Off the Mogollon Rim #5/30 – SOLD

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

Sold at the Western Horizons Show March 1st and 2nd.

A note from the artist on this piece: In Northern Arizona, there is an area called the Mogollon Rim. It is famous for its beauty and ruggedness. It is the same area where Zane Grey (the western writer) had a cabin, received inspiration and authored a number of novels.

About twenty years ago, I was invited to participate in a round-up in northern Arizona, with Lee Hunsaker. His outfit ran cattle on 25 square miles of government land (which was part of the Mogollon Rim). Here is what I found interesting, the horses he used to round up cattle were let loose, with the cattle, after each round-up. It was these animals we gathered first. I asked Lee why he did that? He said, This land is so rugged and hard for working horses to get used to, I like to let my horses loose to roam and graze on the same land they will be used to rounding-up cattle on. About a week prior to heading out for the big gather, I bring em in and ride the starch out of em, so they remember what they are doing with a saddle and rider back on em.

That experience inspired this piece. It shows a cowman bringing in a group of horses to get them ready to go back out and bring in the cattle for branding, ticking, spraying, dehorning, doctoring and culling out any for the beef.

PSA: My family roots go back 150 years in Arizona, and were some of the first to settle that country. I have only heard them pronounce Mogollon as muggy-own.

-Scott Rogers