The Trail Boss’ Son Looks Back

The Trailing of the Cattle

Billings

Photography Contributed

The Great Montana Centennial Cattle Drive was globally watched by millions as the caravan of several hundred wagons full of families, friends and thousands of horses and riders trekked across the Montana prairie on their six-day journey. Media from around the world amassed to try and find the best story to chase.

But that was only one aspect of this historic event. The other was the actual cattle drive where over 100 drovers trailed several thousand head of cattle over sixty miles, contemporaneous with the wagon train.  

Two parallel routes were established, covering roughly the same number of miles every day. While the wagon train enjoyed a party atmosphere every night; the drovers camp, reminiscent of those 100 years ago, was prioritized by tending to the welfare of the animals. After a long day of trailing the cattle, a few of the drovers visited the wagon train camp for the nightly festivities, but the two entities remained separated during the day.

Along with one drover designated by each Montana County, a handpicked crew was chosen from ranches across the state. There was no acclimation needed by the drovers or their horses – they were all accustomed to the work. It was the chance of a lifetime, and each person took it seriously. 

“We had a job to do, and we intended to do everything we were capable of doing to make sure that job was done and done well,” Turk Stovall said.  

Turk’s father, Jay Stovall was the trail boss. Alongside Turk and his father was his mother, Juanita, and his older brothers Tyler, Manny and Manny’s wife, Lee. Turk was the youngest drover at age 13 and looking back, he’s amazed at what they accomplished so many years ago. It is with bittersweetness that Turk reflects on the drive. He’s lost his parents and both brothers since then.

“When I think about it now, I’m very proud of how it all came together,” he said.  “I was young enough I didn’t have a true appreciation for it, but I don’t think it could be done today.”

Turk told of his father riding the 60-mile route multiple times during the weeks before the drive, planning the safest and easiest route for the cattle. 

“Over and over, he rode from ranch to ranch, visiting with the owners, finding the best places to cross their property, what fences needed to be cut, how to keep our herd separate from their livestock, where they would bed down for the night,” he recalled. “There were so many things that needed to take place before the drive even started.”

A few days before the drive commenced, the cattle started arriving at a location outside of Roundup. They were branded with the ‘M89,’ the official brand of the cattle drive, and began acclimating together.  Jay also observed the cowboys through this process. 

“He had an incredible knack for understanding cattle and people both,” Turk said. “He took his job as trail boss seriously and he expected his cowboys to as well. The drive wasn’t a time for showboating – ‘it isn’t about you,’ Dad said.”

Over 100 cowboys broke trail early that first morning and as the cattle headed south toward Billings, an apparent lead steer rose out of the herd. That ‘lead steer,’ actually a longhorn cow, was dubbed Victoria and her head in mounted, in tribute, above the fireplace at the Stovall Ranch southeast of Billings today.

“That will happen with cattle, the same way it does with people,” Turk explained. “A leader will emerge.” 

At the end of each day, the cattle settled and were content to bed down for the night. The drovers took turns ensuring that there were no issues. Along with the cattle, the drovers’ horses were also turned out and regathered in the morning by a group of horse wranglers.

Wrangling the horses into a rope corral, they roped each horse they led them to their rightful owner. Every morning, within an hour’s time, over 150 horses were caught and saddled. Some mornings the cold-backed horses needed to be bucked out before work began, but it wasn’t long before everyone was mounted up and another day on the trail began.

Jay’s expectations were high, but they had to be with 2,800 cattle and the world watching their every move. Authenticity was prioritized and Jay expected his crew to dress appropriately for the times in long sleeves, cowboy hats, and chaps and represent Montana well.

The infamous photo taken on the Charter Ranch of the Drovers saddled up and lined out could have been taken a century ago. In fact, it was taken with an authentic camera of the era.   

At the end of the drive, the herd was split and sold between Public Auction Yards and the Billings Livestock Commission with the earnings used for paying off the drive’s debt. The remainder of the funds were donated to the Montana Community Foundation – a newly formed philanthropic organization which still exists today which helps both private and non-profits build stronger communities across the state.

Despite droughts and blizzards, depression and disease, grasshoppers and unfavorable markets, Montana had survived 100 years since joining the Union. The strength, vision and endurance of those that helped shape this state is the true character of Montana.

That same character showed up vividly in the men and women who moved the Great Montana Cattle Drive from an idea to a celebration and tribute that will forever be considered a “once in a lifetime” event. Though that celebration, millions of hearts were touched and the world got a glimpse of Montana’s great heritage.