Guest Testimonial of the Week

Folks email the DRA office daily looking for their next dude ranch vacation...and occasionally they write back to "thank us" for a great experience.

Thank you very much for your directory and help in assisting me with selecting a great dude ranch for August 2009. We returned this past Sunday from the Vee Bar Guest Ranch near Laramie, WY and had a wonderful time! It was my first dude ranch experience and found Wyoming to be a beautiful state. I have passed along your website to numerous employees and friends letting them know how easy it was to narrow down our search with your directory and how helpful you were. Thank you again and I hope to return to the Vee Bar next year. The Cole family and staff made my sister and I feel very welcomed and comfortable. Elaine from PA!

The 84th Annual Dude Ranchers' Convention

The Dude Ranchers' Association 84th Annual Convention will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Billings, Montana February 2nd - 6th, 2010.

Convention Highlights!

Largest attended DRA Event of the Year. This year registration is on Tuesday, with the event ending Saturday morning, leaving all attendees time to travel home for Super Bowl Sunday!!! This 3 day event will include the following activities:

Build lasting relationships with all DRA Members!
Casino Night
Seminars & Round-Table Discussions
Marketing Tips & Trends
State of the Association Address
Horse Safety Courses
The BS Show & More Entertainment
20+ Vendors
Food, Family, Friends & FUN!
Annual Educational Trust Banquet & Auction
Call the DRA Office at (866) 399-2339 For Registration and for more Information

The 63 Ranch Video

New Release of "The Bar BC Chronicle"

“Conversations in building a real western experience”

An oral history of the Bar BC Ranch Jackson Hole Wyoming

By Renee Howard Smelker

To Purchase a copy please contact Casey Morton  (307) 733-0466 or email
amorton@bresnan.net

Here is the Book's Forward...

Against the stunning backdrop of the Teton Range, the story of dude ranching in Jackson Hole unfolds. Dudes came from outside the West and sought to hire accommodations, horses, and guiding and hunting services from local ranchers. Early visitors were often attracted to this remote country through Hollywood westerns, dime novels, and advertisements by railroads that fostered a sense of romance about this part of America. They visited the West seeking adventure, their notion of the Wild West, and a glimpse of that romantic American hero, the cowboy.

In Jackson Hole, dude ranching began in early years of the twentieth century. One of the most famous and beloved dude ranches was the Bar BC. It was founded in 1912 by Struthers Burt and Dr. Horace Carncross, both easterners and pioneers in the dude business. The location of the Bar BC was ideal. It was near the Snake River which provided water and excellent fishing. It was nestled below a bench beneath the Grand Teton which provided privacy for the ranch but rewarded its dudes with spectacular views of the Teton Range. Untouched lands and wild animals surrounded the ranch.

Burt and Carncross ran a successful and popular dude ranch. The Bar BC offered its guests an informal lifestyle and a family atmosphere. Dress was casual. Dudes favored horseback-riding, pack trips, hunting, and fishing. They enjoyed dances and dude rodeos. By the late 1920s, the heyday of dude ranching, the Bar BC was the best known dude ranch in Jackson Hole.

The later years of the Bar BC were directed by Irving Corse and Bill Howard. In 1937, Burt sold his interest in the Bar BC to then partner Irv Corse in order to devote himself to writing. Corse had come to the ranch as a truck driver in the early 1920s, and eventually became the foreman and then a partner in the ranch. Howard began work as a wrangler at the Bar BC in 1922 and became the foreman seven years later.

Letters between Irving Corse and Bill Howard tell the story of the Bar BC in the years after Burt and Dr. Carncross operated the ranch, spanning the time from 1929, after Carncross’ death, to 1942, when Howard left the ranch. They were compiled by Bill Howard’s daughter, Renee Howard Smelker, who spent most of her youth at the Bar BC Ranch where both of her parents worked for about 20 years. Smelker’s notes, drawn from her memory, supplement the letters and provide local color.

