LIMOUSIN TODAY November 2017 | Page 15

ILC Feature Bill, Davey, and Enos are how this ranch operates day-to-day. These are the four draft horses that help the ranchers of Running Creek feed their cattle herd during the winter months. Even with Davey being 24 years old and Enos missing an eye due to cancer, this duo gets the job done. The team gets hitched up to the hay wagon that is pulled through the pasture while a farm hand uses a pitchfork to distribute it. “Yes, it takes longer to feed this way, but we get to see all of the cattle up close every day, and the cattle docility benefits as well,” Casey explained. I experienced this first hand as we drove through the pastures and the cattle did not want to move for the truck. The draft horse teams compete during their off-season, they went to six competitions this year and will be at the National Western Stock Show for the horse pull again in 2018. The 34,000 acres that is deeded or leased by Running Creek sustains 1,250 bred mature cows and 425 yearling heifers. The ranch is managed very similar to the commercial producers that purchase Running Creek genetics, save for an extensive AI program. Running Creek will synchronize and AI between 1,150 and 1,200 females each year in their spring-calving program. Polled, docile, low-maintenance, LIMOUSIN Today | 13