Okeechobee, September 2008.
Okeechobee High School junior Kaley Dees at her family ranch with the registered Angus heifer she shows in FFA and 4-H events. She aspires to become a large animal veterinarian.
Rodeo announcer. Kissimmee, February 17, 2008.
Mounted on a beautiful while horse fitted with a fancy saddle, announcer Jerry Todd welcomes the audience to the 120th Semi-Annual Silver Spurs Rodeo.
VIDA Ranch barbecue, Osceola County, November 2007.
Norman Waters cooks country sausage links on a homemade barbecue grill for the VIDA Ranch crew lunch.
Seminole round-up lunch. Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, July 2007.
Under the shade of a thatched chickee, cowboys and other workers share a lunch provided by the cattle owners whose herds are being rounded up and shipped. Men in light cowboy hats (left to right): Joe Osceola, Sr., Alex Johns, Paul Bowers, Wilson Bruised Head. Woman right foreground: Mary Jene Koenes. Man in camouflage ball cap and white tee shirt, right: Earl Kirkland. Others unidentified.
Baptism at Cowboy Church. Williston Horseman's Park, October 2008.
Pastor Billy Keith (right) of Cross Brand Cowboy Church baptizes Amber Thompson in a cattle trough.
Praying bull riders. Williston Horseman's Park, March 2007.
Stephen "Preacher" Keighley leads fellow bull riders in an extended prayer behind the chutes at the annual Bull Mania.
Rodeo Queens. Kissimmee, February 2008.
Left to right: Amy Wilson, Miss Rodeo America; Ryleigh Tyson, Little Miss Silver Spurs; and Samantha Roberts, Miss Silver Spurs, at the Silver Spurs Arena.
Iris Wall with granddaughter Whitney Edwards. Indiantown, September 2006.
2006 Woman of the Year in Agriculture Iris Wall owns the High Horse Ranch in Indiantown. Her granddaughter, Whitney Edwards, a hairdresser, often helps her with cattle work.
Carl Sharp. Kenansville, December 2006.
Carl Sharp's talent for cowboy poetry performance has made him a popular entertainer at cattle association meetings and cowboy gatherings throughout Florida and across the United States.
Working cow-dog. Okeechobee, January 2008.
A yellow cur cow-dog aggressively confronts a cow that has broken from the herd on the Dixie Ranch.
Boot and spur of bull rider Stephen Keighly. Williston, 2007.
Bull riding spurs are fastened tightly to the boot with a padded leather strap and held firmly with a twisted wire wrapped under the boot. A leather thong wrapped tightly around the boot top secures the boot to the foot.
North Florida Livestock Market. Ellisville, January 2009.
A buyer (foreground, white hat) signals his bid by raising his hand in response to the patter of auctioneer Aubrey Bailey (background center). The calf's weight of 425 pounds is displayed above the auctioneer.
Okeechobee Livestock Market
The auctioneer (white cowboy hat, center) is Tommy Stewart. Pete Clemons, market owner and retired rodeo champ, is sitting on the right with the prod.
Grand Entry. Williston, April 2007.
Carrying the American flag, Ashley Mills leads girls on horseback bearing colorful flags to create a dramatic "grand entry" at the annual FHSRA rodeo, Williston Horseman's Park.
Clown on Seahorse. Williston, May 2008.
Chad "Cracker" Johnson is a part-time rodeo clown from Chiefland. He engages in humorous banter with the announcer by means of a cordless hands-free microphone.
Cow-dog circling herd. Morriston, June 2006.
One of Billy Bellamy's yellow curs circles a herd at his Cedar Hill Ranch to keep the cows in a tight bunch. A few good dogs can maintain a large herd tightly grouped for hours if necessary.
Double M. Ranch gates. Zolfo Springs, March 2007.
The ranch name and cattle figures were cut from steel.