Interestingly the letters provide a glimpse into the operations side of a dude ranch rather than the fun and romance of the dude’s life. Through the years of correspondence chronicled in the book, a picture of the routines and concerns of maintaining a dude ranch, which also ran a cattle operation on the side, becomes clear. A sense of the challenges of work in the isolated and harsh environment of Jackson Hole and in a changing economy emerges, as does a feel for life in the valley and the importance of neighbors and friends. The tale is all the more compelling because it is told by the people who lived it.

The Bar BC Ranch holds a special place in the hearts of many who have lived in or visited Jackson Hole. Because of the work of Struthers Burt, the ranch is one of the most historically significant dude ranches in the valley. Unfortunately it lies in ruins today. Through the correspondence presented in this work, the later history of the ranch is captured in print, providing an engaging story for those wanting a taste of Jackson Hole’s past.

Lokey Lytjen
Executive Director
Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum

Saying Goodbye...

The Dude Ranch Industry has lost two of their “pioneers” this last month, DRA Hall of Famers, Leo Hargrave of Hargrave Land and Cattle Guest Ranch and Nancy Ferguson of Eaton’s Ranch. They truly helped make the industry what it is today. Please take a moment to tip your hat to these two great dude ranchers’ I know they will be missed by all..

Nancy Ferguson
Nancy Eaton Ferguson, 88, of Wolf, passed away at her residence on July 21, 2009. Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be at Eatons’ Ranch at a later date. Born Feb. 28, 1921, in Sheridan to William and Patty (Alderson) Eaton, she attended Sheridan schools and was a graduate of Sheridan High School. She married Tommy Ferguson at Eatons’ Ranch on Sept. 5, 1942. She was the Sheridan Rodeo Queen in 1939, served on the Wolf Creek School Board, the Hospital Auxiliary Board, and was a member of the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in Wyoming, the Book Review Club, and was Lady President of the Dude Ranchers’ Association. She was preceded in death by her husband; a brother, Billy Eaton; and a daughter, Judy Ferguson. Survivors include her children, Susan Van Allen, Patty Kaufmann, William Ferguson, and Thomas J. Ferguson, Jr.; 10 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Memorials may benefit the Nancy Eaton Ferguson Sheridan WYO Rodeo Scholarship Fund, c/o First Interstate Bank, PO Box 2007, Sheridan, WY 82801.
The service  will be held on September 19 at the ranch at 4:00 p.m. and we will have a cocktail reception immediately following.

Leo Hargrave:
Charles Leo Hargrave, 87, died Saturday, July 11, 2009, at his home in Laclede, Kansas. Leo was a man of many talents honed from a humble upbringing during the Great Depression and WW II.
Leo married Ellen White of Laclede, KS, June 10, 1978. He built their Charolais operation and surrounding lease lands to the point that he was recognized as a model of sustainable environmental grazing practices. The couple simultaneously built a dude business on the cattle ranch. Guests from around the world joined them for the next 20 years in Living the Legend of a Montana cowboy. Leo spent 6 years helping to guide the Dude Ranchers’ Association as a board member and was honored with induction to the DRA Hall of Fame in 2007.

Travels with Timi Gustafson: Dude Ranching in Colorado

The DRA Wrangler Certification Update

The Wrangler Certification course has been established to train wranglers/guides in the skills needed to meet the Minimum Horse Safety Standards accepted by the DRA certified ranches. This course provides the skills and knowledge needed to prevent potential accidents, and how to anticipate dangerous situations on the trail. Participants in this program must already have a good working knowledge of horsemanship skills. This is both a hands on and classroom experience. The course follows the material presented in the DRA Horse Safety Manual.

The Wrangler Certification program has been very successful again this year:
• 6 Ranches have hosted the wrangler training
• 16 Ranches sent wranglers to be certified
• 58 wranglers have been certified this year making a total of 247 wranglers currently certified.

The Certified Wrangler Instructor Training course has been established to train instructors for the Wrangler Certification program. This covers presenting the material in the classroom and in a hands-on experience at the barn or on the trail. There are currently 58 Certified Wrangler Instructors.

