SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE WESTERNER


Matching the pitch to the buyer

By Julie Carter

Tex was a horse trader, skilled at many things but horse-trading was his first love.

He is also Dan's uncle. You recall Dan of "Dan the team roper and Slats the politest horse ever" fame.

Living in an area where there are lots of cowboys, lots of ropers and lots of horseman, Tex was making a viable living at trading horses. All those horsemen and ropers felt the need every once in awhile to change colors or upgrade their horses, so they'd go see Tex.

Tex tried hard to maintain an adequate inventory of trained horses but also made a point to fit each customer's needs to the abilities and personality of each horse. An admirable quality in a horse trader, indeed.

Calf roping was the "hot" sport at this particular time. Tex had Dan living in the bunkhouse, training and tuning up the calf roping horses for the customers.

Dan would get them going good, correct any little bad tendencies and be ready at a moments notice to show these good horses to prospective buyers.

One afternoon, Rocky, a regular customer, called and told Tex he needed a new but very good calf horse.

Tex was caught kind of short in his "good calf horse" inventory. All he had was one sorrel stocking-legged horses standing in the lot ready to sell.

Tex told Rocky this good sorrel horse was quiet, had nice conformation, an impressive set of papers validating good breeding and had been started right. He would need some more polishing up on his arena work but would be a good horse someday. Tex priced the sorrel at $1,250.

Rocky told Tex he was on a winning streak, had won a couple buckles lately and better yet, his girlfriend was real impressed with his roping. He really thought he needed a horse that was quite a lot better than the sorrel Tex had offered him.

Tex thought about it a minute and with the presence of mind only the best of horse traders can muster, he began describing a stocking-legged horse to Rocky. This one had lots of "chrome," the best conformation with lots of muscle definition. He guaranteed a good solid stop on the horse where a man could get off on the right, run down the rope and tie a very quick calf.

Tex promised this horse to be a surefire winner in anybody's book, but added the caution he really wasn't planning on selling him because he didn't have his registration papers. Reluctantly he priced this special horse at $2,500.

Rocky said he'd be right over, that this horse sounded like just what he needed. Dan showed the horse to him, demonstrating his skills on several calves in the arena, catching them all.

Rocky was in love. He'd never miss another calf, would have to build a trophy case for all the buckles he win and his girl friend would be more than impressed.

As Rocky drove off with this exceptional, you guessed it, sorrel stocking-legged horse in the trailer, Tex looked at Dan and said, "Well nephew, we are plumb out of horses now and while I hate to tear up these papers, Rocky ain't going to need them anyhow."

© Jule Carter 2006 Silence can be a speech. It is hard to put a foot in a closed mouth.



The Right Hand Man

by Larry Gabriel

Like most people in charge of an operation, farmers and ranchers are well aware of the value of a good "right hand man".

No one is certain where "right hand man" originated, but it has been around for hundreds of years as an identifier of a most trusted assistant, often the second in command.

During the 18th century, the right hand man was an officer in charge of the right flank of a cavalry unit. Today the phrase applies to both men and women and generally means someone who is a trusted confidant and often left in charge.

Many farms and ranches are blessed with such a person, sometimes with the title of foreman, but often they are a long time employee with the title of "friend". Sometimes it is a son who is in the process of taking over the farm or ranch as the father gets older.

A right hand man is someone who allows the "boss" to be gone without giving a second thought to problems that may arise because his man knows exactly what to do, how to do it and what the boss would do if he were there. For those who bear management responsibility day in and day out, it is great blessing to have such a helper who is more friend than employee.

I am doubly lucky in this regard. I know the feeling of confidence and trust that comes from having a good right hand man both on the ranch and in my government job. You can't imagine what a blessing it is to leave the ranch or the South Dakota Department of Agriculture in trusted hands as I travel back and forth between them.

Another American idiom says, "all good things come to an end." I am not sure that is always true, but in the case of my right hand man at the South Dakota Department of Agriculture it is true in part. Deputy Secretary George A. Williams is leaving Pierre and moving to a new opportunity in Sioux Falls this month.

It is a sad time for our office, almost as sad as when George left us to do a tour of duty in Iraq as a Sergeant First Class in A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 147th Field Artillery unit of the South Dakota National Guard.

For me, this departure is more difficult. When he left for Iraq I knew in my heart he would be back. That's why we never changed a thing in his office and didn't even shut down his email. Our faith paid off when he finally returned.

This time I am really losing my right hand man – the man who was in charge when I was out, the man who could handle anything that might arise, and who I knew would do nothing that I would not do. He gave me freedom from worry during every absence from the office.

Losing that kind of support is difficult, whether it happens on a farm, a ranch or in an office. If you see a few technical errors in the column in the future you will know why.

However, there is also a gain involved. Next month, Sioux Falls will become a more enjoyable place for me to visit, because one of my very best friends will be there.

Mr. Gabriel is the South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture