Auction day in February and I have talked my friend Ashley to help me rope and tag the sheep before loading them in the horse trailer the night before. Now, I know, there are easier ways of getting this done and that is something we discuss every year, like making a mini shoot before next winter, but we never do.
This winter has been a wet one and the pen is slop, just walking is difficult without losing a boot. We stand at the gate looking at the 11 young sheep we have to tag and drag to the trailer. I have a ramp on both the back door and side door of my horse trailer so getting them loaded without letting the other sheep out is a skill we have learned through trail and error.
I have waited longer than I should have for Auction day and the sheep are bigger than I would like, lifting them up into the trailer while I open the ramp slightly is hard enough when they are small because they are wiggly little things. I have let things at the ranch go sense my father passed away Nov. 30th and I felt really thankful Ashley was willing to help. I have never worked these sheep with my horses so they are wild and would have been hell by myself. It's been eight years I have been working this ranch by myself and sometimes I wonder why I do this. Today was one of those days.
The pen really stinks, it's pure crap and we start to laugh and laugh some more. I decide I'm going to catch the big wildest one first, get him out of the way while we are fresh, Ashley agrees and so I throw my first lope, I miss him but I rope two in one. I had two rams roped. The day was getting a little brighter. I never get two, I'm lucky if I get one, they are really good at leaping out of the loop. Tagging two however had it's challenges but we got it done with few battle wounds, the rams horns can be sharp. I swing a few more time getting nothing and then I did it again this time two ewes. Without horn one of the ewes wiggled her way out but I grabbed her leg. One still roped and one in hand, I was on fire today.

I gave the rope to Ashley and let her give it a go. The rope at this point is total slime and we go through a period where we can't hold anything. The dogs are at our heals trying to help biting at the sheep and we are done laughing and now are screaming at the dogs to get out of the pen. We went from tired not sure we want to take this on today, to really happy laughing our asses off, to mad and now we are back to tired and want to just get this done.
There is this one sheep who is just spry, I have been trying to get him from the start. I have him in my sights, I swing and the rope go's around all three sheep. The one lone ram and the two ewes on either side, the ram jumps out of it leaving me with the two ewes and there he his, still running. Spry
This little ram has seen his buddies picked off one by one and now he is running, snorting, and going after the dogs. He was like a mini bull, madder than heck. I was a little worried he might come after me so I swung my rope and that little ram started to try to jump out, bouncing off the fence, he was losing it, and for the life of me, I couldn't get my rope untangled and he was going to hurt himself. As he leaps buy me trying to jump out he hit his face hard on the rock pillor, stunned for a moment, I give up on the rope and just grabbed him by the hair. I had to admire his spirit for life. We try not to think about where we are taking them, for I really do love my little sheep. There are others like me who collect and don't eat them and we hope for the best.
The sun started to set and cloudy Sky's give way to rays of gold. We stop and watch for awhile remembering some of the other Auction days we have shared together. Times like these, when things are harder than you think you can handle, you find out what matters to you. Good friends and my ranch matter to me. I thought I was going to loose it when I divorce with two kids in middle school but I pressed on and work really hard. Now with the economy I face loosing it again. Not sure if I have much more left to give. I realize, I do, I love this place, I love my horses and my sheep. Yes, I love my life in all it's trails and tribulations. Covered in crap, tired, feeling beat down, I see the truth of my life. I'm not just a horse trainer, I am a Rancher, it's who I am and what I love.