Guest Testimonial of the Week

We visited the Red Rock Ranch in Kelly, Wyoming for the week and we would highly recommend it to those who seek thrilling landscapes, a fine management and staff operating the facility, overwhelming kindness and courtesies, superb riding and teaching skills by staff, good food, five star rooms and cabins; we are not strangers to Dude Ranch getaways and have visited 3 of the finest ones out there; we move Red Rock to the top of our list and we plan to return there, without any doubt. R. Gordon, Miami.

DRA Horse Safety Program

In 2004 the DRA introduced its first Association defined Horse Safety program. The program has seen a significant level of participation from membership. It is designed to assist ranches in managing risk and establish reasonable standards for the Industry. The Horse Safety Program consists of the DRA Horse Safety and Adaptive First Aid for the Trail Certifications, Certified Wrangler Instructor, and Certified Wrangler and is an endorsed insurance program.

The DRA Horse Safety and Adaptive First Aid for the Trail program reflects the minimum guidelines for member ranches and other trail riding programs related to Horse Safety and Adaptive First Aid for the Trail. This program provides an educational opportunity through a seminar approach. Our goal is to promote continual evaluation of safety procedures and skills to improve the quality of our programs. Currently there are a total of 107 DRA Ranches, Associate Member Ranches and Outfitters Horse Safety Certified.

The Dude Ranchers’ Association Horse Safety Program is the standard for anyone involved in Western Riding Programs. It's been developed by those with more experience and more guest hours in the saddle than any other organization in the world. Summer camps, trail ride operators and Western riding instructors would all greatly benefit by becoming a part of the Dude Ranchers’ Association and taking advantage of the expertise available there. Safe practices not only help provide a better experience for guests and more return riders, operating under policies established by the recognized leader in the field provide insurance companies with a greater comfort level which can lead to lower rates. DRA has an insurance program available to members. Call them and ask for more information.
Allen A. McBride, Camp Mac

Stellar Staff at Family-Friendly Elk Mountain Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado

This link to the Traveling Mama's website was sent to us this last week. Just thought I would share it with you!

Stellar Staff at Family-Friendly Elk Mountain Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado

Happy 4th of July!

Just a quick note to wish everyone a very Happy and Safe 4Th of July. Remember Freedom is not Free. A special thanks to all veterans, our troops and those that suuport our men and women in uniform.


"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism." ~Erma Bombeck

5 Great Reasons to Have a Wedding at a Dude Ranch

1. The Scenic Setting
Picturesque surroundings such as the majestic Rocky Mountains or wide open spaces like the Arizona desert are frequently home to guest ranches. Some have rivers or lakes on their property; others have large pastures or dramatic ridges. A couple who said their outdoor wedding photographs at a ranch were so beautiful that folks asked if they were shot in a studio with a scenic backdrop!

2. Friendly, Down-to-Earth People
No snooty staff member would last long at a ranch! Everyone pulls their weight and works together to make your wedding a wonderful, personal experience. Ranch folks
will welcome you and treat you like one of the family. Don’t be surprised if, before
you leave, the staff know all your names, what you like to eat and which horse you
prefer to ride!

3. One-Stop Destination
Come for a Friday night rehearsal dinner, get married outdoors Saturday morning, have an elegant reception Saturday afternoon, then stay for a honeymoon after the wedding! Dude and guest ranches have comfortable accommodations to provide lodging for overnight guests after they’ve enjoyed the wedding and reception. That way, there’s more time for guests to have fun and it eliminates driving home in the dark! Also, since ranches are generally on large plots of land, the noise factor isn’t a problem for the neighbors.

4. Outdoor Activities
Most ranches offer good clean fun in the great outdoors - horseback riding, nature
hikes, hay rides, swimming pools, tennis and game courts fantastic trophy trout fly fishing and rock-climbing Many now have hot tubs and offer massages for relaxing after an active day. Some even offer spa services.

5. Location, Location, Location
Many ranches give you the feeling that you’re far away from the big city but they are actually close to airports and major highways. Often, shuttle buses from the local airport will drop folks off at the ranch property or at a nearby central location in town. Folks are usually amazed at what a beautiful ranch lies nestled in the valley just down the hill from the highway!

There are ranches all over the west that make perfect wedding destinations and there’s sure to be one just right for the two of you. Contact us for more information.